This vivid narrative history recounts the full story of the US Air Force's involvement in the air wars over Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

The US Air Force's involvement in the Southeast Asian wars began in 1962 with crews sent to train Vietnamese pilots and with the conflict in Laos, ending in 1972 with the B-52 bombings in Hanoi, although there were Air Force pilots found unofficially engaged in combat in Laos until the end of 1975. The missions carried out by the Air Force during these years in Southeast Asia varied greatly, from attacks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail at night with modified T-28 trainers to "Downtown" missions, the name pilots gave to Hanoi, the central target of the war.

This air war was dominated by major air operations against the north: Rolling Thunder from 1965 to 1968, and then Operations Linebacker I and II in 1972, the latter involving the deployment of the formidable B-52 bombers against North Vietnam. These operations were conducted in the face of a strong Soviet Union-inspired air defense system, with anti-aircraft guns and missile launch sites. Additionally, the US Air Force was closely involved in secret air wars against Laos and Cambodia – one cannot speak of a war limited to Vietnam when it comes to Air Force operations.

Following the same author's work, "The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club," which recounts the US Navy's involvement in the Vietnam War, Downtown completes the picture. With a wide range of personal testimonies and previously unpublished stories, this captivating history brings together the full narrative of the US Air Force's struggle in the skies of Southeast Asia.

Pages: 352, Year of Publication: 0227, Dimensions: 15.3x15.3cm