Seawolves : First Choice

Rating:
Summary: Major Disappointment
Review: Boat? What boat -- I find Kelly's accounts 1% inflated and 99% accurate -- Having flown for several tours as a door gunner in HAL(3) - AND having FIRST HAND knowledge of the air cav - I can only guess that "Al Server" must be the younger brother of a REAL AIR CAV gunner/crewchief and took every one of his older brothers war stories and ran them through his non-combatant imagination -- If the reason to write a book and put it on the open market is to then SELL the book --then Kelly has hit the mark with his cutting edge wit and his honest portrayal of HIS experiences -- The market for a dry tale of dusty wet drudgery interupted by moments of sheer terror and war time humor is much better in its truth than your poor attempt at reviewing something it seems you know nothing about -- a certain author of a casual tale - Rogue Warrior - would be interested in your view point about SEALS and Seawolves-- why don't you tell him in your review of HIS book that he is just a "TALL ARVN" -- Kellys book is an excellent example of OUR expiernces -I applaud him --- "Stretch" -Det 7 1967'68'69 --

Rating:
Summary: Awesome Read! I couldn't put it down..read it in one night!
Review: Dan Kelly's "Seawolves: First Choice" is an action packed true-to-life Vietnam adventure. Dan captures the spirit of our involvement there, and takes the reader into the heart of battle with his personal experiences. I've known Dan for a number of years..but, I really didn't know Dan until I read his account of his experiences in Vietnam. This not only gives me a new appreciation of Dan, but a new appreciation of what he and his Seawolf buddies had to go through. It is interesting to note that without the Seawolves help and support in the thick of battle..the Seal Units would not have had the success that they had. Knowing Dan, I could see his personality coming through loud and clear. It was like I was there with him; hearing his laughter, his funny comments and just being around this charismatic character. This running commentary captures "a day in the life of" a Seawolf. I highly recommend this book to anyone that would like to know what it was really like in 'Nam. This would make a GREAT movie! I can't wait to read the follow-up books by Dan. He has a real talent in capturing and sharing with the reader "real life" experiences. Dan, thanks for sharing my friend! Jim McCurdy Abilene, Texas

Rating:
Summary: The realism takes me back to my time as a Seawolf doorgunner
Review: I thought that this book by Dan Kelly was about as close to real as could be told. I was a doorgunner with the Seawolves at the same time as Dan, however, at a different detachment. His experiences, although different, brought back similar experieces that I had gone through. The baptism of fire in earning Combat Aircrew wings was similar throughout each Seawolf detachment. The spirit that embodied the Navy Seawolves was living thing no matter in what detachment you served. Our one mission, as far as the pilots and gunners were concerned was to not leave any comrads on the ground or in trouble. Our history, as detailed in Dan's book, bears this action out. As I read it, I got goose bumps and very emotional just thinking about the past. A very good read.

Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: If your son, father, brother or friend flew gunships in 'Nam, read this book and look at them in a whole new way. Dan Kelly's book tells about a group of men that most have never heard of, unless they were Seals, PBR sailors or Special Forces in the Mekong Delta. I was priviliged to be a member of the Seawolves' support unit at Binh Thuy. I saw them go out and I saw them come back. Once in a while I got to see them "work out" from the deck of a boat. Watching them roll in on their "loop de loop" and seeing the results was a sight I'll never forget. Dan takes you along on a scramble to experience what few men ever do. Reading this book I began to smell the sour mud, jet fuel and cordite that infused this green-brown world I left behind many years ago. Forget Rambo, These are the guys that really did the job. They were my heroes then and they still are today. This would make one helluva' movie.

Rating:
Summary: Ok, but.....
Review: More Navy propoganda! While everyone who saw them will agree that the seawolves were good, they were only playing Cavalry. Just as we always considered the SEALs to be tall ARVNs, we in the AIR Cavalry always considered the Seawolves part of the ARVN air force. They were a defensive/reative force, we in the Army air cavaly were the offensive force. Book doesn't mention that because the seawolves had to operate off of boats, they couldn't carry our ammo load and therefore couldn't stay in the fighting as long as army gunships. If you didn't have to trot along side your gunship on takeoff because it was overweight with ammo, you couldn't expect to stay in the fighting very long. OK, book for those who know nothing about gunships but not so great for those of us who were on them.

Rating:
Summary: Well-written adventure packed book of a real American hero.
Review: The detailed descriptions the author uses to go inside his head and catch a glimpse of what it must have felt like in Vietnam are well chronicled. Each night I could not force myself to read self-help books for wanting to get back to the action with Dan Kelly. This book goes further than recounting war stories;rather, it takes an opportunity to teach of our duty, our responsibility, to take responsibility for our choices. The author is a very positive person and being that after learning of some of his adventures is truly remarkable. Like he once told me when I asked how is he so upbeat on life after serving our country through the harrowing adventures he did, he replied, "When you get that close to death,then and only then, will you know what it is like to live."

Rating:
Summary: Major Disappointment
Review: This book isn't very good. The author tends to exaggerate the situations he encounters. His emphasis that he is there because of his choice gets tiresome really quick. His believe that God was helping him kill the enemy is the same type of thinking terrorists use to justify their murders. There are many other better books on helicopter combat in Vietnam such as Dustoff or Low Level Hell. Stay away from this one it is only good as kindling.