Thunderchief

"Don Henry is a world-class fighter pilot who gets to the bottom of what makes aerial tigers tick. He captures the excitement of getting shot at that haunts their self-proclaimed supreme confidence. Don Henry's Thunderchief is the equal on modern warfare to Stephen Craneï¿¿s Red Badge of Courage. " --Gen. Charles A. Hornercoauthor, with Tom Clancy, of Every Man a Tiger
"Packed with action, emotion, and tragedy,Thunderchief is the authentic, moving story of a combat pilotï¿¿s struggle to overcome peer pressure and fear. Don Henry develops a superb portrait of fighter pilots and how they develop the Right Stuff. Along the way, he also tells us a lot about ourselves." --Walter J. Boyne author of The Influence of Air Power upon History
When Americas space program began to look for astronauts, it initially turned to fighter pilots, finding in them men who could remain calm in the face of fear and uncertainty and solve intensely complicated problems in disarmingly simple and effective ways. Men who possessed these skills were said to have"the Right Stuff." Set in 1966 during the Vietnam War, Thunderchief is an extraordinary exploration of what the Right Stuff is and how jet fighter pilots pass it on within their close-knit community. Ashe Wilcox is a young pilot struggling to gain respect through the trials of initiation under fire. He is mentored by Hunter, a tortured POW-camp survivor obsessed with aerial combat and revenge. Ashe and Hunter's relationship, in which Hunter is a reluctant and demanding instructor, leads Ashe on a dangerous and passionate journey of self-discovery. Thunderchief explores the inner conflict and mortal spirit of people in combat and reveals the staggering impact on their families and relationships.