Need book recommendation: Search and Rescue

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Sun Mar 31, 2019 10:25 am

Looking for a recommendation for a non-fiction book about Search and Rescue efforts. Any era.

Anybody recommend one.

Snake45 · **Joined:** Sat Apr 05, 2014 5:49 pm **Posts:** 864

My Secret War by Drury is about A-1 operations in SEA. Not exclusively about S&R, but a lot of good Vietnam War S&R action included in it. It's one of the finest aviation books of any kind I've ever read (and I've read it four of five times now, and will read it again), written by a man with a deep love of flying and an appreciation of aviation history and heritage. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Come to think of it, there are quite a few exciting RESCAP stories in Broughton's Thud Ridge, too.

JohnB · **Posted:** Sun Mar 31, 2019 1:21 pm

Here's a favorite from when I was a kid, I must have checked it out several times from the base library. I recently found an ancient paperback copy at a local veterans museum fundraiser:

Air Rescue by Lt. Cols. Carroll V. Glines and Wendell F.Moseley.
First published in 1960-61, it covers WWII and post-war activities. In addition to the authors own work, if features a great story that first appeared in Air Force magazine "Seventy Nine Hours" by Ed Mack Miller (a well known senior UAL training captain who wrote aviation stories on the side) which details the USAF/RCAF efforts to save the crew of B-47 51-7033 after it was lost following an explosion.

In chapter 8, the recount the story of a C-47 down on the ice in Greenland in 1948. A SB-17 tried to land to pick them up but gets stuck on the ice, then a rescue CG-4 glider lands to pick up everyone It would be snatched by a C-47 to take off) but it wrecked by the wind. Eventually they were picked up by a JATO-equipped C-47.
I wonder what became of the SB-17?

An old book but it should be easy to find on places like Abe Books, Albris and the like. Personally, I'm fond of stories from the H-19, H-21 and SA-16 days...and pre-ELT, GPS and even survival radios (I trained on them at survival school but I can't remember the designation...SRT something?).

That Others May Live is an official Air Force history of rescues in the Korean War. Being not copyrighted, I found a free copy online, (Sorry, I can't find the link) but our friends at Amazon will sell you an ebook copy of the Air Force version for $7.99 (which had got to be about $7.98 profit).
https://www.amazon.com/That-Others-May- ... B013XTV4VI

There is another Amazon link from a private publisher who seems to have appropriated the book...and offers it for a more reasonable $1.99
https://www.amazon.com/That-Others-May- ... B00ZYC6RGK

There seem to be a lot out there about Vietnam. I see a book with a view that of the bottom of a HH-3 all the time in Amazon.

In doing a search, the Jolly Green Association lists some books on their website about Vietnam rescues:
http://jollygreen.info/library/

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Sun Mar 31, 2019 3:07 pm

Thanks Guys for the info and the recommendations!

Jesper · **Posted:** Mon Apr 01, 2019 8:30 am

My humble recommendations. All very good books

Leave No Man Behind: The Saga of Combat Search and Rescue (George Galdorisi, Thomas Phillips)

Cheating Death: Combat Air Rescues in Vietnam and Laos (George J. Marrett)

Rescue Pilot (Dan McKinnon)

This one is still on my to-read list:

Combat Search and Rescue in Desert Storm (Darrel D. Whitcomb)

take care

J

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/14115381-jesper-jorgensen?shelf=rescue

Cubs2jets · **Joined:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:12 am **Posts:** 312

The Rescue of Streetcar 304

https://books.google.com/books?id=9RNv1 ... 07&f=false

C2j

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Mon Apr 01, 2019 11:01 am

While not combat SAR, "Death and Deliverance" is an interesting (though frustrating for me) read about "Boxtop 22", the Canadian military C-130 that crashed on descent into CFB Alert up on Ellesmere Island in 1991.

"Bat 21" is also a good read.

wendovertom · **Posted:** Tue Apr 02, 2019 4:49 pm

So there are two books by L Douglas Keeney one I have read and recommend - I can't imagine the other is any less riveting.

"Lost in the Pacific"
I have read this one and its awesome - Keeney was doing research for the US Navy and he complied the reports of survival / survivors forthis book. It is hard to put down. Almost all the stories are from the aviators who survived - a few from the rescuers
"Air-Sea Rescue 1941-1952"
I have not read this one but it looks really good - rescue at sea when the PBY was king. I hope to get a copy soon!

Tom P.

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Need book recommendation: Search and Rescue

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