SECRET ^and DANGEROUS

Night of the Son Tay P.O.W. Raid

by William A. Guenon, Jr. 

Air Commando Pilot

The Book

About the Author

Book Reviews

Talks & Lectures

The Nixon Note

Formation Photographs

The Signed Lithograph 

Son Tay Coin    

C-130 Pictures & Videos

Research Materials

Son Tay Raider Association

THE BOOK

$17.95 (9.5 x 6.25) 

ISBN 0-9723589-0-0

A thrilling eyewitness account of the secret humanitarian mission in 1970, by one of the air commando pilots who flew the amazing 'C-130' aircraft on the edge of a stall, at night, while leading six helicopters in close formation deep into North Vietnam for a daring rescue attempt of POWs being held in the shadows of Hanoi.

It's a  two-part story and describes the same raider-pilot's return to Son Tay prison 24 years after the raid, in broad daylight with only camera in hand, including his high-anxiety confrontation and arrest by North Vietnamese police.

Included are 71 rare pictures and diagrams, most never declassified or previously published until now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bill Guenon Air Commando Pilot

William A. "Bill"  Guenon, Jr., a Pennsylvania native, has spent the majority of his aviation career covering many facets of the transportation industry for both military and civil applications on a global basis.  Bill served in the U. S. Air Force as a Command Pilot and Senior Air Traffic Controller.  A bit of an adventurer, Bill finished third in the Great Atlantic Air Race, which started from the top of the Empire State Building in NYC and ended atop London's Post Office tower building. Although self-sponsored, his commendable time of 7 hours, 39 minutes, and 42 seconds was accomplished in 1969, using a Pan Am "Clipper" 707 well before the supersonic Concorde went into commercial service.

Currently, when not involved with consulting chores for his company, Omni-Alliances, Bill can usually be found mingling at air shows, aviation exhibitions, and aerospace museums.

REVIEWS AND PRAISE FOR SECRET and DANGEROUS:

“There are few moments in American history that Americans of the left, the right, and the middle can all look to with equal pride and celebration. The attempted rescue of American POWs from the Son Tay Prisoner of War Camp during the Vietnam War is one of these. Told from an insider’s perspective, SECRET And DANGEROUS: Night of the Son Tay P.O.W. Raid is a riveting and entertaining tale of men willing to risk everything for their fellow men, It summons up in exquisite detail both the technical and human aspects of this mission which was in NO WAY a failure. As much a tribute to the spirit of freedom as it is to the mission itself, Bill Guenon’s book is a must read for those who celebrate the American Spirit, even more for those who question whether it still exists. Well done, Bill. Well done, Raiders!”

           - RICHARD STEINBERG; New York Times & international

              bestselling author of  The Gemini Man, Nobody’s Safe,

              The 4 Phase Man, and coming this summer: CAIN.

 

"It's a thrilling account of a secret humanitarian and daring mission during the Vietnam conflict written by one of the pilots who flew the lead aircraft. He recounts the incredibly complicated operation on a personal and very revealing basis. It's so real, you will have the feeling of having flown the amazing C-130 yourself."

            - Lt. Gen. LeRoy J. Manor, USAF (Ret.)
              Commander, Joint Contingency Task Force
              Son Tay P.O.W. Raid

 

"Air Commando pilot Bill Guenon has written the only first-hand account of the incredible 1970 raid to free American P.O.W.s held deep in North Vietnam. Guenon, call sign, "Cherry One" flying his C-130 low, slow...20 knots below landing speed...in the dark of night operating in radio-silence, led six rescue helicopters to Son Tay -- then orbited the scene deploying flares, battle-sound simulators, and napalm bombs for ground beacons. His story is up close and personal with behind-the-scenes anecdotes that tell "the rest of this amazing story", including some surprising details. This one's a must for the keen, aviation book collector.

            - MARK BERENT, author, Storm Flight, last of his five-book

               series on the Vietnam war

 

"The Son Tay POW raid was one of the most daring and adventurous events in the Vietnam War, and sitting in the cockpit of the lead aircraft made Bill Guenon eminently qualified to tell the story as it really happened. The book is well written and filled with details, some heretofore unknown. But there is more. The sensitive account of his return to Son Tay years later as a tourist provides a poignant counterpoint to the story. Secret and Dangerous: Night of the Son Tay POW Raid is a must read for history buffs and those interested in the Vietnam War Era."

             - RON STANDERFER, author, The Eagle's Last Flight

"Guenon tells it like it was in his utterly fascinating story of the daring raid on Son Tay -- one of the most remarkable flying feats in the entire Vietnam War. His eyewitness account is especially poignant because he returned to Son Tay as a tourist to relive the thrilling memories. Pilots especially will savor its realism."

 

            - WALTER J. BOYNE, retired Air Force colonel and former

               Director, National Air & Space Museum, has penned

               more than 29 military-aviation books

 

SECRET And DANGEROUS is a superb documentary that should be required reading for anyone who flew missions in Southeast Asia or fly today’s military aircraft.  Thank you for what you did a lot of years ago.

 

             - ROGER S. VAN DYKE, MD, Lt Jg, pilot & author,

               The Sky Keeps no Memories: The 94^th Bomb

               Group – An American Airman and His Letters, 1942-43

"This must-read adventure, [particularly in light of the precision CAS (Called-in Air Strikes) that defeated the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan in 2001 and '92] is a gripping and most candid tale of the incredible mission Son-Tay, flown deep into North Vietnam...its inspirational caliber ranks right up there with the Doolittle raid on Tokyo!"

           - ROBIN MOORE, author of

              The French Connection, The Green Berets, and 

              The Hunt for Bin Laden

"You have masterfully written an important history of what I will always believe were our finest hours in Southeast Asia."

           - BEN SCHEMMER, former editor of 

              The Armed Forces Journal

"...written by an experienced special operations pilot who shares his story in the working-lingo of highly trained elite forces."

          - JON REYNOLDS, Brig. Gen. USAF (Ret.)

             Son Tay POW

"...perhaps the most detailed read on flying the daunting Son Tay Raid!"                             

           - DAVID BROOKS, 20th Century Fox Studios

TALKS & LECTURES

The author, air commando pilot Bill Guenon, gives lectures and talks detailing the highlights of the Son Tay mission and his return to Vietnam 24 years after the raid.  If you are interested in retaining him for a talk at your event, please contact him at Bill@secretanddangerous.com .  These presentations can be given in either PowerPoint or overhead vu-graph slides. The talk is flexible enough that it can be tailored to the topic or theme of your event.

Organizations where Bill has presented the raider’s real story:

Television
         The History Channel: Technical advisor to production team for filming their
         recently aired documentary on the raid.
         Local TV studio live-presentations in Ashland, Brockton & Watertown, Mass
Universities
          Boston College Sr. history class, and the U.S. Air Force ROTC detachment
          Tufts University, Fletcher School of International Law & Diplomacy

          U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO
          U.S. Naval War College, Newport, RI, visiting lecturer

          UMass at Lowell, U.S. Air Force detachment 
Museums
          New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, CT, Open Cockpit Sundays
          Oshkosh, WI Air Venture Museum during summer flight extravaganzas
          Aerospace Museum, San Diego, CA
          Aviation Museum, Richmond, VA
          American Helicopter Museum, West Chester, PA

Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos, CA

Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA

          National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Dayton, OH

Historical Societies
          Historical Societies of Ashland, Burlington, Lexington, and Weston, Mass
          American Aviation Historical Society, Phoenix, AZ
Conventions, Meetings & Shows
          Classic Jet Aircraft Association’s annual convention, Tucson, AZ
          Wings of the North annual AirExpo, Minneapolis, MN
          Daedalian meetings and other aviation-minded groups
          Special Operations Association’s annual convention
          VFW, American Legion & other veteran groups

          The Army Air Force Roundtable, Cheshire, CT
          Civil Air Patrol regional and wing meetings
          Rotary Club luncheons

THE SIGNED LITHOGRAPH  

$ 230.00 

Limited Edition, Signed and Numbered, 20" x 24"

 

“CHERRY-ONE AND FRIENDS”
Commemorating the Son Tay P.O.W. Raid of 1970

Own a Rare Piece of History

After acquiring the litho, one may seek out other P.O.W.s and raiders for their personal autograph of the print, thereby adding to its value and accelerated appreciation.

This exciting new creation was commissioned by an air commando pilot on “Cherry-1” a

C-130 – the raid’s lead aircraft. It captures the essence of flying the daunting assault-force on the edge of a stall, with three of the six helicopters in formation flying toward Son Tay prison tucked in the shadows of Hanoi.

An original Giclée fine art reproduction, it’s signed by the raid’s commanding general, four raiders, a Son Tay P.O.W. and the artist, William Beyer, a noted New England painter and watercolorist of distinction. The patches are rare and represent each of the major service units who participated in the raid..

Long awaited, this numbered, limited-edition lithograph is highly sought after by the discerning collector of fine historic military prints – a unique opportunity that’s now available!

Print signers are:

LeRoy Manor, Brig Gen. USAF, Commander, Joint Contingency Task Force

Wm. A. Guenon, Jr., Capt., USAF, C-130 Pilot, "Cherry-1"

Thomas L. Stiles, Capt, USAF, C-130 Navigator, "Cherry-1"

George W. Petrie, 1st Lt. USA, Special Forces, "Blueboy"

Frederic M. Donohue, Maj., USAF, HH-53 Pilot, "Apple-3"

Jon A. Reynolds, Capt, USAF, Son Tay Prisoner of War

William Beyer, Artist

Raid patch images are:

Son Tay Raider

7th Air Commando Squadron

Rare mushroom patch (Kept in the Dark - Feed on Horse Stuffings)

USA Special Forces

USAF Air Rescue Service

4th Allied P.O.W. Wing

THE NIXON NOTE

$ 2.00

Recently discovered 8.5 x 11 full-color copy of the handwritten note of raid confidence from President Nixon to Melvin Laird, Secretary of Defense, written just days before the raid.

FORMATION PHOTOGRAPHS

$5.00 "Cherry One" & Friends            $8.00 Gaggle Departure

Left: Select 8 x 10 glossy: high over Florida's Duke Field runway 18, a modified picture of Cherry One, the raid C-130E(I) leading five HH-53's and one HH-3 which intentionally crash-landed inside Son Tay (closest helicopter on the left side of  the C-130). Photo was taken to document the raiders' existence if they failed to return.

Right: Select 8 x 14 glossy: C-130E's commence a tactical "flying elephant" formation takeoff (USAF - E. Lewis, Jr.)

THE POSTER

$16.00

Exclusive 18 x 26 full color poster of the book cover.

SON TAY COIN 

 

       

$10.00

This limited edition coin commemorates the Son Tay raid and Cherry One, the lead C-130E(I) for the mission.

All items will be signed by the pilot.

Questions? Contact Bill@secretanddangerous.com