Filled with never-before-disclosed information, this riveting, meticulously documented book pieces together the events of the tragedy -- correcting the official U.S. view. For 35 years, the government has allowed the Forrestal crew to carry an undeserved share of the blame for the tragedy, never acknowledging that it sent the carrier faulty bombs that exploded before the crew even had a chance to contain the initial fire.
Told through the stories of a dozen of the ship's sailors, including its former captain, it follows the Forrestal from its home in Norfolk, Virginia, to the fateful fire and its aftermath. Written with the intensity and excitement of a thriller, here is the first full minute-by-minute account of the disaster.
The culmination of over seven years of research, it is the ultimate guide to the military geography of the American War in Vietnam and includes references to numerous battle sites and forts of the French War.
Its over 10,000 entries cover the entire Indochina theater, including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and both North Vietnam and South Vietnam.
Each entry attempts to provide as much of the following as could be identified: name, grid coordinate, relative location, a.k.a. names, origin of name, dates built and dismantled, who constructed the base, major units occupying the base, dates of major attacks, unique features, alternate grids, province and military region.
Identified within the text are some 6,000 named firebases and LZs, over 2,000 airfields, and the names of over 700 US and ANZAC warships and contract vessels that served within the Vietnam Combat Zone.
Cover Price: $39.95 (call 1-800-228-2275)
May, 2002 release - ($29.95 if pre-ordered through 800-number)
Author contact at www.wherewewere.com