This book tells the amazing story of the AC-119 Shadow gunships and their crews who wreaked havoc on the enemy during the Vietnam War. The fixed-wing aircraft provided close fire support of U.S. and friendly troops with the ability to fire up to 6,000 rounds per minute and deliver it with deadly accuracy. Ground troops came to rely on the AC-119 as dependable aerial defenders of fire support bases, air bases, Special Forces camps, villages, hamlets, and remote outposts. The author, former United States Air Force Captain, Dr. Larry Elton Fletcher, flew 177 combat missions as a pilot in AC-119 Shadow gunships during his tour of duty in Vietnam with the 17th Special Operations Squadron and received numerous medals for his valour.