Sherman Lead: Flying the F-4D Phantom II in Vietnam

Sherman Lead is the gripping story of a year flying the F-4 Phantom in combat during the Vietnam War, told through the eyes of a US Air Force fighter pilot. Operating out of Ubon Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand in 1968–69, Gail Peck and his squadronmates were tasked with flying combat missions into North Vietnam and Laos at this time as part of Operations Rolling Thunder and Steel Tiger.

The F-4 was heavily involved in the air-to-ground mission at this time, with targets being well defended by enemy anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles. Gail Peck's arrival in-theater coincided with the beginning of electro-optical and laser guided "smart" bomb combat operations. There were periods of fierce combat interspersed with lulls and the fighting was intense and unforgettable to those who participated. Some men lived through it, and others died without a clear understanding of why.

Written by a pilot who flew near-daily combat missions, this engrossing book is the story of one man, his colleagues, and his machine--the mighty F-4 Phantom--at war.