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Ron Standerfer’s 27-year Air Force career spanned the cold war years between 1954 and 1981. During that time, he flew a variety of high performance fighters including the F-100, F-102, F-105, F-4 and A-7. He flew over 200 combat missions during the Vietnam conflict and was awarded two Silver Stars, thirteen Air Medals and the Purple Heart. The latter was received after he was shot down over Tchepone, Laos in 1969.

Ron retired from the Air Force as a full Colonel after tours in the Pentagon and Tactical Air Command headquarters in Virginia. His novel, The Eagle’s Last Flight is based on his personal experience.

Follow along with Ron’s alter ego, Skip, by purchasing The Eagle’s Last Flight at Amazon

The following is an interview conducted by Juanita Watson of ReaderViews.

Juanita: Thanks for talking with us today Ron. We are excited to hear more about you and your unique wartime novel “The Eagle’s Last Flight.” Would you start by telling us about your storyline?

Ron: Certainly. The book begins with Skip O’Neill, the hero of the book, lying in a hospital in New York City. He is dying of leukemia, his wasted body showing scant evidence of the man he once was—an Air Force fighter pilot and decorated combat veteran. Although the end is near, he is determined to live until the new millennium, which is just a few hours away. Meanwhile, he drifts in and out of a morphine-induced coma reliving his life of adventure as a fighter pilot.

Skip’s first assignment as a young lieutenant places him among hard drinking World War II and Korean War–era fighter pilots who quickly teach him their ways. He almost washes out of pilot training but is persistent and manages to graduate.

In Vietnam, he proves to be a skillful and courageous pilot who faces dangers of all kinds with equanimity. But the greatest—and most deadly danger—materializes years after he volunteers to be an observer at an atomic test site.

In the end, Skip decides that when his time comes, he will dash at it fearlessly. He anticipates being greeted by departed friends—but what awaits him is something totally unexpected.

Juanita: Ron, you’ve had an incredible life that serves to make this fictional account read like reality. Would you tell us about your background?

Ron: I was in the Air Force for twenty seven-years during the Cold War and Vietnam years between 1954 and 1981. During that time, I flew a variety of high performance fighters including the F-100, F-102, F-105, F-4 and A-7. I might add that most of these aircraft reside in museums these days. It makes me feel like an antique! I flew over 230 combat missions during the Vietnam conflict and was awarded two Silver Stars, thirteen Air Medals and the Purple Heart. The latter was received after I was shot down over Tchepone, Laos in 1969. I retired from the Air Force as a full Colonel after tours in the Pentagon and Tactical Air Command headquarters in Virginia. Continue reading »

Recently, I took a journey back to the Cold War and Vietnam years. The time was 1954 to 1981. I was one of many Air Force fighter pilots then, and the things we saw and did deserve to be remembered. That’s why I wrote The Eagle’s Last Flight.

It took me three years to write the book and I did so on my own, armed only with the support of my family and a few friends. This was not by choice, but rather because of the “new writers need not apply” attitude of the publishing industry plus the discouraging —if not downright cynical— words I received from what few writers I knew.

Fighter pilots are known for their determination to get things done, especially if people say they can’t. Thank God I am one of them, for the book is now published and selling well. In subsequent posts I will tell you exactly how I did it. And you can do it too—if only you have faith in yourself. That’s what this blog is all about.

Visit Ron’s site to learn more about his first novel.

You are free to duplicate or distribute the following information to your blog, Web site, ezine, newsletter, or friends. We would appreciate a link back to BloggingAuthors.com. If you would you like to review this book for your site, blog, or ezine, email nancy at bloggingauthors dot com

Paul Holton, more commonly known as Chief Wiggles, has set up many humanitarian assistance and help organizations.  He offers an insider view and humanistic portrayal of life in Iraq.

He is adamant in his quest to inform the general public of the good in the people of Iraq. While serving the US Army as an Interrogator, he discovers the similarities among men and their families, rather than the brutal terrorists our media has reported them to be. Paul expands his mission to bring joy and goodwill to this impoverished country through Operation Give. Through his choice of giving he says he has received so much more in return. Through the sight of a small girl’s tears, an idea to bring smiles to a people who have known few was born. Continue reading »

By Ron Standerfer

Skip O’Neill lies dying of leukemia in a New York hospital, determined to live until the new millennium. His wasted body shows scant evidence of the man he once was—an Air Force fighter pilot and decorated combat veteran.

O’Neill’s first assignment as a young lieutenant places him among hard drinking World War II—and Korean War—era fighter pilots who quickly teach him their ways. He almost washes out of pilot training but is persistent and manages to graduate. In Vietnam, he proves to be a skillful and courageous pilot who faces dangers of all kinds with equanimity. But the greatest—and most deadly danger—materializes years after O’Neill volunteers to be an observer at an atomic test site.

In the end, O’Neill decides that when his time comes, he will dash at it fearlessly. He anticipates being greeted by departed friends—but what awaits him is something totally unexpected.
Continue reading »

The Old Sergeant 

Author:  Steven J. Newton 
Publisher:  Publish America 
Reviewer: W. H. McDonald – President of MWSA 

Short stories of war and people - through the eyes of an old sergeant 

Author Steven Newton gives us a book of short stories that all hang together for one much bigger story as seen and told through the eyes and emotions of “The Old Sergeant.”  His brilliant writing style is a cross between Ernie Pyle and O’Henry and is a wonderfully insightful (and at times touching) look at war and people.  It is thought provoking and will give readers something to chew on long after they finished the stories. 

Newton does not take the easy and expected twists and turns in his stories. He allows us to see a more human and emotional side of him as expressed through his lead character the Old Sergeant.  This is a totally different kind of book of war short stories that makes for an easy read.  The author obliviously has writing talent.  These stories capture all that energy in a finely written 187 page book that is an entertaining read. 

This is certainly one of the best collections of military related short stories published in the past five years.  Put this book on your buy list!  It will make a great gift book for all veterans.  Continue reading »

By Paul Horton

When Chief Paul Holton returned from Iraq in 2004 he couldn’t believe what he was reading in the American press about the war. It certainly didn’t match his experience. Every story seemed to be about the misbehavior of US soldiers or the successes of the insurgents. War is tough. But American soldiers, who were willing to do that incredibly tough job, were paving the way for a free Iraq.

Saving Babylon is not the perspective of the all-too-frequently co-opted embedded reporter from the major media. This is the firsthand account of an Army interrogator who worked hand-in-hand with Iraqis at all levels in building a new nation
Continue reading »

Reviewed by William E. Cooper for Reader Views

By Donald T. Phillips

I have written reviews on many books on a variety of topics. I have to say “On the Wing of Speed” is one of the best books I’ve read in many years. I love history, particularly American history, and Mr. Phillips’ book captures the time nearing the end of the Revolutionary War with such reality that it seems as if the reader is actually there. This type of writing takes considerable skill and it is abundantly clear Mr. Phillips has what it takes. Making it even more real, I have visited the places his book describes, from New York to Yorktown and he is right on. His near minute-by-minute description of events is outstanding, and the need to articulate the daily movements is certainly there.

Mr. Phillips not only writes about the events, but captures the essence of leadership, courage, risk-taking, loyalty, and what it took to make America. As I read the book I felt the weight of decisions and leadership on General Washington’s shoulders. Having been in a leadership position for years as a Chief of Police, I have full realization that while I felt the burden at times, it was little compared to those times. This is a book I will always keep in my library and I will read it more than once. I recommend “On the Wing of Speed” with as high a recommendation as I’ve delivered before, and I genuinely hope Mr. Phillips writes more books. I’ll be wanting one of the first.

Buy Donald’s book at Amazon

Thank you to ReaderViews.com for sharing this review with BloggingAuthors.com

Author of Thanks for the Memories

1. As many as 50 million condoms were sold or freely distributed each month during the war.
2. 80% of GIs away from home for 2 years or more admitted to regular sexual intercourse. Nearly a third of these men had wives at home, while almost half indicated they intended to marry their girlfriend waiting back in the States.
3. When madams were forced to close their brothels in Norfolk, Virginia, prostitutes hired taxis dubbed “chippy wagons” and serviced their customers in the back seats.
4. “Khaki-Wackies,” “Victory Girls,” and “Good Time Charlottes” were teen age girls who “sold” their sexual favors for a movie or a coke at the local drug store.
5. Some 650,000 American babies were born out of wedlock between 1942 and 1945, an average of 8.3 illegitimate births per thousand. Continue reading »

Saving Bablyon

On the Patriot missile:
Our star defender was the new Patriot surface-to-air guided missile defense system. Its Gulf War predecessor was designed to explode near slow-moving targets like aircraft, but was never intended to shoot down ballistic missiles. The new version of the Patriot is equipped with a hit-to-kill technology and is capable of intercepting Scuds at a higher altitude than was possible back in 1991. The interceptor would collide with the Iraqi missile like a bullet hitting a bullet. The exploding warhead is capable of destroying incoming Iraqi warheads, including any nuclear, chemical or biological agents.

One evening I was even able to witness one of these Patriots in action. With batteries located on our base, about 200 yards from my tent, I could hear the unmistakable sound of the Patriot’s launch. As I ran outside in my chemical suit, I stared at the distant sky waiting for the hit. Instantly, a bright flash appeared signaling the Patriot had met its target. Seconds later the sound of the collision could be heard, confirming success. We returned to our tents resting a little more peacefully.

Interrogating Mahmood
Not all the prisoners were in good standing with us. I had a few guys whom I treated in a different manner, never to torture or mistreat, but I ran a variety of different strategies and approaches on them during the interrogation process. One such uncooperative character was a general with important governmental responsibilities, General Mahmood, or “Dark Eyes,” as I called him. I was running an assortment of approaches with him to see how he might react.
Continue reading »

Thanks for the Memories: Love, Sex and World War II
by Jane Leder

After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, young Americans knew instinctively that their lives would never be the same.  The “normal” sequence of events – education or work, marriage, children – had been blown to bits and, as they would soon discover, so had long held attitudes toward love and sex. 

In Thanks for the Memories: Love, Sex, and World War II (Praeger Hardcover; October 2006), award-winning author Jane Mersky Leder argues that WWII challenged attitudes about love and sex and, in the process, set the stage for the second wave of the women’s liberation movement and the struggle for gay rights.  Through interviews with members of the WWII generation, she tells the true story of how these men and women responded to the passions of war and how their lives and the relationships between the sexes were forever changed.  Continue reading »