This is Jocko podcast number 469 with Echo Charles and me, Jocko Willink.

Good evening, Echo.

Good evening.

The war raged.

It had been raging for some time.

I arrived in the country in the middle of the night on Halloween, 1968.

I was young, a 22-year-old, newly promoted U.S. Army captain, eager to find my manhood to learn what I was made of.

I was anxious over the explosive light displays I'd seen in the distance as our world airways flight abruptly dropped into a steep spiraling approach landing at Benhoaah airbase just outside Saigon, the capital of

South Vietnam. As I walked toward the military bus there to pick us up, I noted with some concern

the heavy gauge wire mesh across the windows. Our escort told us it was to prevent anyone from throwing grenades

through the windows as we drove down narrow streets on a way to long bin army

post a few miles northwest welcome to the combat zone I thought little did I know

how far this was from the reality of war I'd soon come to know.

I'd heard the unit I was going to the 131st flew special highly classified missions, some of the most hazardous in Southeast Asia.

Many of its aircraft had been shot down far behind enemy lines.

Only a few crew members ever recovered.

General Westmoreland, the commander of all forces in Vietnam, authorized the black

flight suit for the aviators, the only army unit in Vietnam given that honor.

And that right there is an excerpt from a book called We Dared to Fly Dangerous Secret

Missions during the Vietnam War, written by retired Army Colonel William Reeder Jr.

This is the third book written by Colonel Reeder. He wrote another book called

Extraordinary Valor about Special Forces Major John Duffy, Medal of Honor recipient who fought lead

...