A Thousand Faces

About the Book

The definition and duties of a paramilitary agent are varied, having many concepts that cannot be described in a manual or a directive. Such duties and dangers necessary to perform normal daily functions of meeting and accepting unknown contingencies must be surmounted, keeping the ultimate purpose of intelligence evaluation and utilization the prime objective. Success of an assignment hinges on past experience, personal knowledge and individual endeavor, with successful evaluation to mission application and their utilization. Operatives have lateral military experience and are brought onboard for their specific expertise, thus wording paramilitary. It is a dangerous and necessary function utilized only in conjunction with an overall operation when contributive result will enhance or assure a successful operation. Such is depicted herein of a paramilitary agent operating within the air operations field. All instances depicted are factual in nature and occurred during military conflict within a foreign country. As a contract agent his tenure with the Central Intelligence Agency is contingent upon need for his skill and his mastery of his profession. Too say the least, his contractual employment is temporary and may be terminated at any time. He is lucky and manages to retire from the agency. The story is portrayed in two parts: SOUTH VIETNAM - BOOK ONE, depicting operations in up country Military Region I, and SOUTH VIETNAM - BOOK TWO, depicting operations from Saigon and extending into Cambodia.

About the Author

Actions portrayed herein are based upon fact and actual occurrences by a Central Intelligence Agency paramilitary agent during the Vietnam conflict, and depicts the environmental conditions encountered. The seven years of gathering field intelligence and performance of daily duties puts him in harms way with a constant threat to his life. Application of his efforts and daily performance greatly enhances the success of the Central Intelligence community projects and saving of countless lives. So that you may understand importance of the impact of an ongoing daily operation the book depicts typical daily encounters, not necessarily in concurrent order but sequential over a period of a seven- year assignment to Vietnam. However, the possibility of death and encounter with danger is constant and accepted as a necessary part of daily life. During his seventeen-year tenure with the Central Intelligence Agency other hazardous paramilitary assignments were performed in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Africa, all the part of a special life of an ordinary, but special man. Among his many certificates of outstanding performances he is awarded the coveted Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence Star for valor, for participation in the roof top evacuations of Saigon on 29 April 1975. The evacuation scene atop the Pittman Hotel depicts him offering a helping hand to persons being evacuated, and has been eulogized in People Magazine, New York Times and various other publications including headline stories in the Tucson an Phoenix newspapers. The photo has also appeared on the front of Time magazine and he has appeared on Life Magazines 50th anniversary aired by 20/20, and continues to be shown on epic programs by Discovery, History and major television networks. During his thirty-two years of service to his country he served with the U.S. Navy Amphibious Forces 1943-1946 in the South Pacific, seeing combat action in the Philippine Islands and Okinawa. After being wounded at Okinawa he was discharged in 1946, returning to a difficult adjustment period as a civilian. In 1947 he returned to military service with the U.S. Air Force, having assignments in Korea as a member of the elite 4th Fighter Interceptor Group and later to the 1129th Special Activities Squadron in Area 51 of the Nevada Test Site. Retirement came in 1965 after 20 years of military service. Seven days after military retirement service continued with the Central Intelligence Agency as a paramilitary contract agent with future assignments in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Africa, until final retirement in 1977.