MWSA Book Review

Tales of an Ugly Angel

Authors: Gary Doss

Publisher:  River Road Press

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

Vietnam War Memoir by a Marine who served in an Ugly Angel!

There are some war aircraft that inspire memories such the Huey but the Marines were flying something much different up in the northern areas of South Vietnam called the UH-34. It was a huge slow moving bullet magnet and large target for the VC and the NVA to shoot at. One USMC crew member Gary Doss, has written a fine accounting of his old unit in the book “Tales of An Ugly Angel.” We are introduced to the young author’s life as he takes us from his joining the service through his “tour of duty” in Vietnam.

Doss allows the reader to become a part of his journey as he weaves his story of his war days into a easy to read and enjoy look at his memories of the Vietnam War. It is from his personal view of those days when he was in combat that we gain some insights into what it must have been like for Marines like himself onboard the old UH-34s that they flew into battle or to retrieve the wounded. Those old helicopters were all referred to as “ugly angels” but his unit was the only one that officially had that name. The squadron began its tour in Vietnam being named after the original commander Colonel Archie Clapp; they were known as “Archie’s Angels.” However, when he shipped out they changed the name to just “Ugly Angels.”

Doss does a good job explaining what life was like in the unit and how the missions were flown. We get an inside look at the crew and who they were. The memoir is well done and is informative as well as entertaining. The author's narrative flows much like a conversation between a couple of friends. Simple to the point and yet you can feel the emotions and the adrenaline when he takes the reader into a hot LZ under fire. Great account of Marine helicopter aviation in action. A must read for any and all those who love books about helicopters, the Vietnam War or war genre in general.