Jim Hooper - Author and Photojournalist - Testimonials

A magnificent account of amazing individuals who placed the mission well above their own safety. These men are true heroes and set standards that we maintain today. I have added the title to the Command's reading list as an example of professionalism, dedication, and courage. Thanks again!

—MG Thomas Csrnko

CG JFKSWCS

Every generation must face tough choices as life unfolds less idyllically than imagined in the protected environment of adolescence or the shelter of a college campus. Those of us who graduated in the late 1960s faced “fight or flight” decisions not unlike those of the World War II and Korean War eras. As the conflict in Vietnam escalated and the nation once again called her sons to war, some responded with patriotic fervor, some volunteered reluctantly, some took their chances with the draft lottery, while others sought to avoid the obligation all together. Regardless of the how’s and why’s, those who fought in Vietnam learned about life and death, but most of all about themselves. In the story you are about to read, there is a universal truth: warriors don’t fight for their country or flag, they fight for each other, often going far beyond what their country asks. It was an honor to serve at the same time as these men. This story is about the nation’s best!

Lance W. Lord, General, USAF (ret)

Jim Hooper's tribute to his brother Bill, a Bird Dog pilot with the 220th Recon Airplane Company, is a classic story of war and close combat.  From hell-raising antics in the clubs and bars to hair-raising combat operations, where death was often only inches away, this is a must read. For those who have never "seen the elephant", this might be hard to understand; those who have will instantly identify with the actions of their fellow warriors. Flying an unarmored aircraft well within the effective range of every enemy weapon on the battlefield to protect the grunts in close combat takes a special breed of heroes. This book chronicles the exploits of such men.

Gary L. Harrell, LTGEN, USA (ret)

Jim Hooper's gripping account of the legendary Catkillers of the 220th Recon Airplane Company once again shows us the spirit and ethos of American warriors.  It's about the sheer guts, ingenuity, compassion, and humor of those who serve in defense of freedom.  Jim's account is a tribute to the Catkillers...and the thousands who follow in their footsteps...warriors all--old and new!

Brigadier General Robert H. Holmes USAF

This is a story about the warrior spirit that has existed in our fighting forces since the birth of our nation. Jim Hooper has nailed this small piece of the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of the Bird Dog pilots of the 220th Reconnaissance Airplane Company. It is a moving tribute to the men that flew these small aircraft with skill, courage, determination and a whole lot of brass.

Mike Seely  BG (ret) 74th RAC '65-'66; 245th SAC '68-'69

I flew A-4 Skyhawks out of Chu Lai, and then Bird Dogs with the VMO-6 Fingerprints at Quang Tri for the second half of my tour. You have done a magnificent job of presenting the deadly environment we all faced on a daily basis. I can't thank you enough for telling the story of the "Catkillers", because it is the story not only about them, but everyone who flew in I Corps. Your book is outstanding.

“Nomad” - Jim Lawrence, LTCOL, USMC, USN, ANG (Ret)

I really appreciated the opportunity to read the advance text. I find I have to read parts over and over again because my mind fades away as I reminisce. The setting covers so many places I've been - Quang Tri, Dong Ha, Rockpile, Vandergrift (LZ Stud), Con Thien and others. Having been in a grunt unit and in 3rd Force Recon in I Corps, I felt truly a part of the pictures you painted.  Although I am hopefully a very stable individual, you provided me with a 'verbal flashback' that made me breath harder and brought a tear to my eye. You do a remarkable job of providing the sights and sounds of a unit in trouble.  

Tom Wilson, 3rd Force Recon

I commend you on your talent in compiling a wealth of information regarding Operation Rich - and thank you for confirming my fears of that day. In fact, I felt as though I was reliving it - my heart was pounding in my chest. You have assembled a true work of art. 

Tom Coopey, Recon Platoon, 1-61

Finally, a book giving the “Catkillers” the recognition they deserve. Often times, in Vietnam, I was asked what a US Marine was doing with an army unit. I arrived in Vietnam in July 1968, and was assigned to Headquarters, XXIV Corps, as a Marine Aerial Observer. Next thing I knew, I was in the office of the Commanding General, then-LTGEN Richard G. Stilwell.

The 220th Reconnaissance Airplane Company had just been made OpCon to XXIV Corps, and Gen. Stilwell told me I was the new liaison officer and had two weeks to develop a plan on how they would be used in northern I Corps. When I visited the Catkillers, they looked at me like I was from outer space, but it was a short-lived reaction. Working closely with “Andy” Anderson, I learned that individual ground units were being allocated so many hours of 220th support, with XXIV Corps Artillery claiming the majority of those hours. I briefed General Stilwell that we needed to change “hours” to “missions,” and from then on, ground units had to submit mission requests, stipulating the purpose, time of day, and how long they wanted coverage. The XXIV Corps Artillery people went nuts, to say the least.

My first mission with them was over North Vietnam, where anti-aircraft fire was coming from 57, 85 and 100mm guns. Along the Laos border, inside Laos, over Ashau Valley and Dakrong Valley, ground fire came from 12.7, 23 and 37mm weapons. It was over Laos where I learned that Bird Dogs can survive hits and keep flying.

The 220th soon became known throughout Northern I Corps, and there wasn’t a mission or assignment, regardless of weather or ground fire, that they backed off from, regularly returning with bullet holes in their aircraft.

“A Hundred Feet Over Hell” is about the Catkillers’ sincerity, heroism, and previously undocumented sacrifices, in all kinds of weather and under hostile fire; it tells of our flying over North Vietnam and Laos, night operations, and aircrews that were lost. As a United States Marine, I hold all members of the 220th RAC in the highest regard, and have the honor of being the only “Marine Catkiller.”

Read the stories that Jim Hooper has so painstakingly gathered, which give credence, respect and reality to the most caring group of US Army aviators, the Catkillers.

“Tank” Meehan, COL, USMC (ret)

Call sign: “Catkiller One”

A handful of aviation memoirs from the Vietnam War truly stand out. Jack Broughton’s Thud Ridge details the extraordinary courage of US Air force pilots facing North Vietnam’s deadly air defenses. Robert Mason’s Chickenhawk carries the reader on a gut-wrenching journey from flight school to helicopter assaults under heavy enemy fire. The Ravens by Christopher Robbins reveals the CIA’s secret war in Laos. Taking its place among these classics is Jim Hooper’s A Hundred Feet Over Hell, the story of the 220th Reconnaissance Airplane Company. The ‘Catkillers’ flew100mph Cessnas from Phu Bai and Dong Ha to cover the Ashau Valley and DMZ, where, within range of every enemy weapon on the battlefield, they called in artillery and air strikes to support army and marine units fighting the NVA. In these days of unmanned Predators and Reapers, it is astonishing to learn that the Catkiller FACs even took their single-engine Bird Dogs into North Vietnam in search of targets. For those interested in military aviation and tales of raw heroism, A Hundred Feet Over Hell is a must read.

—librarything.com