"This well-researched and detailed account of Oriskany’s 1965, 1966 and 1967 deployments begins with an equally well-thought-out introductory chapter with sections dealing with specific subjects such as what it took to fight a war in Southeast Asia that the U.S. was unprepared for, various weapons and training, including particular aircraft types. . . . Highly recommended for veterans of those deployments as well as Americans of all ages and experiences who may still want to know more about this part of the Vietnam War."-Cmdr. Peter Mersky, USNR (Ret.), Naval Aviation News “Military aviators and, indeed, members of all services can learn valuable lessons in leadership, sacrifice, and camaraderie from Bloody Sixteen’s story. Aviation enthusiasts, history buffs, and anyone seeking a better understanding of Vietnam and its impact on service members and their families will find much to consider. A fascinating, uplifting, and, at times, heartbreaking story.”-Golda Eldridge, Air Power History “[Fey’s] writing style is engaging and easy to understand. Furthermore, Bloody Sixteen is an excellent study of how leadership quality was the decisive factor during the worst of times”-Robert J. Rielly, Military Review: The Professional Journal of the U.S. Army “This is a superb and exciting book that blends the political and cultural happenings of the time with the real‐time war in the air. It rekindles memories of flying off the ship, of the flight deck crews, friendships and missions carried out with valor and professionalism. It makes one very proud to be a member of the navy and to be a naval aviator. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.”-CDR Doug Siegfried, USN (Ret) Tailhook Association Historian, The Hook “The Vietnam War was the apex of naval aviation, and Peter Fey tells you why in this magnificent, superbly researched history of Air Wing 16 aboard USS Oriskany. Betrayed by politicians and senior military leadership in a no-win war, the men in the cockpits had only courage, valor, professionalism, superb leadership-and each other. This book brought back the whole bloody tragedy. I could again hear the engines whine, smell the jet exhaust, see the faces in the ready rooms, feel the deck jump as the catapults fired, and see the flak and surface-to-air missiles.”-Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of Flight of the Intruder “Peter Fey’s narrative of USS Oriskany and Carrier Air Wing 16 personalizes the Vietnam era with insight into the costs and effects. The political and cultural aspects are well handled, including the efforts of POW-MIA families to buck the Johnson administration’s reluctance to address those concerns. Fey’s description of the atmosphere at the Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, is particularly relevant. Few authors-other than someone who has swum in that pool-would understand it so well.”-Barrett Tillman, author of On Wave and Wing: The 100 Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier "Bloody Sixteen offers a gripping introduction to the naval air war in Vietnam."-Michael Hankins, Michigan War Studies Review "[Bloody Sixteen] is a great read in providing a window to view the Navy's aviation community coming together to carry out an impossible mission under politically imposed rules of engagement. Bloody Sixteen is a great mix of social, political, and naval history."-Charles H. Bogart, Journal of America’s Military Past “A splendid and dramatic picture of the period that the USS Oriskany was in action along the coast of Northern Vietnam thanks to [Peter Fey’s] in-depth research and as a fascinating story teller. . . . The book has fascinated me from the beginning until the end and will be doing so for a long time.”-Aviation Book Reviews
