A Chain of Events
Nonfiction, History, Middle East, Persian Gulf War, Military, Biography & Memoir, Historical
| Author: | Joan L. Piper | ISBN: | 9781612344331 |
| Publisher: | Potomac Books Inc. | Publication: | June 30, 2001 |
| Imprint: | Potomac Books Inc. | Language: | English |
| Author: | Joan L. Piper |
| ISBN: | 9781612344331 |
| Publisher: | Potomac Books Inc. |
| Publication: | June 30, 2001 |
| Imprint: | Potomac Books Inc. |
| Language: | English |
On April 14, 1994, on a clear morning over northern Iraq's no-fly zone, two U.S. Air Force F-15 jets encountered two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters on a routine mission. Within ten minutes, the F-15s misidentified the helicopters and shot them down with fire-and-forget missiles. For three years, aircraft had patrolled these skies with a near-perfect safety record. Although the Black Hawk's downing was one of the worst air-to-air friendly fire incidents involving U.S. aircraft in military history, the Air Force would officially conclude the pilots had made a reasonable mistake. One victim was ebullient twenty-five-old intelligence officer Laura Piper, in love with life and with being an Air Force lieutenant. Movingly written by her mother, A Chain of Events is the story of LauraÆs final flight and the Air ForceÆs mishandling of the subsequent investigation. It is a story of duty, patriotism, a motherÆs devotion to a daughterÆs memory, and her familyÆs disappointment in a beloved institution.
On April 14, 1994, on a clear morning over northern Iraq's no-fly zone, two U.S. Air Force F-15 jets encountered two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters on a routine mission. Within ten minutes, the F-15s misidentified the helicopters and shot them down with fire-and-forget missiles. For three years, aircraft had patrolled these skies with a near-perfect safety record. Although the Black Hawk's downing was one of the worst air-to-air friendly fire incidents involving U.S. aircraft in military history, the Air Force would officially conclude the pilots had made a reasonable mistake. One victim was ebullient twenty-five-old intelligence officer Laura Piper, in love with life and with being an Air Force lieutenant. Movingly written by her mother, A Chain of Events is the story of LauraÆs final flight and the Air ForceÆs mishandling of the subsequent investigation. It is a story of duty, patriotism, a motherÆs devotion to a daughterÆs memory, and her familyÆs disappointment in a beloved institution.
