Jackson Mike - Naked in Da Nang: a forward air controller in Vietnam

Naked in Da Nang is a tribute to all the men who flew and fought, and to the indomitable spirit of the American fighting man. Its simplicity is refreshing as it captures the emotions and motivations that we all shared.

Brigadier General Steve Ritchie, USAF (Ret.), former Fast FAC and Vietnam War Ace

After reading all night, I closed this brilliant book and tried to close my war-torn brain. No way. Mikes experiences were seared forever in this pilots mind. I cannot, will not, and should not ever forget this wonderful story. Bless you for your words...and curse you for my sleepless night!

Cliff Robertson, star of PT-109 and recipient of the Experimental Aircraft Associations Freedom of Flight Award

If you werent there, or were younger, read and understand. Discover the real meaning and definition of courage. As one who fought in two wars I am indebted to Mike Jackson for telling it like it was, is, and always will be.

Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF (Ret.), triple ace and commander 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, with over 100 combat missions during Vietnam

Mike Jacksons Naked in Da Nang is a rare breed among Vietnam memoirs; it emphasizes the humanity we all share, and it reminds us that, even in a war zone, humanity endures.

Colonel Frank Borman, USAF (Ret.), and commander Apollo 8, the first manned mission to orbit the Moon

A FORWARD AIR CONTROLLER IN VIETNAM

MIKE JACKSON AND TARA DIXON-ENGEL

FOREWORD BY FRANK BORMAN

First published in 2004 by Zenith Press, an imprint of MBI Publishing Company,
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA

Copyright 2004, 2010 by Mike Jackson and Tara Dixon-Engel
Hardcover edition published 2004. Softcover edition 2010. Digital edition 2010.

All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purposes of review, no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the Publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge.

Zenith Press titles are also available at discounts in bulk quantity for industrial or sales-promotional use. For details write to Special Sales Manager at MBI Publishing Company, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA.

To find out more about our books, visit us online at www.zenithpress.com.

Digital edition: 978-1-61673-746-7
Hardcover edition: 0-7603-2076-4

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

Jackson, Mike, Lt. Col.

Naked in Da Nang : a forward air controller in Vietnam / by Mike Jackson and Tara Dixon-Engel.

p. cm.

ISBN-10: 0-7603-2076-4 (hbk.)

1. United States Air ForceOfficersBiography. 2. Vietnam War, 19611975Personal narratives, American. 3. Vietnam War, 19611975Aerial operations, American. 4. AirmenUnited StatesBiography. I. Dixon-Engel, Tara. II. Title.

DS559.5 .J33 2004

959.704/348/092Bdc22

2005273459

Design Manager: Brenda C. Canales
Cover designed by: Matthew Simmons

On the cover: An O-2A Skymaster moments after firing a rocket.
On the back cover: Lieutenant Mike Jackson at Camp Eagle, Vietnam.

Printed in the United States of America

To all those who serve in the
United States military with courage and
convictionpast, present, and future.

BY FRANK BORMAN

AMERICA and the world underwent a dramatic transformation between 1965 and 1973. At Christmastime 1968, the crew of Apollo 8Jim Lovell, Bill Anders, and Ibecame the first humans in history to gaze on the far side of the moon. We stood in mute wonder as we witnessed the spectacle of earthrise.

Even now, from the vantage point of more than three decades, it is difficult to fully convey the range of emotions that crowded our minds as we watched our brilliant blue planet slowly ascend between the ragged peaks and valleys of the moon. Floating there in the cold, hostile blackness of space, that planet seemed like a tiny oasis of beauty and peace. Yet we knew that all was not peaceful down among the green hills of Earth.

By December 1968, Bobby Kennedy was dead, Martin Luther King was dead, the nation was polarized, college campuses were in flames, and American boys were dying at a rate of dozens per day in a faraway place called Vietnam.

Although almost thirty years have passed since the fall of Saigon, Americans continue to fight the Vietnam Waron television, in the movies, in the political arena, and over the radio airwaves. And the brave soldiers, sailors, and airmen who put their lives on the line in Southeast Asia continue to be casualties in one form or another.

Popular culture has often painted Vietnam veterans as unstable, unreliable, and downright antisocial. Only recently have Americans begun to revisit the soldiers of Vietnam, acknowledging them not as societys castoffs but as fathers, sons, husbands, and friends.

The time has come to stop viewing Southeast Asia through a political prism, but to examine it through the passion and energy of the human experience, with all its joy, regret, fear, love, and laughter.

Colonel Mike Jacksons Naked in Da Nang is a rare breed among Vietnam memoirs; it emphasizes the humanity we all share, and it reminds us that, even in a war zone, humanity endures.

As one of the northernmost forward air controllers in South Vietnam, Mike enjoyed a front row seat to the Easter Offensive of 1972, the fall of Quang Tri, the Vietnamization of the war effort, and the general lack of clarity that seemed to define the entire conflict. Like Mike himself, the stories in this book are lively, compelling, offbeat, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny.

He does not attempt to argue that Vietnam didnt change him; he freely acknowledges that it changed an entire generation. What he does say, with alternating humor and eloquence, is that it didnt ruin him. It didnt ruin America either. It could have, and maybe, according to the law of averages, it should have. But it didnt. Naked in Da Nang is, as much as anything, a story of endurance and triumph. It is the story of one mans journey from small-town America to war and back again. It is a coming of age tale to which anyone born between 1945 and 1965 should be able to relate. And, as with everything else in his life, Colonel Jackson tells it from his own unique, irrepressible perspective.

A CHARMED LIFE

MINE is the story of a charmed life. Not a perfect one, but one that seems destined to work out, not necessarily because of my actions but often in spite of them.

When all is said and done, it boils down to a question of perspective. Some other guy might live my life and argue that its been nothing but a series of bad breaks. Hed be wrong. When I revisit the past fifty-seven years, I see a string of events that gave my life depth and color and meaning. Nothing was easy, at least nothing that was worthwhile. Then again, I dont ever remember wishing for easy. I am much happier, much more content with interesting. For me, hell on Earth wouldnt be strange encounters, unusual people, and unpredictable events. It would be boredom, pure and simple.

It has been my great fortune to gravitate toward people and circumstances that dont necessarily fall into the realm of normal. There have been times when Ive questioned my own sanity for deliberately seeking situations that many would find ridiculously complex or stressful. But when the dust clears, things always seem to work out for me. Call it dumb luck, kismet, or destiny, Ive managed to live through a lot of weirdness and inconsistency and come out the other side with a wealth of offbeat stories and unconventional friendsand I wouldnt have it any other way.