Robert Mason (writer)

Infobox Military Person


name= Robert Mason
born= birth year and age|1945
died=
placeofbirth=
placeofdeath=
nickname= "Bob"
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Army
serviceyears= 1964-1968
rank= Warrant Officer 1
unit= 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
battles= Vietnam War *Battle of Ia Drang

Robert C. Mason is a veteran of the Vietnam War and author of several books, including his first, best-selling memoir: "Chickenhawk". Mason piloted Huey "Slicks" in the United States Army as a Warrant Officer 1. He was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) for around a year (including over 6 months in Vietnam).cite book |title=Chickenhawk |last=Mason |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Mason |year=1983 |publisher=Viking-Penguin |isbn=0140072187]

Mason spent an intense two days of the Battle of Ia Drang hovering for many hours far above the terrain, while a full colonel and two Army captains sat in the back of his helicopter, coordinating ground units by radio. Mason followed this over-extended duty with a contested night-landing to pick up wounded troopers. Mason would also ferry supplies to an artillery unit and deliver more troops from 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry to Landing Zone X-Ray later in that battle. In repeated missions, Mason delivered more than a hundred wounded troops from the battle zone to the Division hospital tent and came under fire repeatedly, taking several hits to his helicopter. Mason believed that a maneuvering helicopter was a poor target, so he turned his aircraft back and forth when things got too hot. Because he always took fewer hits than other helicopters in his flight, the other men started calling him "Lucky".

Mason transferred to the 49th Aviation Company in May 1966. He continued to fly helicopters including assault missions for the 101st Airborne in Dak To as part of Operation Hawthorne in June 1966. Mason carried out other flying tasks and managed to get involved in near-daily flights trading block ice for goods and money. After his one-year tour of duty, Mason became an instructor pilot. However, he was grounded soon after for deteriorating mental health, which was later diagnosed as Post traumatic stress disorder which he had from his service in Vietnam. He had an escalating drinking problem which grew to the point where he began taking marijuana.

In 1979, Mason began to write a book about his tour in Vietnam. He named it "Chickenhawk" after a conversation he and his friend and fellow helicopter pilot Jerry Towler had had in 1965 while waiting to pick up some GIs in Vietnam.

In 1981, he was arrested for smuggling marijuana on a boat from Colombia.

"Chickenhawk" was published in 1983, and was very well-received. Mason was invited to appear on the "The Today Show". In the midst of this, Mason's legal appeals were exhausted and he learned that his incarceration was set to begin on August 19, 1983. The "Today Show" appearance took place August 15, and sales of the book benefited from the author's own ongoing drama as well as his widely-praised writing. "Chickenhawk" became a hardcover and paperback best-seller.

Mason was released from prison on May 17, 1985. He has subsequently published two novels, "Solo" and "Weapon", as well as a second memoir, "Chickenhawk: Back in the World".

References

External links

* [http://www.robertcmason.com/ Robert C. Mason website]