Fred Apgar's new memoir, Return to the War on the Plaine des Jarres, tells the incredible story of one man's journey from the battlefields of Laos during the Second Indochina War to his return to those same battlefields more than forty years later.
During his year-long deployment to Southeast Asia, Fred Apgar served as an Air Intelligence Officer in the United States Air Force. Assigned to the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron (7ACCS), he flew 116 missions in the skies of Northern Laos, code-named Barrel Roll, in support of the CIA's so-called "secret war."
Starting with the survival training he received at the PACAF (Pacific Air Force) Jungle Survival School in the Philippines, the author provides detailed descriptions of the duties for which Air Intelligence Officers were responsible and recounts the establishment, recruitment, and training of L'Armee Clandestine, the CIA's "secret army." Also discussed are topics such as the Rules of Engagement (ROE), search and rescue operations (SAR), intelligence gathering methods, road watch teams (RWT), unconventional warfare, and insight regarding the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail.
In 2014, the author returned to the battlefields and secret war of Laos. His book details his incredible journey as he met and interacted with many Lao and enjoyed their hospitality, traveled along the very same trails, roads, and rivers used by the Hmong, North Vietnamese, and Pathet Lao as they maneuvered to engage each other in battle, and visited some of the remote airfields (Lima Sites) and caves that played such prominent roles in the war. During his emotional journey, he was humbled to be among the ghosts of Barrel Roll, walking in the footsteps of the Hmong warriors where they fought, suffered, and died.
Return to the War on the Plaine des Jarres is a story of self-discovery that brought a great sense of fulfillment to the author. His greatest gift was given to him by total strangers, the blessing of Brotherhood, Forgiveness, and Redemption.
