GOD’S YOUNG LUNATICS: A Memoir of Vietnam Helicopter Combat

In this captivating memoir, Bob J. Garcia, a door gunner from the 117th Assault Helicopter Company plunges readers into a combat helicopter during the height of the Vietnam War, and his lifelong struggles with PTSD after returning home.

“We were God’s young lunatics .
We were reckless as we faced death every day in Vietnam.
We acted fearlessly, even when we were at times scared as we flew our thinly built Army helicopters into combat, the wind sometimes threatening to crash us into mountains and rice paddies.
We were brave and courageous as we flew our machines into battle, willing to die to save American infantry lives.
No matter the danger, we performed our duty without complaint or hesitation.
Flying anywhere, anytime, and in any condition was the calling card of the helicopter crews I call God’s young lunatics .”— Bob J. Garcia, author .

God’s Young Lunatics is a deeply intimate account of the Vietnam War from a perspective rarely seen. With raw honesty, Bob J. Garcia recounts the adrenaline-fueled chaos of Army helicopter combat , revealing a staggering irony: he did it all while harboring a paralyzing fear of heights.

His memoir is a realistic and accurate look inside the mind and emotions of a young soldier who survived combat, but the battle didn’t end in the mountains of Vietnam . He faced other battles after returning from a vicious and divisive war. He harbored unseen scars and the health consequences of PTSD, Agent Orange, and helicopter crashes, which followed him long after the rotor blades stopped turning.

God’s Young Lunatics captures the harrowing reality of door gunners , crew chiefs , and pilots who traded their youth for a seat in a vibrating aluminum bird to fly daily missions in extremely hazardous conditions. The book is a powerful testament to the helicopter crewmen of the Vietnam War. Written with grace, unflinching realism, and a captivating style, Bob J. Garcia allows the reader to sense the reality and dangers of combat. He honors the legacy of the crew chiefs, pilots, and gunners who flew without hesitation, proving that true courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s flying right through a crossfire to save the lives of American soldiers.

They were the reckless ones. They were the ones who flew when the weather said stay down and the enemy said stay back. They were God’s Young Lunatics .

PLEASE NOTE: The author has curated a personal collection of archival photographs from his service, including rare shots of him in the cockpit and inside his hooch. To view these images, scroll down to the "From the Publisher" section below.