American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day
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During the course of his military career, Bud Day won every available combat medal, escaped death on no less than seven occasions, and spent 67 months as a POW in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, along with John McCain. Despite sustained torture, Day would not break. He became a hero to POWs everywhere—a man who fought without pause, not a prisoner of war, but a prisoner at war. Upon his return, passed over for promotion to Brigadier General, Day retired. But years later, with his children grown and a lifetime of service to his country behind him, he would engage in another battle, this one against an opponent he never had expected: his own country. On his side would be the hundreds of thousands of veterans who had fought for America only to be betrayed. And what would happen next would make Bud Day an even greater legend. Kirkus Reviews A modern warrior's achievements and heroics culminate in opposition to a U.S. government viewed as breaking trust with military veterans. Coram (Boyd, 2002, etc.) confesses in the preface to an "unbounded admiration" of Colonel (USAF) George "Bud" Day. His subject goes from a roughshod, undisciplined-even court-martialed-Marine recruit in WWII to the military's most decorated veteran (his awards include the Medal of Honor) as a result of action as both an Air Force flying officer and POW in Vietnam. Indeed, the bulk of the narrative flits frequently into outright homage. It's somewhat understandable when dealing with a military pilot who compiles an exemplary service record, gets a law degree in his spare time, hones legendary flying skills, survives two accidents of a type that killed all others known to be involved in them, leads a crucial combat squadron in Vietnam, then is shot down and not only attempts a nearly successful escape but becomes a notorious (to his captors) "hard resistor" surviving torture in the company of his fellow POW, now Senator, John McCain. Coram's extended take on Day's career pre-Vietnam tracks with steady military-family-man allegiances and no-B.S. character testimonials, and it's certain to be more appreciated by fellow vets. An interesting theme does emerge post-Vietnam: an on-again, off-again association with McCain, who adopts a softer attitude than Day on POWs who did not actively resist and took an early release others declined; they also part on the Swift-boat veterans attack (denounced by McCain) on John Kerry. There are some blunt personal references to McCain in the book, particularly unflattering in the context of presidential ambitions. After twodecades in retirement, Day leads an assault against the Clinton administration's cutback of veterans' promised medical benefits, characterized by Coram in a final, redundant reference, as "the mission God saved him for."The record speaks for itself; alienation and politicization lurk between the lines. Agent: Mel Berger/William Morris Agency
Acknowledgments viPreface viiPrologue 3Siouxland 13War and Peace 29Preparation 43The Wild Blue Yonder 63Sporty Flying 83Building Time 101Hit My Smoke 119South Toward Freedom 135North Toward Hell 151The Bug 177Another Summer of Love 205The Years of the Locust 223The Freedom Bird 241Three's In ... With Unfinished Business 255Over the Side 273Good-bye Yellow Dogs 289Once More unto the Breach 305The Fat Lady Never Sings 325One More Mission 345Epilogue 363Sources 378Bibliography 379Index 383
