There was never a doubt about what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to fly. He wanted to fly in the military. He wanted to fly fast jets and be an Air Force fighter pilot. Nobody ever told him about the high probability of dying in combat. It was a peaceful time, without a major war going on, and Ed Rasimus went about the business of fulfilling his dream. Then it wasn’t a day job, living a normal home life and basking in the glamour of driving a supersonic toy around the countryside. Suddenly it was the real deal, placed at the pointy end of the spear of national policy and fighting for his very life in a war filled more with politics than tactics. He was flying an F-105 Thunderchief into the heart of the most heavily defended area in the history of aerial warfare, tasked to fly a hundred missions over North Vietnam when three out of every five fighter pilots who attempted it would be killed or captured. 
 
“When Thunder Rolled” is Ed’s story of the most intense six months of a young man’s life. He’ll take you into the cockpit with him as he faces the threat and he’ll let you into the depths of his mind as he honestly confronts his fears. There have been plenty of air combat memoirs written, but this is the first one that cuts through the macho posturing of the fighter pilot and tells about what goes on alone in the cockpit of a single-seat fighter as the war is fought. 
 
There’s plenty here for the aviation buff, with details about the airplane, the formations, the tactics and the weapons in a new kind of war that brought an entire new generation of defense to aerial combat. But, you won’t have to be a technocrat to enjoy the story of a young man’s coming of age in a very dangerous profession. The language is clear and the story accessible even to those who, like Ed’s wife, “don’t know which end of the jet the hot air comes out of.” Fighter fans won’t find fault with the aeronautical details, but adventure story lovers can dive just as deeply into the tale. 
 
Here’s what reviewers have been saying about “When Thunder Rolled”:

“One of the finest combat memoirs I have ever read, from any air force in any war.” Dan Ford, aviation historian, Wall Street Journal, March 13, 2003.

“Positively eloquent in his searing summary of what it was like to be a fighter pilot, alone in the sky, during wartime. Rather than glorifying war, he humanizes it. Few books can make that claim.” Brian Boylan, Denver Post, July 6, 2003.

“Mixes stark authenticity with humor, personal failings, bravery under fire and thrilling flying missions to become one of the best books about the air war in Vietnam. Author Ed Rasimus is a master of his subject, and presents a gripping, technically accurate portrayal of the courageous men who flew the F-105.” Walter Boyne, aviation author and former curator of Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, October 27, 2002.

“How Ed came to terms with his fears and transformed himself from a scared recruit to a valued member of his wing is the focus of this modern-day ‘Red Badge of Courage’” John Sherwood, Official Historian United States Navy and author of “Fast Movers: Jet Pilots and the Vietnam Experience.”

 “Combat accounts from the cockpit, with such realism you can almost smell the jet fuel and gunpowder.” Jack Broughton, former Thunderbird, F-105 pilot and author of ‘Thud Ridge” and “Going Downtown.”

So, is When Thunder Rolled an adventure story, or an aviation aficionado’s secret fantasy come to life, or is it a biting political commentary on what was wrong in a war that is still controversial in America? A graduate of Chicago’s Illinois Institute of Technology with a degree in Political Science, as well as a Master’s in Poli Sci from Auburn University and a Master’s in International Relations from Troy State, Rasimus is well qualified to offer some political insights into an air war strategy gone awry. Woven deftly through the missions and squadron life anecdotes, you’ll learn about the infamous rules of engagement, the disastrous tactics, the misguided escalation approach to bombing, the tragic personnel policies and more. Hawk or dove, you’ll find support in the no-holds-barred approach to the story.

When it was all over, the author came away from the war with more than 250 combat missions, flown in the fastest, most awesome jets of the period, the F-105 Thunderchief and F-4 Phantom. In the process he earned the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross five times as well as the Air Medal with 19 oak leaf clusters and an array of battle ribbons and awards. Since leaving the Air Force, he’s worked for a major aerospace contractor on the development of the next generation of tactical aircraft as well as written extensively for computer magazines with a weekly column in several publications and hundreds of software reviews. Currently, Ed Rasimus is retired in North Texas (after 20 years in Colorado Springs) where he teaches political science at the local college.

The sequel to When Thunder Rolled was released in April of 2006. That book, Palace Cobra  tells the story of his F-4 experiences during the Linebacker campaigns that ended the American involvement in Vietnam in a war gone on too long and filled with the excesses of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll of an Apocalypse Now world.

Find When Thunder Rolled at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders and all major independent booksellers. When Thunder Rolled: An F-105 Pilot Over North Vietnam, Rasimus, Ed; Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., 2003. ISBN: 1-58834-103-8  $27.95. 272 pp. 

Palace Cobra was released on April 4, 2006, published by St. Martin's Press, New York NY.

In May of 2010, a collaboration with Christina Olds, the daughter of triple ace and fighter pilot legend, Robin Olds, will be published. That book, tentatively titled Fighter Pilot, deals with the life of Robin from his years at West Point through P-38 and P-51 combat in World War II, the first USAF jet demonstration team, squadron command with the RAF, and naturally the incredible involvement in the Vietnam War. Through it all we tell the story of his turbulent romance with movie star Ella Raines, and his battle with the entrenched bureaucracy of the Air Force.

The book is currently in production with St. Martin's Press, New York NY.

                                                                                                Williams AFB Arizona, teaching and flying in Undergraduate Pilot Training, still a 1/Lt, still wearing the bulletproof moustache and still sporting the red, white and blue patch that was so tough to earn.

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