A Rock in the Clouds

Col. Joseph R. Tedeschi, US Army, Ret.

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A Military Memoir of Discovery

"On 4 October 1966, a C7-A Caribou airplane flying through blinding cloud cover crashed into Hon Cong Mountain near the base camp of the 1st Air Cavalry Division at An Khe. There were thirty-one people aboard the aircraft, an air crew of four along with twenty-seven passengers. Thirteen people died in the crash. I was one of the survivors."
Joe spends 45 years of his life uncertain of the true details of the crash. And he is always trying to make sense of his survival. In the many years searching for answers he discovers a very human story of faith, compassion, GI grit and humor, and patriotism. As his journey reveals his faith-based purpose and destiny, he hopes to bring hope and inspiration to other Vietnam-era veterans, their families, and people of faith.
1st Air Cav Communications Station atop Hon Cong Mountain
Dr. John Thiel's map of Camp Radcliff and the trajectory of Critter 23 for the Chemical Corps Hall of Fame © 2018.

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What People Say

★★★★★
  • Any account of a plane crash would be harrowing, but this book’s finest feature is that the author goes beyond a first-person account and provides a painstakingly compiled record that sheds light in a way no single person could. The research also includes interesting nuggets about medical personnel he met during his recovery and, most strikingly, a picture of the airplane’s pilot with three of the sons he left behind after perishing in the crash. . . . Perhaps the most resonant aspect of "A Rock in the Clouds" isn’t a particular section but that the book exists at all—that even a survivor whose injuries largely healed, whose military career continued successfully, and whose subsequent life has been nurtured by family, faith, and community still thinks back to a foggy Vietnam hillside in 1966, peering out of a broken fuselage, wondering what had just happened and why his right leg was stubbornly refusing to move.
    Review by John McGlothlin (May 2022)

    John McGlothlin

    Writer and Member of Military Writers Society of America
  • Any account of a plane crash would be harrowing, but this book’s finest feature is that the author goes beyond a first-person account and provides a painstakingly compiled record that sheds light in a way no single person could. The research also includes interesting nuggets about medical personnel he met during his recovery and, most strikingly, a picture of the airplane’s pilot with three of the sons he left behind after perishing in the crash. . . . Perhaps the most resonant aspect of "A Rock in the Clouds" isn’t a particular section but that the book exists at all—that even a survivor whose injuries largely healed, whose military career continued successfully, and whose subsequent life has been nurtured by family, faith, and community still thinks back to a foggy Vietnam hillside in 1966, peering out of a broken fuselage, wondering what had just happened and why his right leg was stubbornly refusing to move.
    Review by John McGlothlin (May 2022)

    John McGlothlin

    Writer and Member of Military Writers Society of America
  • This is a firsthand and intimate retrospective centered around an absolutely harrowing and deadly plane crash during the height of the Vietnam War more than a half-century ago. But it is also an autobiography filled with memorable stories of brotherhood, faith, and love among soldiers far from home and those who cared for them. Beautifully written and woven from personal recollections of a tragic era in American history, it includes both the highs and lows of grievous injury, loss and recovery, but also—and more profoundly—of devotion, service, character, redemption and especially the lasting bonds of family and friendship. Although so many from that era are now gone, this book tells a timeless story that matters still. I know that it will endure in my heart—and, I hope, in our collective national memory—always.

    Robert W. Ray

    Former Whitewater Independent Counsel
  • A gripping account of a pivotal event in Joseph Tedeschi’s distinguished life and career. From a boyhood in the mill town of Natick in Rhode Island to the hallowed halls of West Point, the author weaves his life’s story around a fateful crash into a monsoon-obscured mountain at An Khe during the Vietnam War. One of the survivors, the author has pieced together what happened on that fateful day in 1966. As Tedeschi writes: “A war never ends until the last story is written.” At the age of eighty-six, retired Colonel Joseph Tedeschi has added his voice to the stories told by veterans of this war. It is worthy of your read.
    Vietnam War medic
    Author, Poisoned Jungle and Mekong Delta Blues
  • A soldier’s story is one of service, sacrifice, and camaraderie. From my grandfather’s World War II letters to my own experiences overseas, it is easy to infer that times change but soldiers for the most part never do. Col. Tedeschi captures that essence as he tells a horrific story of his tragic accident in Vietnam that he survived only by the sheer grace of God. His tale begins with his upbringing, paying great tribute to those who helped mentor him into the man he became. The gravity of the plane crash that is the genesis for Col. Tedeschi’s book cannot be overstated, but ironically, living was the “easy” part. The perseverance, love, and dedication that he displayed throughout his recovery is remarkable and a great read. I highly recommend “A Rock in the Clouds” to military enthusiasts, service members, veterans, and their families. Additionally, I recommend for anyone just trying to gain perspective in their life. After Col. Tedeschi’s remarkable survival and recovery, it’s easy to understand why he believes every day is like Christmas. Through his words, I believe we could all gain some appreciation in our own lives.

    Benjamin Warner

    Author of 20-Year Letter: An Afghanistan Chronicle
  • Thank God the author survived a horrific plane crash in Vietnam to tell his story. His details of the crash put the reader at the scene. He recounts the recovery from his injuries and the years leading up to the time when he can now relay his experiences to all of us. This book vividly describes one of many hellacious situations and the after-effects suffered by our troops who fought the war in Vietnam. Thanks to Joseph Tedeschi for sharing his story, and for his dedicated service to our country.

    George W. Kohn, Colonel (Ret) USAF


    Award-winning author

    Vector To Destiny: Journey Of A Vietnam F-4 Fighter Pilot
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