Gerry Carroll
Gerry Carroll was a distinguished naval aviator and author, known for his service during significant military conflicts, including the Vietnam War, Lebanon, and Grenada. After graduating from Boston College, he attended U.S. Navy flight school and volunteered for combat helicopter search and rescue missions, completing nearly two hundred missions and earning multiple accolades, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. Carroll became recognized as one of the most highly decorated naval aviators of the post-Vietnam era. Following his military career, he transitioned to coaching lacrosse at St. Mary's Ryken High School in Maryland. Carroll also gained acclaim as a novelist, penning three best-selling books that vividly depicted the experiences of Navy pilots during the Vietnam War. His first novel, "North Star," focused on search-and-rescue missions, while his subsequent works, including "Ghostrider One" and "No Place to Hide," further explored the complexities of wartime experiences and the fall of Saigon. Carroll's literary contributions, characterized by their authenticity and realism, remain significant in the portrayal of military history. He passed away in September 1993, with his final novel being published posthumously.
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Gerry Carroll
Writer
- Born: July 11, 1947
- Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
- Died: September 30, 1993
- Place of death: Leonardtown, Maryland
Biography
After graduating from Boston College, Gerry Carroll attended the U.S. Navy flight school and volunteered to fly combat helicopter search and rescue missions in Vietnam. He went on to fly nearly two hundred combat missions in Vietnam, Lebanon, and Grenada, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross and Navy Commendation Medal along with numerous other awards. He became “one of the most highly decorated naval aviators in the post-Vietnam era,” according to a congressional citation.
After retiring from active duty, Carroll settled in Maryland and coached lacrosse at St. Mary’s Ryken High School. Drawing on his combat experience, he wrote three best-selling novels set during the Vietnam War, which were praised by readers for their gritty realism and authenticity. Carroll’s first novel, North Star: A Novel of Navy Combat Pilots in Vietnam, told the story of American helicopter pilots flying search-and-rescue missions behind enemy lines in North Vietnam. This was followed by Ghostrider One in 1993, a tale of Navy pilots caught up in the siege of Khe Sanh in 1968. Carroll’s final work, No Place to Hide: A Novel of the Vietnam War, was published posthumously after his untimely death in September, 1993. This novel depicted the fall of Saigon in April, 1975, and the valiant efforts by a handful of Navy pilots to rescue the last remaining American personnel from South Vietnam.