A Chain of Events: The Government Cover-Up of the Black Hawk Incident and the Friendly-Fire Death of Lt. Laura Piper

by Joan L. Piper

Book Overview

On April 14, 1994, on a clear morning over northern Iraq's no-fly zone, two U.S. Air Force F-15 jets encountered two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters on a routine mission. Within ten minutes, the F-15s misidentified the helicopters and shot them down with fire-and-forget missiles. For three years, aircraft had patrolled these skies with a near-perfect safety record. Although the Black Hawk's downing was one of the worst air-to-air friendly fire incidents involving U.S. aircraft in military history, the Air Force would officially conclude the pilots had made a reasonable mistake. One victim was ebullient twenty-five-old intelligence officer Laura Piper, in love with life and with being an Air Force lieutenant. Movingly written by her mother, A Chain of Events is the story of Laura's final flight and the Air Force's mishandling of the subsequent investigation. It is a story of duty, patriotism, a mother's devotion to a daughter's memory, and her family's disappointment in a beloved institution.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1574882317
• ISBN13: 9781574882315
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Potomac Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A Tale of Closure

On April 14, 1994, a tandem of U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle fighters descended below their mandatory altitude restriction of 10,000 feet, proceeded to misidentify two Army Blackhawk helicopters flying a routine mission in the Iraqi northern no-fly zone, and fired on both aircraft without provocation, warning or permission. In ten short minutes, 26 peacekeepers -- American, British, French, and Kurdish -- died a horrible and tragic death.Joan L. Piper, a fifth grade teacher from San Antonio and the mother of one of the victims, is also the spouse of a career Air Force officer. The experiences of 26 years of military service reflect a depth of knowledge and expertise with which few can compare. In A Chain of Events, she demonstrates a relentless thoroughness in finding the answers that always seemed just out of reach.Far more than a tale of a mother's grief for her slain child, "A Chain of Events" is a touching, poignant portrait of a family's loss and their grim quest for the truth. It is a compelling story of a woman's search for closure after a tragic loss and a chronicle of a family's frustrating battle through the seemingly impenetrable walls of a stalwart bureaucracy. But, more than anything else, it is an account of the strength of a family in the face of tragedy. Her conclusions are emotionally charged, yet nonetheless valid.This is a wonderful book that will prove invaluable to anyone who has experience the loss of a loved one.

Superbly written and factual account of the tragedy

Joan Piper wrote a very well balanced and factual account of the black hawk tragedy. What kept me interested was the personalization of her story and her ability to remain unbiased...as hard as that must have been. As a blue-suiter myself, I salute the whole Piper family and encourage everyone to read this book!

The definitive account of the Black Hawk shootdown

This book is both a well told mother's story and an exceptionally well researched critique of the government's coverup of the widely publicized friendly fire tragedy which claimed this mother's daughter. Mrs. Piper's story will grab your attention from her opening sentence and you will quickly be drawn in as she skillfully weaves a tapestry of facts and feelings to keep you hooked until the very end. I have read other accounts of these events which were mostly regurgitations of the government's official account. Having some military flying experience myself, nothing I have read before had the ring of truth. If you want to know what really happened, you must read this book. It is meticulously researched and documented. In spite of this it is one of the most imminently readable books I have ever encountered. The author's chapter-by-chapter alternation between her family's personal reactions to unfolding events and factual accounts of what was occurring on the other side of the world, as her daughter's helicopter flight proceeded from ground planning to the shootdown, was a key ingredient in keeping me turning the pages!