THE GIANT KILLER : American hero, mercenary, spy … The incredible true story of the smallest man to serve in the U.S. Military,DAVID A. YUZUK WITH NEIL L. YUZUK

-About this book

If Richard Flaherty was only the shortest man to ever be in the U.S. Army and a Green Beret, that would certainly be a unique story in itself. Flaherty was much more, though. He was a bonafide war hero and beloved leader of the men he commanded.

A small stature with a oversized shadow. Yet, he was cut from the Army that was his life after two tours in Vietnam. This story documents as much as can be known about a man whose post army life was spent in a variety of jobs freelancing, alternating between classified missions conducted by the CIA and NSA…. What an interesting man and totally unique story. -John Werner, VINE VOICE

At 4′ 9″ tall, Richard J. Flaherty needed a Congressional waiver just to enlist in the Army as he did not meet the height or weight requirements. Bullied and ridiculed at boot camp, Flaherty nonetheless achieved the kind of stature that’s only dreamed of: He became a 101st Airborne Screaming Eagle and a 3rd Special Forces Group Green Beret Captain earning the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars and 2 Purple Hearts. Once in Nam his leadership skills were immediately put to the test during the, « Tet Offensive. »

His decommission during the Reduction in Force in 1971 was unexpected and devastating, and Flaherty sank into the murky world of mercenary work. But he gained a reputation for intelligence, and the CIA recruited him to supply the Contras in Central America. So began a wild adventure involving guns, cash, cocaine and HALO jumps into the Everglades. Flaherty continued to work with other agencies including the ATF and discloses a weapons smuggling ring at the heart of Fort Bragg.

Author and police officer David Yuzuk befriended Richard J. Flaherty in 1999, when Flaherty was living homeless on the streets of Aventura, Florida. Flaherty warned Yuzuk that asking too many questions could be bad for Yuzuk’s career and dangerous to his own health. Sure enough, eight hours after Yuzuk made a call to confirm Flaherty’s identity, Flaherty was killed in a hit-and-run.

-Table of Contents

Introduction
1-Dark Skies
2-Worse News
3-In the Beginning
4-Entering the Kingdom of Richard the Lion-Hearted
5-The Hunt Begins
6-A Silver Star is Born
7-The Giant Killer
8-Lord of the Late-Night Lounges
9-Reporting for Duty
10-Heading to ‘Nam
11-Charlie Don’t Like Visitors
12-The Silver Star
13-Snakes and Rats
14-Special Forces
15-The RIF
16-A Girl Named Jane
17-The Seventies
18-Entrance to the Rabbit Hole
19-A Man Called Kates
20-Swamps and Gators
21-Razor’s Edge
22-Undercover
23-A Man Called Griff
24-The Trial
25-Back to the Abyss
26-Beyond Love’s Limit
27-Nightmares of the War
28-On the Streets
29-The Last Week of Richard’s Life
30-Riddles in the Warehouse
31-A Hero’s Transformation
32-Deeper into the Jungle
Documents and Photographs
Making the Documentary
Resources for Veterans
Acknowledgments

-caractéristiques

Date de parution :30 mars 2020

Publisher : Mission Point Press  

langue : anglais

N.de pages : 318 pages

ISBN-10 : 195065947X

ISBN-13 : 978-1950659470

poids : 346 g

Dimensions :13 x 2 x 21 cm