Kickers; a novel about smoke jumpers in Laos by Patrick Lee

Back in the day I worked as a Kicker for an organization in SE Asia that shall remain nameless. I was an awesome job and my 1st as a Private Military Contractor (PMC). Other "Gigs" took me to central America, Colombia, throughout the middle east, Central Asia and Africa. But none of those can match the excitement of my 1st job as an aerial delivery specialist in SEA. This book "Kickers" my Patrick Lee - Himself a smoke jumper, brings back some memories and makes me feel nostalgic for the good old days.

Excerpt: 
Laos, 1961. The Communist Pathet Lao threatens a Laos takeover with Russian military support. Newly elected US President John F. Kennedy contemplates military intervention in the small Southeast Asia country. Aware that military confrontation could escalate into nuclear war, Kennedy elects to fight a covert war using CIA surrogate assets.

The intelligence agency chooses as its surrogates for the war Meo tribesmen and college-age US Forest Service firefighters, smokejumpers without military experience.

For newly-recruited smoke jumpers Thanasis, Charlie, and Dog, the CIA’s offer brings excitement, damn good money, and good times at Lulu’s in Vientiane. It’s a sweet adventure for the three young men until they realize the CIA is willing to sacrifice both smoke jumpers and Meo to control Laos.
Based on battles and events recalled by surviving smoke jumpers, Kickers involves readers in a thirteen-year secret war most Americans don’t know was fought. Similar in tone to Philip Caputo’s A Rumor of War, Patrick Lee’s story of betrayal and covert ops sets a new standard for Cold War novels