Allen Cates Books
RECENTLY REPUBLISHED
NEW FORMAT & NEW INFORMATION
Brian Vincent was born a Cajun and raised in the swamps and bayous of South Louisiana, where hunting and fishing were commonplace, and integrity and diligence were more than spoken virtues. An avid reader, Brian was enthralled with stories of love and war where warriors overcame formidable odds and prevailed. The conflict between Laos and Vietnam was the perfect opportunity where he could test his mettle against an oppressor bent on killing innocent people who wanted peace and were willing to fight for it. The path was through the Marines and then Air America. Brian entered the fray of love and war with an open heart altruistically and unpretentiously. However, he soon discovered that war is complex and love can be unkind to the naive. Brian made the full circle and returned home to his roots, broken in body and spirit. Now, he has to come to grips with the realization that people and governments are often devious and that life is not always fair.
If you're looking for an insider book on the CIA secret war in Laos, this is your book. Or, if you're looking for a short, fun, kick-ass biography, this is your book. Or if you want to know what it's like landing on a hilltop pad held by friendly hill tribe members while enemy mortar rounds are bracketing the landing area. Then here is your book. Or see by reading what it's like to dash in, deliver needed ammunition, pick up seriously wounded in between rounds, and then get out without getting killed; this is your book.
"I knew Allen Cates as a kick-ass, ballsy combat pilot who took calculated risks daily in Laos and Vietnam doing things most people never could. It's the real thing. It is an essential addition to the limited literature on Air America Air Services, especially its role in the secret war in Laos. "- James E. Parker-CIA case officer LS-20 Alternate Laos.
​
"I could not put the book down. Of the many tales relating to Air America, this one compiles them all in this one book. This book will tell you if you have ever wondered about Air America and its missions. Great writing! You feel like you are there."
-William Sumrall U.S.
Navy Pilot
​
Air America was U.S. Government-owned, just like they own the United States Post Office, The Tennessee Valley Authority, Radio Free Europe, and numerous other corporations. But there was a distinct difference. They shot at Air America.
Five presidents needed Air America and used the company and personnel for twenty-five years. The need for Air America to go where the military could not- whether due to public opinion or treaty restraint - was evident. But actual ownership of Air America was considered classified.
​
The U.S. Government felt it necessary to fool the public about Air America, but they also tricked the employees who thought they worked for a free enterprise.
​
​Honor Denied separates the kernel from the shell and reveals the actual owner of the company. When the war in Southeast Asia was over, the U.S. Government unceremoniously sent the employees home with no fare-the-well. Government-owned corporations are generally not directly involved in combat operations, regularly wounded by enemy combatants, or killed in combat action. These things repeatedly happened to Air America's pilots and crew members, and the label 'The World's most Shot at Airline' is appropriate.
​
Civilian aviation companies often have contracts with the U.S. Government, as did Air America, and the motive is profit. But Air America turned all proceeds back to the owner, the U.S. Government, which meant the contracts with all its twists and turns represented implausible undeniability. Honor Denied provides unmistaken proof of who Air America was and what they did in Southeast Asia.
​
Honor Denied took five years of research and seven years to write. Told from the eyes of Allen Cates, it chronicles his experiences as an Air America pilot. It contains information about Air America that most people have never seen before and explains why people still claim the false urban legend 'CIA bred and born.'
ALLEN CATES interview with JR Hafer at Sun n Fun 2013
​​​​​
Click On Images To Purchase