Download or read book Life on a $5 Bet written by and published by . This book was released on 1912-06-11 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: General Mechenbier went from being a high-spirited fighter pilot, full of hopes and dreams, to a prisoner of war, held in the infamous Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. Life on a $5 Bet tells how he survived those dark days and went on to become a general officer by holding to values learned at the Academy: Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. Gen. Mechenbier gives the reader a glimpse into his zany life as a test pilot, lobbyist, squadron commander, spy, member of the Reserve Forces Policy Board, golfer, syndicated television air show commentator, sales engineer with major aircraft companies, devoted family man, and pilot of the C-141, dubbed the Hanoi Taxi, on a repatriation flight to Vietnam in 2004.