My favorite works of fiction are those wherein I learn new facts, enjoy new experiences and travel instantly to real places on the wings of the written word. Final Trumpet is as real as fiction gets. The primary plot and main characters are a product of my imagination. The technology, methodology and weaponry is dead-on accurate circa the early 1990s. The happiest 1,800 hours of my life were spent with the world’s most destructive attack jet strapped to my butt—a pilot’s, shooter’s and pyromaniac’s wildest dream. The finest, closest and most trusted friends I have ever had are my fellow civilian pilots and those with whom I proudly served for 25 years in the Maryland Air National Guard. I hope to honor all of them by including portraits of a select few in this story.
I have witnessed the endearing elephant behaviors portrayed in this book with my own eyes, on video, or through the eyes of actual researchers as reported in their journals and documentaries. The illegal ivory trail is fact. I have changed or modified players' names just enough to keep me out of court. The mysterious man encountered by John Forrest is, amazingly enough, an actual person. If, after this writing, his magic hasn’t failed him and he hasn’t become dinner for the crocodiles who contribute to his livelihood, he is a living, breathing, human being.
In 1981, an unknown writer visited my fighter squadron to supposedly conduct research for an article on the A-10. To my knowledge, no such article ever materialized. However, in late 1984, my unit, the 175th Fighter Group, appeared on page 251 of The Hunt for Red October. That brilliant, blockbuster book and my conversations with its author were the inspiration for my own. Thank you, Tom Clancy.
Explore the book
Illegal Ivory Products
Illegal ivory products captured by United States Customs
Erma SR-100 Sniper Rifle
The ERMA SR-100 rifle was developed in Germany by Erma company and represents the high end sniper rifle, capable of outstanding first shot accuracy and widely and quickly adjustable for many tactical situations ... read more
Barrett "Light Fifty"
The Barrett Firearms company was founded by Ronnie Barrett for a single purpose of building semi-automatic rifles chambered for powerful .50BMG ammunition, originally developed for and used in Browning M2HB heavy machine guns ... read more
Cessna 185
The Cessna 185, also known as the Skywagon, is a six-seat, single engined, general aviation light aircraft manufactured by Cessna. It first flew as a prototype in July 1960, with the first production model being completed in March 1961 ... read more
NVG - Night Vision Goggles
A night vision device (NVD) is a device comprising an IR image intensifier tube in a rigid casing, commonly used by military forces ... read more
Naja - The Spitting Cobra
The Spitting Cobra is most renowned for their infamously remarkable spitting fangs that allow the cobra to actually spray venom ... read more
STOL CH 701 by Zenair
First introduced in 1986, the STOL CH 701 aircraft was developed as an "off-airport" short take-off and landing kit aircraft to fulfill the demanding requirements of both sport pilots and first-time builders ... read more
Heckler & Koch HK MP5SD
The HK MP5SD series of submachine guns produced by the firm of Heckler & Koch features at least six silenced versions of the highly successful HK MP5 submachine guns ... read more
African Puff Adder
Its wide distribution, common occurrence, large size, potent venom, and willingness to bite make it responsible for more fatalities than any other African snake ... read more
Spy Satellite
A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications ... read more
Claymore Mine
A curved, rectangular-shaped weapon, with an olive drab molded case of fiberglass filled polystyrene (plastic). In the front portion of the case is a fragmentation face containing steel spheres embedded in a plastic matrix ... read more
M67 Grenade
The M67 grenade is a fragmentation hand grenade used by the US armed forces and Canadian forces - where it is referred to as the C13 ... read more
Allomother
Allomothering is another form of cooperation that serves to benefit both mother and allomother ... read more
AK-47
The AK-47 (contraction of Russian: Автомат Калашникова образца 1947 года; Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1947 goda; "Kalashnikov's automatic rifle model of year 1947") is a 7.62 mm assault rifle developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov ... read more
Bell 206
The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant ... read more
Chimp Funeral
When a loved one dies, it's not only humans who grieve. This was proven when more than a dozen chimpanzees gathered to witness the burial of a member of their ape family ... read more
CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
Geneva, 7 November 2008 – Over 15 million USD for African elephant conservation and local communities have been raised through the sales of 102 tonnes of stockpiled ivory, according to CITES - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ... read more
Lockheed L-100 (civilian version of the C-130 Hercules)
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft built by Lockheed ... read more
Colt Anaconda
Billed as among the most accurate .44 Magnum revolvers on the regular market, Colt's Anaconda, introduced in 1990, is a popular large caliber revolver ... read more
US Army Sniper School
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