In 1966, Sergeant Ronald Winter gave up an academic scholarship at SUNY Albany to join the Marine Corps.  He served from 1966 to 1970, attaining the rank of Sergeant.  According to Ronald Winter, he “served as a helicopter machine gunner, flying 300 missions, and earning numerous decorations, including 15 Air Medals, Combat Aircrew Wings, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. After Vietnam he returned to his studies earning undergraduate degrees in Electrical Engineering and English Literature.

In a two-decade journalism career that included stints as investigative reporter, supervising editor, and columnist; Winter received several prestigious awards and a Pulitzer nomination. He currently works as a writer specializing in media relations and is a fierce advocate of veterans’ rights. Winter speaks regularly to school and community groups on the history of the Vietnam War.” Sergeant Ronald Winter is the author of Masters of the Art: A Fighting Marine's Memoir of Vietnam.

According to the book description of Masters of the Art: A Fighting Marine's Memoir of Vietnam, “No punches are pulled in this gripping account of Vietnam combat through the eyes of a highly decorated Marine helicopter crewman and door gunner with more than three hundred missions under his belt.

In 1968, U.S. Marine Ronald Winter flew some of the toughest missions of the Vietnam War, from the DMZ grasslands to the jungles near Laos and the deadly A Shau Valley, where the NVA ruled. Whether landing in the midst of hidden enemy troops or rescuing the wounded during blazing firefights, the work of helicopter crews was always dangerous. But the men in the choppers never complained; they knew they had it easy compared to their brothers on the ground.

Masters of the Art is a bare-knuckles tribute to the Marines who served in Vietnam. It’s about courage, sacrifice, and unsung heroes. The men who fought alongside Winter in that jungle hell were U.S. Marines, warriors who did their job and remained true to their country, no matter the cost.”