Gerald J. Carroll; Navy Pilot, Novelist

Gerald J. Carroll, 46, a decorated Navy pilot who wrote novels about Vietnam. As a pilot during the Vietnam War, Carroll earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal. He also flew missions over Grenada and Beirut and served as an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy. In 1991, he published his first novel, “North S.A.R.,” incorporating the Navy acronym for “search and rescue,” based on his experiences. A second novel, “Ghostrider One,” is scheduled for publication later this month. On Sept. 30 in Leonardtown, Md., of a heart attack.