I've been there, saw the circus, petted the elephant. Mason called it just right. Folks who complain that he exagerated have a slight point, but give me a break! Mason's story is true, a great read, and resonates with every Vietnam Vet that I know (at least up to the part where he tends to blame his legal difficulties on his experiences).
The sounds bullets make when they pass thru the fuselage is a pling like a screwdriver driven into sheetmetal (as long as its not too near you) , a sneaky sound that is just loud enough to hear, and just soft enough to scare the crap out of you. The definition of Concentration is how you stare at your gages and reach out mentally to feel your machine after you've been hit. The definition of wary Relief is that, 20 seconds after you hear the hits, that you are still flying, still alive and still scared crapless.