Three Years Aboard a Navy Destroyer
Title | Three Years Aboard a Navy Destroyer PDF eBook |
Author | Otis Ted Holly |
Publisher | Trafford Publishing |
Total Pages | 402 |
Release | 2011-04-25 |
Genre | Biography & Autobiography |
ISBN | 1426947941 |
This book is a sea story about a U.S. Navy destroyer and her crew. The author served on this ship, the USS Brush (DD745), for 3 years and 2 months in the early 1950s. Life on the Brush involved a lot of sea duty. She spent most of this time at sea either conducting training exercises off the coast of California or steaming around somewhere in the Far east. The Brush made 3 seven month cruises to the Orient while the author was aboard her. The main objective of this book, and the reason for writing it, was to tell about what the crew of the Brush experienced on these 3 cruises. The first cruise was made in early 1953. The Brush was sent to the Korean War theatre and spent several months there doing what destroyers do during war time. The men experienced things off North Korea that they will never forget. In addition to the Korean Patrol, the Brush participated in the Formosa Patrol for a month or so and went to the island city of Hong Kong while she was down that way. The second cruise was made in May, 1954. On this cruise, the brush spent most of her time in the South China Sea, Formosa Strait, and in the Sea of Japan. The Brush commenced the third cruise in June, 1955. This was more of a peace time cruise and we never had to go into harms way. Although, the author had a number of interesting personal experiences which he wrote about. Comments by people who have read the book, Three Years Aboard A Navy Destroyer As the son of one of the USS Brushs skippers identified in Ted Hollys book, I was particularly fascinated to read of his and his shipmates many and varied experiences during their three Far East cruises. His folksy stories of a young mans explorations of the vastness of the oceans, the wonders of the orient, and the uncertainties of combat are told in a detailed and entertaining style offering multiple layers of insight to life aboard a tin can in the 1950s. In addition to his prose, Mr. Holly has included many photographs and maps which enhance and elucidate the storytelling. It is a terrific read for anyone interested in the naval service in general and the unforgotten Korean War in particular. Dennis Quigley Captain, USMC (Retired) Arizona the straightforward and unglossed memories of a young sailor, out of high school and soon into a U.S. destroyer, greyhound of the seas. Ted Holly was everybodys favorite sailor, squared away with a great attitude in a key job around the nerve center of a 2200 tonner loaded for whatever kind of scrap. This book is an honest snapshot of the times, the people, and the ships that sailed to the Korean Conflict. Ted Brown LT., USNR (Retired) New Hampshire This book, Three Years Aboard A Navy Destroyer, vividly recounts typical destroyer, i.e. USS BRUSH DD745, operations during the final days of the Korea War and the transition into post war routine operations. It accurately reports destroyer actions against North Korean trains, sinking of floating mines with rifle fire, the Wonsan Harbor actions and support of Korean Forces engaged in clandestine operations. It also provides a typical sailors view and experiences of the liberty ports in Japan and the exotic Hong Kong as a British Colony. And the author returns to Japan 29 years later and gives an interesting comparison of his experiences and the differences that he observed between his first trip and the 1982 trip. The BRUSH was my first duty station after being commissioned in June 1951 until my transfer in November 1953. So I shared with the author the destroyer actions described. I was amazed that he was able to capture these events in so much detail and I enjoyed remembering the details of these events. Herbert O. Burton Captain, USN (Retired) North Carolina Three Years Aboard A Navy Destroyer is a marvelous account of the experience of the author as a young sailor during a period that few, since the days of World War II, have had the opportunity to share. While certainly many have sailed the seas, and some have encountered hostile action, this account fills the gap for those who have not had such an experience. Ted Holly communicates in the language of the sailor his experience that draws the reader into such that it is as if he (or she) is there. He captures the attention of the reader and presents an engaging account of the experiences of life aboard a 2200 ton vessel, which is missing all of the comforts of the cruise ship, from the periods of relative boredom to the periods of action with live ammunition. Rev. Ralph H. Spiller, Jr., PhD, LMHC CWO3, USN (Retired) Florida/Maine Ted Hollys book is remarkable at several levels. First, he treats a subject from his own experience that is not often considered life on an American destroyer during the Korean War. Further, he lends authenticity to his narrative through the painstaking process of obtaining and relying on the actual ships logs, day by day throughout his entire tenure aboard the USS Brush. Added to that, he, as a quartermaster, was well-placed to hear and see much of what was happening aboard the ship. Ted includes exhaustive details on some of the high points of the ships experience, the shell hit in Wonsan Harbor and the attack on the submarine as examples. Even for we who were aboard during much of the time covered in the book, some of the events were revelations. We either remembered them differently or not at all, or in less detail, but must defer to Teds account because of his reliance on the logs. Therefore, for any member of the crew during that period, Teds book is an enjoyable and enlightening read. Don Gordon RD 3/C, USN (Retired) North Carolina Great book! As a Destroyer Sailor aboard the USS DeHaven during the Korean War, I can testify Ted has written a fine book about his navy years aboard the USS Brush. If you are a navy destroyer sailor reading this book, then get ready to relive an exciting experience. I can recommend Teds book to anyone interested in ships, shipboard life, and even to one who has never been to sea. An outstanding experience. Bill Williams YN 2/C, USN (Retired) Florida
Three Years Aboard a Navy Destroyer
Title | Three Years Aboard a Navy Destroyer PDF eBook |
Author | Holly |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | |
Release | 2018-07-06 |
Genre | |
ISBN | 9781641519434 |
Modern U. S. Navy Destroyers
Title | Modern U. S. Navy Destroyers PDF eBook |
Author | Stephen F. Tomajczyk |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 102 |
Release | 2001 |
Genre | Destroyers (Warships) |
ISBN | 9781610607339 |
Underway!
Title | Underway! PDF eBook |
Author | Steve Tindall |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 68 |
Release | 2019-08-27 |
Genre | |
ISBN | 9781688987746 |
What was it like being aboard a US Navy destroyer in the 1970's? Having spent five years aboard two of them I sat down and chronicled my experiences underway. Ports of call, meals underway, the rigors of operations, the sights, smells, and sounds of being on the "big water" are all shared with the reader. It wasn't glamorous but it was full of excitement, adventure, and learning how to transform from directionless teen to mature adult. So cock your cover at a salty angle, hitch up your bell bottomed jeans, and prepare for the ride of your life.
The Enemy
Title | The Enemy PDF eBook |
Author | Wirt Williams |
Publisher | Pickle Partners Publishing |
Total Pages | 446 |
Release | 2020-02-25 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 1839742682 |
The Enemy, first published in 1951, is the wartime account of a fictional U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Dee (based on the author’s experiences while serving aboard the USS Decatur in the North Atlantic). The ships’ mission is to locate and destroy German submarines while protecting an aircraft carrier. The book details life aboard the destroyer and the inevitable conflicts that arise between men at sea for long periods. The ship also encounters and engages enemy submarines, receiving slight damage. Following author Wirt Williams’ service aboard the USS Decatur, he was transferred to the Pacific theater where he captained a Landing Ship. After the war, Williams worked as a reporter, then became an English professor in California. He continued to write and published six novels, and was nominated for three Pulitzer Prizes, once for his reporting and twice for his novels. The Enemy was his first novel. Williams passed away in 1986 at the age of 64.
School of Hard Knots
Title | School of Hard Knots PDF eBook |
Author | Henry Abernathy |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 338 |
Release | 2018-05 |
Genre | |
ISBN | 9781717497963 |
As a citizen sailor of the late 1960's I spent three eventful years aboard a US Navy destroyer, the USS Furse (DD-882) including intensive operations in Vietnam as well as in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in over 100,000 Nautical miles at sea. Those three years stand out as the most intense and formative of my adult life. Among the events I witnessed were running aground, colliding with another ship, being hit by enemy fire, and a murder on board. But many everyday challenges and events loom equally large for what they taught me about myself and about human nature in our tightly packed and tight-knit shipboard community. Letters written home almost every day along with declassified logs from the ship provide a window into life aboard a Navy destroyer. Re-entry to civilian life at the height of the Vietnam war illuminates these turbulent times as well as what citizen soldiers/sailors faced in that era.
Destroyers At Normandy: Naval Gunfire Support At Omaha Beach [Illustrated Edition]
Title | Destroyers At Normandy: Naval Gunfire Support At Omaha Beach [Illustrated Edition] PDF eBook |
Author | William B. Kirkland |
Publisher | Pickle Partners Publishing |
Total Pages | 138 |
Release | 2015-11-06 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 1786257653 |
Includes numerous maps and illustrations. This monograph provides first-hand accounts of Destroyer Squadron 18 during this critical battle upon which so much of the success of our campaign in Europe would depend. Their experience at Omaha Beach can be looked upon as typical of most U.S. warships engaged at Normandy. On the other hand, from the author’s research it appears evident that this destroyer squadron, with their British counterparts, may have had a more pivotal influence on the breakout from the beachhead and the success of the subsequent campaign than was heretofore realized. Its contributions certainly provide a basis for discussion among veterans and research by historians, as well as a solid, professional account of naval action in support of the Normandy landings.