In the Navy

摘要

Kleiss (1916-2016) never considered himself a hero. After joining the U.S. Navy, he became a dive bomber pilot on the USS Enterprise in May 1941. Kleiss was on the aircraft carrier when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. With coauthors Timothy Orr (military history, Old Dominion Univ.; Last To Leave the Field and Cities at War) and Laura Orr (deputy education director, Hampton Roads Naval Museum), Kleiss recounts that awful day, the ensuing bombs on the Marshall Islands, and the 1942 Battle of Midway. He relives these conflicts in incredible detail, including his three direct hits on enemy ships, using memories from his own logbook and official after-action reports from his squadron. Interspersed throughout are personal letters that Kleiss wrote to and received from Eunice Marie Mochon, whom he nicknamed Jean and who later became his wife, along with humorous stories about how he earned the nickname "Dusty" and spent his downtime. VERDICT A standout autobiography for anyone interested in bravery, courage, and first-person accounts of military heroics during World War II. A worthy addition to all libraries as the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Midway arrives in June 2017.