“Mightily absorbing . . . There is candor in this book, and humor and an exhilarating sense, once common to us but now strange, that Americans who fought that war could do just about anything, and without getting wordy or pretentious about it or themselves.” —The Washington Post

In this remarkable oral history collection, 33 participants in the turbulent epic that began with the day of infamy at Pearl Harbor and ended with the signing of the surrender documents in Tokyo Harbor tell their stories. Their remembrances of heartbreak, frustration, heroism, hope, and triumph were collected over a period of 25 years by John T. Mason Jr. These recollections reveal perspectives and facts not included in traditional works of history. Each selection, introduced with a preface that places it in the context of the Pacific War, takes the reader behind the scenes to present the personal, untold stories of naval history. Included are Admiral William S. Sullivan's account of the problems involved in clearing Manila Harbor of some 500 wrecked vessels left by the departing Japanese, and Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid's description of the communications breakdown at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. There are also the very personal recollections of humor and horror told by the unknown actors in the war: the hospital corpsman, the coxswain, and the machinist's mate. Originally published in 1986, this volume is an unusual and lasting tribute to the ingenuity and teamwork demonstrated by America's forces in the Pacific as well as a celebration of the human spirit.

About the Author

John T. Mason Jr. (1909–1998) was a trained historian with an advanced degree from George Washington University. He was also an Episcopal priest and graduate of General Theological Seminary. From 1940 to the end of World War II, he served with the Office of Naval Intelligence in Washington, D.C. From 1960 to 1969, he was associated with the oral history research office of Columbia University under the guidance of the noted American historian Allan Nevins. In 1969, Mason established an oral history program at the U.S. Naval Institute, and it soon led to one of the most extensive collections of naval oral history transcripts in the country. In 1982, he retired as director of the Naval Institute Oral History Program, which continues to carry on his legacy today.

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