This book is not a war time blood & guts story. It is an account of young men thrown together in situations unlike any they previously experienced. Some young adults from the hinterlands were exposed to the modern marvels of indoor plumbing & electricity. I intended this story to be a bio & I can't deny that it is. But it became more about those I served with than about the author. Reports on the progress of the war are interspersed with events aboard ship & is part of the fabric of this story. I was urged to include my return to civilian life as military service terminated, a suggestion I initially rejected. But eventually the story was extended, more to add text & pages to the book than to augment the story line. That portion of the book, I subsequently concluded, could have appeal for many who have had similar problems & experiences.
