My Father's War: A Son's Journey

This is a well written work and is a wonderful tribute from a son to a father. The author, who really did not know his father all that well due to an untimely death, traces his father's accomplishments during WWII in the Pacific. The author has done a good job of this. Individuals such as the author's father numbered in the thousands and their deeds have long been forgotten, if indeed, they were ever known. I do have to admire Peter Richmond for doing the right thing. It was also gratifying to note the author, at some point, came to realize just how much more his father had accomplished in his short life that the author had and how much more significent the father was. I cannot help but wonder what the father would have thought of the son now, had he, the father lived. The book is filled with interesting, first hand accounts of action in the Pacific and the author has been quite good about giving credit where credit was due. All in all a good read and I do recommend it.

This well written and moving account of a son's efforts to know his long deceased father connects on two levels: first through the emotional story of the discovery of his father's lion-sized deeds during wartime as relayed by the men he commanded and served; the second, a very interesting account of the land war in the Pacific campaign. The author captures perfectly the conflicting feelings of pride and fear when he realizes the magnitude of his father's accomplisments and then compares those with his own, less-than-legendary life. This excellent book will appeal to both men and women. In a day when our leaders, at the highest levels, seem constantly to choose expediency over principle, this great story of character, in contrast, lifts the spirit. One wonders if that generation, and its values and grit, are lost forever