Tennessee Patriot: The Naval Career of Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence, U.S. Navy

In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll acknowledge that I knew Admiral Lawrence and always had great admiration for him. This book captures exactly who he was. It conveys his sense of patriotism and dedication to mission. It truly communicates what the career of a highly successful naval officer is like. He takes it step by step from his days as a midshipman through his service as a flag officer after returing from Vietnam, where he was a POW for a number of years. The book is matter of fact and to the point. I truly had the sense that we were sitting together and he was telling me the story of his life. In addition to his achievements as a Naval Aviator and his experience as a POW, Admiral Lawrence held positions of responsibility in the Pentagon, as Superintendant (president) of the Naval Academy, and as a fleet commander. The chapters in which he discussed his youth in Tennessee are also moving, as are his discussions about his family. Anyone who has an interest in what a life of naval service truly entails should be delighted by this excellent autobiography.

As one who served with Admiral Lawrence in the Fourth Allied POW Wing in Hanoi, NVN and later at USNA, Annapolis MD, I can verify that this is a quality look at an ethical officer, gentleman, husband and father - a man for all seasons. The macho posturing of some fighter pilots, the political posturing of some in the Flag Mess, the rewriting of some in respect to POW history and the tendency of most to make ourselves look good are missing. If you want this bloviating, go someplace else. You can catch the excitement of flight training, the exhilaration of carrier flight operations, the challenge of test piloting, the disappointment of being literally a heartbeat away from the space program, the mundane plodding of being a "horse holder" (Admiral's Aide), the loneliness of Officer of the Deck underway, the delicate balance of civilian control by political appointees (the "Christmas help") & loyalty to one's service and shipmates, the solitary isolation of command and the agony of betrayal - all this in one book - this book. There is no attempt to justify one's life in this work. There is no effort to burnish one's image in the book. There are no craven attacks to get even for real or imagined wrongs. There are not tales told out of school or sly innuendoes directed at those currently in power. If you want this, go read the tabloids - the Washington Post or the NY Times. This is the sometimes exciting, sometimes mundane but always interesting story of a decent human being who tried to make the most of his God given gifts in the service of his country. His only wish was to do what is right. I never heard him ask anything for himself. If your want a refreshing account of the adventures of a true American hero, ethical to the core and loyal to a fault, then you want to obtain this book for your library. It is in mine.