Tin Can Sailor: Life Aboard the USS Sterett, 1939-1945

I picked up this book because my grandfather was a WWII destroyer sailor (DD-727 USS DeHaven II, not the Sterret), and I wanted to get a sense of what the war must have been like for him. I think this book does an excellent job of this and "Cal" Calhoun has to be commended for pulling together the story of this destroyer. Of course the book follows one particular destroyer but it focuses on the daily life of the sailors and officers, giving you a good concept of what their working lives and their missions were. The Sterret also had a particularly distinguished career, especially during the Third Battle of Savo in which the author took part. The Sterret engaged a Japanese cruiser, battleship, and sunk a destroyer at point blank range at night while receiving 14-inch shells, and makes for some of the best combat writing I've ever read. The book takes you from the Sterret's comissioning, training in the pacific before the war (including adventurous attempts to try to capture turtles by steering the ship), early duty with the British home fleet in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and then on to its amazing career in the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, and, last, its return to New York for decomissioning and scrapping. The author had to leave the ship shortly after the action in around Savo and so about two-thirds through the book the style of storytelling necessarily changes. Despite this the book is still an excellent read throughout. At only 160 pages or so of text it's also an easy read yet still does justice to the ship, her crew, and all who served on destroyers in WWII. Definitely recommended.

I have read many books on destroyers during WWII. This is the first book that put me on the deck during a night surface battle, and I could SEE what was going on. There is no hype, no "I was a hero" type of comments, just the facts. You can feel the pain he felt when he saw a fellow sailor dead on the deck. It almost brought me to tears. If you want to SEE what life on a destroyer was like in WWII, this is a MUST READ book!

Like a previous reviewer, my father also served on a WWII Pacific destroyer. This book helps to capture what life on a destroyer must have been like. Interestingly, it follows the life and action of this ship from it's beginning in the shipyard; through its exciting sea battles, and then to her decommissioning. Thankyou Capt. Calhoun for a book well done.

The book had special meaning for me in that my father was aboard the Sterett from October 1941 to October 1943. Although he had often explained many of the events aboard ship, the connection for me between the war and it's lasting affect on the men who served, was not realized until I read the gripping tales recounted by Captain Calhoun. In a well researched history enhanced with the credibility of first hand knowledge, Captain Calhoun related the Sterett's experience. Every child, grandchild, and great grandchild of every sailor who ever served during WW II on any ship of any kind should read this book and well-up with the pride of having known, or have in their lineage the brave men who stood in harms way to preserve our freedom. My regret is that I had not read it prior to my father's passing on December 10, 1999 and let him know how proud of him I am. Thank you Cal wherever you are.

The only problem with this book is that the author didn't stay on the Sterett past 1943 so the book could have been longer. Very good reading. Hard to put down.