The author, Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, tells the story of the USS Bunker Hill. Toward the end of World War II, just days after the Nazi Surrender, this magnificent vessel that held thousands of crewmen and the most sophisticated naval technology available was holding at the Pacific Theater, 70 miles off the coast of Okinawa, Japan.
The Japanese, in their desperation, turned to Kamikaze
warfare a new and terrifying weapon using airplanes as suicide bombers.
On the morning of May
11, 1945, Kiyoshi Ogawa flew his “Zero” plane
and nose-dived into the Bunker Hill at
10:02 am.
The attack killed 393 Americans and was the worst suicide
attack against Americans until the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade
Center.
The author details the heroism of the men aboard the Bunker
Hill describing how American Sailors and airmen worked together, risking their
own lives to save their fellows and ultimately triumphing in their efforts to
save their ship.
This is an amazing story which helps one realize the cost of
war and also the sacrifice of those who have given their lives to protect us.
I believe one of the values of books of this type is to help
us appreciate Americans who on a daily basis give their all to protect us and
also to help us realize how important it is to
as much as possible keep relationships such that wars do not have to be
fought.
This book is available through Amazon.com
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