Five Presidents in the Pacific Theater of World War
II
World War II
magazine named American Warriors
one of the best World War II books of 2004.
Presidents Lyndon Johnson, John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and
George
Bush served their country as Navy Reserve officers in World War
II. Most biographies gloss over this important period of
the presidents' lives and are often inaccurate. American Warriors reconstructs the
presidents' wartime roles in the Pacific Theater based on interviews
with more than one
hundred World War II veterans and on primary sources such as action
reports, ships' logs, war diaries, and letters.
About American Warriors:
Hard cover, 224 pages, 58 illustrations, published by Burd Street
Press, October
2003. American Warriors
is available through retail and Internet bookstores including Amazon
and BarnesandNoble
. Autographed and inscribed copies of American Warriors are available
from Duane
T. Hove.
Lyndon Johnson and John Kennedy were commissioned Navy officers before
the
Japanese
attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. Richard Nixon and Gerald
Ford sought and
received Navy officers’ commissions in 1942. George Bush entered
the
Navy
Reserve as a seaman, second class after graduating from high school in
1942 and was commissioned in June 1943 during flight training.
Each would face danger in the Pacific and eventually return to civilian
life ...
and politics.
Lyndon Johnson, attached to the Navy Department, embarked as an
observer on a
B-26 Marauder during the 22nd Bomb Group's mission over Lae, New
Guinea. One 22nd Bomb Group aircraft was lost to enemy fire.
John Kennedy, a PT boat skipper in the Solomon Islands, commanded PT
109,
which sank in a collision with the Japanese destroyer Amagiri. He also commanded PT
59, which was the
first PT boat converted to a gun boat.
Richard Nixon, a Navy Ground Aviation Officer, commanded SCAT cargo
handling
units
in the Solomon Islands. SCAT primarily flew DC-3s to
rapidly erected Solomon Islands air strips close to the battle lines.
Gerald Ford, Officer of the Deck of the light aircraft carrier USS Monterey, survived an encounter
with a deadly typhoon in the Philippine Sea. Monterey suffered severe damage and
was sent to Bremerton, Washington for major repairs.
George Bush, flying off the light aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto, was rescued at sea
when his TBM Avenger fighter-bomber was shot down over Chichi Jima in
the Bonin Islands.
Bush was rescued by submarine and returned to the San Jacinto when the submarine's
mission was completed. He continued flyingTBMs until rotated back
to the states.
About American Warriors'
Author:
Duane T. Hove is a graduate of the California Institute of Technology
and the University of Minnesota. A scientist by training, he has
published articles in scientific journals and symposium
proceedings. Duane T. Hove
is the author of the Afterword to the 40th Anniversary Edition of PT 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II.
Comments from Readers:
"The most detailed description of the LBJ raid that I've seen to
date. American Warriors
is an excellent read." David Ghen, 22nd Bomb Group
historian
"Most complete Kennedy - PT 109 story I have ever read."
Alvin Cluster, Kennedy's PT boat squadron superior officer
"American Warriors is a
fine account." Victor Krulak, Lt. Gen. USMC (Ret.)
"I compliment you on the excellent Ford research." Gerald
Ford, USS Monterey Officer of
the Deck at General Quarters
"Loved your chapter on George Bush." Jack Guy, USS San Jacinto TBM pilot
