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C. Raymond Calhoun
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Tin Can Sailor: Life Aboard the USS Sterett, 1939-1945 Hardcover – January 1, 1993

by C. Raymond Calhoun (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 184 ratings
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A narrative account of the Sterett and her 800 sailors. Calhoun was a junior officer serving on the World War II destroyer from 1939 to April 1943, when he was wounded off Guadalcanal. The author supplements his own experiences with interviews of officers and enlisted men, action reports, ship logs, and diaries. He vividly describes the Sterett 's surface actions, such as the Third Battle of Savo Island and the Vella Gulf action. A roster of the ship's personnel from August 1939-November 1945 is included. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
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  1. Part of series
    Bluejacket Books
  2. Print length
    224 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Naval Institute Press
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 1993
  6. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1557501084
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1557501080
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Naval Institute Press; First Edition (January 1, 1993)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1557501084
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1557501080
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 184 ratings

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C. Raymond Calhoun

C. Raymond Calhoun

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
184 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Toe Tag
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2015
Verified Purchase
This book is an excellent account of an American destroyer in action during World War Two. The ship and crew served in both the Atlantic and the Pacific during the war with support to the English and Canadian Navy and later in battle with the Japanese.

One of the greatest aspects of this book is the detailed information about the sea battle of Guadacananal and the resupply of the soldiers and marines. But, I also enjoyed the details regarding ship-to-ship combat against the Japanese. Especially the very fast and brutal battle where the ship managed to put two torpedoes in the side of Japanese battleship.

There are some sections of this book that are hard to read. In particular, the ship’s surgeon must have been a man of steel. With limited supplies and time he managed to do as much as he could to save as many men as he could, but sadly not all survived. The resulting burial at sea is both a touching moment I’ve not read about in other history books and stands a memorial to good men who died to soon.

Over all I enjoyed this book. It’s very well written and easy to read. The author collects from his own logs and notes as well as many other shipmates to provide an accounting of the USS Sterett. It was really a wonderful book to read.

If you enjoyed this book I would strongly recommend reading the other side of the conflict with Japanese Destroyer Captain by Tameichi Hara. For additional perspectives on American involvement in the Pacific wi would also recommend South Pacific Destroyer: The battle of the Solomon from Savo Island to Vella Gulf by Russel Crenshaw.
2 people found this helpful
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Mike Blazier
4.0 out of 5 stars A great read
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2015
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Well written first hand account. Engrossing story from the very beginning! Recommended reading for any old salts or the younger generations.
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Dianne Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars Delivers on it's Subtitle, What Life was Like on a WWII Destroyer
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2006
Verified Purchase
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.
17 people found this helpful
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CPO
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book About a Great Ship and Her Gallant Crew
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Verified Purchase
I served on the third ship to bear the name USS Sterett, DLG31, from 1969 until 1973 so this book held special meaning for me. It is interesting how things change yet stay the same. Our ships and crews were similiar in terms of our comradier and can do attitude. Reading this book was, for me, like reading about my ancestors, and in a way I guess they were! I retired from the Navy in 1995 as a Chief Petty Officer and over the course of my career I served on several ships but the Sterett was my first and much like a first kiss it will always have a special place in my heart. If you're interested I wrote a book entitled Badlands to Blue Water about my experiences on DLG 31 during the Vietnam War.
One person found this helpful
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Lars Peavey
5.0 out of 5 stars One hell of a story.
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
I have been privileged to be friends with two Pacific destroyer veterans, both now deceased.

One was a longtime family friend and served as a rating aboard USS Murray. He shared many of his wartime stories with me, but there were some memories that he could not bear to bring forward.

I had the honor of meeting retired Capt. Frank G. Gould, former exec and commanding officer of USS Sterett, at his stately, rambling home in Deland, FL in the late 80's. I mentioned that I had read extensively about the naval battles around Guadalcanal. He immediately invited me to sit at the dining room table. Over a couple of generous tots of whiskey, we spent the next several hours going through his own texts and reports from his involvement in these actions. He very graciously shared a priceless firsthand account of how the ships maneuvered and the battles developed.

What he seemed to take most personal pride in, though, was this: As he showed me a framed 8x10 picture of the Sterett, taken as it came along side one of the capital ships to refuel (a copy of this photo can be seen in the book), he swelled visibly as he described how the senior captain signaled him a commendation for his execution of a "three bell maneuver" (Navy vets, please forgive if I've mis-remembered the term) which placed the destroyer perfectly in position alongside the larger ship with no wasted movement.

He did not mention, nor did I learn until years later, that he had been awarded the nation's second highest honor for valor for his service. A true professional, in all regards.

I searched for a copy of "Tin Can Sailor" for several years after I learned it had been published. When I finally secured my Kindle copy, it did not disappoint. Thank you, Mr. Calhoun, for bringing the story of these most worthy men and their special ship to life for our generation.
3 people found this helpful
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