Men of Poseidon

Life at Sea Aboard the USS Rall

By Graves, Richard W.
2000, Willow Valley Press
ISBN 0615114156
Paperback

Descripton: The true story of the daily life, the fears and the courage of the young men aboard the Destroyer Escort USS Rall (DE-304). Destroyer escorts were WW II's most expendable ships. The book is filled with the real events of ship life: the difficulties of convoy duty, the constant search for Japanese submarines, and the yearning for mail from home, a few hours of sleep and a cold beer! At the battle of Okinawa, destroyer escorts were sitting ducks for kamikaze attacks. In 20 seconds of heart-stopping action, the Rall destroyed four suicide planes and took a 500 pound bomb through the side, resulting in 21 killed and 38 wounded. Highly autobiographical, this book follows Dick Graves from his early involvement in the war to the day of the Rall's decommissioning. It includes a perspective from the crew's 50-year reunion.