Lucky Thirteen: D-Days in the Pacific with the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II

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The first thing to do as you start this book is to turn to the photographs on the page facing page 144.

At the top is a picture of the author at 17. He was just a kid. Life at 17 should revolve around school and senior proms, getting a car and a job. Well, he got a job - driving landing craft onto ...
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More About This Book

Overview

The first thing to do as you start this book is to turn to the photographs on the page facing page 144.

At the top is a picture of the author at 17. He was just a kid. Life at 17 should revolve around school and senior proms, getting a car and a job. Well, he got a job - driving landing craft onto Japanese held beaches.

The bottom picture on that page is of his brother Joe. Joe's girlfriend Judy and one of their aunts. Then there's the note: 'Joe was killed over Germany in 1944.'

Mr. Wiley was the Cox'n, that's the driver and commander of one of the little 'Higging Boats.' Those are the ones that take the Marines to shore. He spins quite a tale. It's quite a different view of the war, interesting and well worth reading. And keep in mind that the kid who got his parents permission to go into the Coast Guard was only 17. Within a very few yers, he was a full fledged man, still too young to drink or vote, but a man.
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Editorial Reviews

Robin Buckland
If like me you have an interest in the landing craft of WW2, then this book really is a worthwhile read, and to gain an understanding of how it felt to operate them, and the pride in doing a job right. There were so many D-Days in the island hopping campaigns of the Pacific war.
— Military Modelling
Soldier Magazine UK
...well illustrated and detailed first hand account of the amphibious war waged against fanatical Japanese opposition.
The Hook
"…well written and illustrated with photographs and excellent drawings of life aboard ship by one of the shipmates."
Warships International
...an engrossing account of the island hopping Pacific War as seen through the eyes of the young commander...
Journal of Military History
This very-well written and organized account of D-Days in the Pacific with the US Coast Guard should appeal to both scholars and the general public and should be in every library of every World War II and Coast Guard historian.
—C.D. Kroll
Military History of the West
. . . an engaging, honest account of boys becoming men in a dangerous and utterly unpredictable environment.
—J. Daley
Proceedings
The author knows whereof he speaks. As a coastguard LCVP coxswain, he served in amphibious assaults from the Marshalls and Marinas, to the Philipines and Okinawa. His tale cogently imparts both fear and certain dark humor of war.
—Col. G W. Keiser
The U.S. Coast Guard Reservist
. . . provides a valuable service in expanding our knowledge of exactly how World War II's massive amphibious operations were undertaken.
WWII History Magazine
For unknown reasons, there are virtually no first person books by or about US Coast Guard coxswains in World War II. Ken Wiley corrects that oversight with LUCKY THIRTEEN, a book to be treasured.
— M.B. Webb
Foundation for Coast Guard History
. . . a well-written and equally well-illustrated memoir of life aboard an LST during World War II, a role the Coast Guard played which is often overlooked by history texts today . . . unprecedented contribution to the field of Coast Guard History . . .
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781932033533
  • Publisher: Casemate Publishers
  • Publication date: 2/28/2007
  • Pages: 334
  • Product dimensions: 6.54 (w) x 9.04 (h) x 1.18 (d)

Table of Contents


Preface/Acknowledgments. The Last Seven Miles     xi
The Attack Transport Emerges     1
The Children of the Thirty's     7
Seventeen, Going on Maturity     21
Misery in the Making     29
Guys, Gals and Games     45
A Touch of Salt Spray     57
The Mighty Middie Maru     67
Fiery Introduction at Kwalaliem     75
Boys Become Men at Eniwetok     87
One Punch     99
It's a Small World     103
Commit Their Bodies to the Deep     109
The Pearl of the Pacific     113
Idle Time Chatter     123
A Rose by any Other Name     133
Saipan; Rattling Toyko Rose's Cage     141
Good Morning Charlie     159
A Little Fun in the Middle of Chaos     165
The Suicide LCVP     169
The South Pacific     175
Lucky 13 Get's Her Name     179
In The Burst     185
Special Mission     191
Return to the Philippines     199
Mail Call     221
The Japanese Strike Back at Leyte     229
Lucky Thirteen     235
Shove Off Cox'n     257
New Hebrides Incident     263
The Grass is Always Greener     269
April's Fools     277
Okinawa Shima     287
Confusion on the Road     299
Forty Eight in Diego     305
Stateside     309
Postscript     315
1944 Arthur Middleton Roster     321
Index     329
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