From the Publisher
Never Call Me a Hero is a rare and precious gift from a significant warrior to his posterity. Published posthumously, Dusty Kleiss’s stirring memoir contradicts his own title: Kleiss willingly accepted the risks that defined his heroism, and changed the course of the Second World War.” — BARRETT TILLMAN, author of Enterprise: America’s Fightingest Ship and On Wave and Wing: The 100-Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier
“Lieutenant Kleiss is one of history’s ultimate unsung heroes. In this remarkable memoir, the decorated dive-bomber pilot tells a war story for the ages. Dusty Kleiss’s name should be known to every American-adult and schoolchild alike. This book will teach you something on every page.” — JAMES D. HORNFISCHER, author of The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and The Fleet at Flood Tide
“Laced with humor, ‘Dusty’ Kleiss’s memoir is an honest, riveting account of a brave pilot’s life. Never Call Me a Hero is equally a vivid and unforgettable first-hand view into America’s greatest victory at sea.” — DAN HAMPTON (USAF, Ret.), recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and bestselling author of Viper Pilot and Lords of the Sky
“A real treasure. …It is hard to conceive that a better first-person book on the first six months of America’s war in the Pacific will surface. … An instant classic, a front-row seat on a Pacific war journey that is action-packed throughout.” — STEPHEN L. MOORE, Dallas Morning News
“Inspiring. … America produced men like Dusty Kleiss in their millions when they were needed, ordinary men who presented themselves when called, put on uniforms, and did extraordinary things. … [Kleiss was] a great American and a hero, whether or not he fancied the honorific.” — American Spectator
“Incredible. ... A standout autobiography for anyone interested in bravery, courage, and first-person accounts of military heroics during World War II.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“Masterful. ... Dusty Kleiss was and remains in a class by himself. ... Much more than a vivid remembrance of his heroic role.” — Naval History
“Without histrionics or bravado, Dusty Kleiss gives us a fascinating personal account of this seminal naval battle, and a great read as well. Never Call Me a Hero lets you feel what it was like to fight in the Pacific, and to grow up in Depression-era Middle America, too.” — JONATHAN PARSHALL, co-author, Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway
“A riveting narrative about the Battle of Midway. ... A saga of life in the midst of a war.” — Daily Press
“[Kleiss] helped to turn the tide of the war. ... Conveys the personal nature of war and honors his fellow flyers who lost their lives.” — Seapower Magazine
“Anyone interested in naval aviation or the Battle of Midway should read this book.” — Journal of America’s Military Past
Daily Press
A riveting narrative about the Battle of Midway. ... A saga of life in the midst of a war.
American Spectator
Inspiring. … America produced men like Dusty Kleiss in their millions when they were needed, ordinary men who presented themselves when called, put on uniforms, and did extraordinary things. … [Kleiss was] a great American and a hero, whether or not he fancied the honorific.
STEPHEN L. MOORE
A real treasure. …It is hard to conceive that a better first-person book on the first six months of America’s war in the Pacific will surface. … An instant classic, a front-row seat on a Pacific war journey that is action-packed throughout.
BARRETT TILLMAN
Never Call Me a Hero is a rare and precious gift from a significant warrior to his posterity. Published posthumously, Dusty Kleiss’s stirring memoir contradicts his own title: Kleiss willingly accepted the risks that defined his heroism, and changed the course of the Second World War.
JONATHAN PARSHALL
Without histrionics or bravado, Dusty Kleiss gives us a fascinating personal account of this seminal naval battle, and a great read as well. Never Call Me a Hero lets you feel what it was like to fight in the Pacific, and to grow up in Depression-era Middle America, too.
Seapower Magazine
[Kleiss] helped to turn the tide of the war. ... Conveys the personal nature of war and honors his fellow flyers who lost their lives.
DAN HAMPTON (USAF
Laced with humor, ‘Dusty’ Kleiss’s memoir is an honest, riveting account of a brave pilot’s life. Never Call Me a Hero is equally a vivid and unforgettable first-hand view into America’s greatest victory at sea.
JAMES D. HORNFISCHER
Lieutenant Kleiss is one of history’s ultimate unsung heroes. In this remarkable memoir, the decorated dive-bomber pilot tells a war story for the ages. Dusty Kleiss’s name should be known to every American-adult and schoolchild alike. This book will teach you something on every page.
Naval History
Masterful. ... Dusty Kleiss was and remains in a class by himself. ... Much more than a vivid remembrance of his heroic role.
Journal of America’s Military Past
Anyone interested in naval aviation or the Battle of Midway should read this book.
Journal of America's Military Past
Anyone interested in naval aviation or the Battle of Midway should read this book.
World War II Magazine
Riveting. ... Vivid. ... In terms of hits, Kleiss emerged as the single most effective American pilot at Midway. That alone would imprint this book with importance, but the meticulous attention to detail and compelling narration make it soar. ... Personal accounts of Americans who fought in World War II have flourished in the past two decades as they pass from the scene. I cannot think of any I would recommend above this work.
DONALD STRATTON and KEN GIRE
Never Call Me a Hero is a remarkable feat of remembrance. Dusty Kleiss’s deeply personal memoir of love and war puts the reader in the cockpit of the last living dive bomber from the Battle of Midway, the courageous but costly attack that broke the back of the Japanese Navy, marking the beginning of the end of the war in the Pacific.
Dallas Morning News
A World War II memoir that is a real treasure. … An instant classic. … Action-packed throughout. … Will be treasured… for decades to come.
Library Journal
★ 05/15/2017
Kleiss (1916–2016) never considered himself a hero. After joining the U.S. Navy, he became a dive bomber pilot on the USS Enterprise in May 1941. Kleiss was on the aircraft carrier when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. With coauthors Timothy Orr (military history, Old Dominion Univ.; Last To Leave the Field and Cities at War) and Laura Orr (deputy education director, Hampton Roads Naval Museum), Kleiss recounts that awful day, the ensuing bombs on the Marshall Islands, and the 1942 Battle of Midway. He relives these conflicts in incredible detail, including his three direct hits on enemy ships, using memories from his own logbook and official after-action reports from his squadron. Interspersed throughout are personal letters that Kleiss wrote to and received from Eunice Marie Mochon, whom he nicknamed Jean and who later became his wife, along with humorous stories about how he earned the nickname "Dusty" and spent his downtime. VERDICT A standout autobiography for anyone interested in bravery, courage, and first-person accounts of military heroics during World War II. A worthy addition to all libraries as the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Midway arrives in June 2017.—Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI
