This small book is pretty amazing. It's 100 pages of autobiography of Cdr. Brantingham who graduated 1939 from Annapolis. He describes several ships he served on and his duties before he was transferred to torpedo boats. And he describes several different types of torpedo boats. He was transferred to MTB Squadron 3, in the Philippines and was there during the attacks by the Japanese and he took part in the evacuation of MacArthur and his staff for which he and the other officers received Silver Stars and Army Distinguished Unit Badges. His first awards were from the Army!

He continues with combat MTB operations in the South Pacific and then has an ensign named John F. Kennedy assigned to follow him into an attack. But that doesn't happen, and ultimately Kennedy's boat the Pt-109 is sliced in half by a Japanese destroyer returning to its base. And then, when information is obtained as to the location of the survivors Brantingham goes in to rescue them. He's the only man involved in both the evacuation of MacArthur and rescue of Kennedy. (One of my CO's was in torpedo boats and told me Kennedy was in his squadron).

He describes several other ships and assignments and then was CO of the Burton Island, a ship I served on about 10-11 years later.

For me it's a very interesting read and worth the few minutes required to read it.

Retired cat herder.