All the Gallant Men: An American Sailor's Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor

I finished this book last night, the eve the 75th anniversary. I don't know where to begin a review of this book. So I think a small quote from page 109 will say it all.<br /><br />"Dear Lord,<br />Lest I continue<br />My complacent way,<br />Help me to remember that somewhere,<br />Somehow out there<br />A man died for me today.<br />As long as there be war,<br />must answer<br />Am I worth dying for?"<br /><br /><br />Update 12/8/18<br />I read in this mornings paper. Yesterday for the first time, there were no survivors present from the USS Arizona for the 77th anniversary of the attack. The five remaining survivors, Lauren Bruner, 98, Lou Conter, 97, Lonnie Cook, 98, Ken Potts, 97 and Donald Stratton, 97 were unable to travel to Oahu this year. Thank you for your service and the world I grew up in.<br /><br />Thank you Mr Stratton<br /><br />I write this with tears. I read in the paper this morning the Donald Stratton died Saturday 2/15/2020. Lou Conter and Ken Potts are the last survivors of the U.S.S. Arizona. I again thank all WWII Veterans for the world that I grew up in. Thank you.<br /><br />Again with tears, I read in this mornings paper that Ken Potts passed on 4-21-2023. He is survived his wife, Doris. Lou Conter is the last survivor of the Arizona. Once again I’m thankful to that generation for the world I grew up in, thank you.

<strong>Wow! </strong><br /><br />This is the greatest non fiction book that I have ever read. From the beginning to the end it will grab your heart and move you to tears. I had to read awhile and put it down to dry tears and then pick it up again only to dry tears again. This sailor allows you into the most precious part of him to read what happened that December morning in Pearl harbor and brings the terror of the attack and the loss of so many gallant men into your life. My father served in the Pacific during World War II and I personally thank this sailor for his story. It truly allows us to see what happened during that War. Thank you Sir for sharing your story and your gallant life with me and the other numerous readers. Your bravery and the bravery of all those that day are truly standards that were set and that we can hope to meet. Extremely well written and very moving. Again thank you for sharing this story with us. God Bless you and your family and thank you again for your brave and gallant service.

What an amazing man and story. When I got to the end and found out he lives in Colorado Springs I emailed my dad (who also lives in the Springs). We are going to visit in August and I would like to buy this man a meal.

<strong>Brilliant </strong><br /><br />As a military officer, I stand and salute this book. It tells the story of the brave who gave their lives at Pearl Harbor. <br /><br />What is special is that it is told through the experiences of a survivor. <br /><br />May we be a people of peace and never attack or be attacked in the future.

The memories of a patriot, a war hero, and a great American. If you rate this book anything less than 5 stars you need to have your head examined. Robert Walker

5.0 I am glad I read this book on so many levels. It may have been absolutely gutt-wrenching and unbelievably hard to read, but it is such an important book. I will never ever think of December 7th the same ever again. I felt honored to have heard Donald Stratton's story and only wish the story of so many of the young men whose lives were lost that day could also be told. I really appreciated Don Stratton's honesty, humility, love for his lost shipmates and his self-reflective nature. His question in the face of the guilt of living while others died, "Have I led a good life" is one that hopefully everyone asks themselves as well..

What a poignant, well written book. My high rating, I know, is in part emotional. My grandfathers brother was killed in Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. He was one of the only two soldiers killed on the USS Helena. He was taking position at his battle station when he was killed instantly by shrapnel. I wish I had known him; the gallant man from my family. Reading about others and the horror they experienced makes my heart ache for what he had to endure and for my missed opportunity, in this life, to have a relationship with my great-uncle and to see the man he was growing up to be. <br /><br />This story hits on every point just enough not to bog down the overall powerful message with minute details. But what keeps coming to my mind, even after finishing, is the message Eleanor Roosevelt kept in her wallet from the rest of her life following the attacks on Pearl Harbor. It's entitled "Wartime Prayer." Dear Lord,. Lest I continue. My complacent way, Help me to remember that somewhere, Somehow out there. A man died for me today. As long as there be war, I then must. Ask and answer. Am I worth dying for?<br /><br />That last sentence, "am I worth dying for" makes me want to be a better person. It makes me want to always remember the sacrifice so many have made, and continue to make, so that I may enjoy the freedoms I take for granted daily. I'm grateful to the gallant men of World War 1, my uncle, and this beautiful tribute on their behalf.

<strong>A love story. A sailor and his ship. The Arizona.</strong><br /><br />Possably the best book I have ever read. Just the right length and not alot of flowery descriptions.. Just the facts and such an emotional feel to Donald Stratton. Loved it and cried thru most of it. I feel that I am well acquainted with Donald Stratton.. Absolutely loved every page. <br /><br /><br />

<strong>Raw emotion</strong><br /><br />I felt this memoir. It got to me. I could make out the scenes in my mind. The descriptions were palpable. The history rich with sorrow. So sad for the few young people that lived with the horrors of Pearl Harbor etched in their minds. I learned so much from these pages. Humbling. "Have I lived a good life?"

On my trip to Hawaii last month, I had the privilege of being able to visit Pearl Harbor and spend a few unforgettable hours there. It is a place I wish everyone could visit. I was not prepared for how moved I would be standing at the memorial of the USS Arizona, touring the submarine, USS Bowfin, and walking through the numerous museums on site. Such a powerful reminder of what others sacrificed for the fredoms we now have. I went into the gift shop and for some reason, this book immediately caught my eye. There were literally dozens of books about survivors of December 7, 1941, for some reason I kept coming back to this book - a memoir of USS Arizona survivor, Donald Stratton. I brought it home with me and immediately gave it to my dad to read. His review of the book in an email to me, brought tears to my eyes, and I knew I had to put down what I was currently reading and pick it up. I’m not sorry I did. What an amazing tale of heroism, survival, and forgiveness. Donald Stratton, an amazing man, who lived 98 years before passing away in February, 2020. <br /><br />On December 7, 1941, after the USS Arizona was hit, Donald and four others made it safely across a rope tied to another ship - a miracle on a day that claimed the lives of 1,177 of their shipmates. He was burned on over thirty percent of his body and spent a year in military hospitals recovering. He refused doctors’ advice to amputate his limbs and eventually learned to walk again. He was given a medical discharge, but he had unfinished business for his country, and in June 1944, he re-entered the Navy, and was stationed aboard a destroyer, which was destined for combat in the crucial battles of the Pacific. <br /><br />What I loved most about the book was Donald’s insight into his battle for forgiveness of those who had taken so much from him. He recounts how at the 25th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Captain Mitsuo Fuchida, who commanded the first wave of Japanese planes and photographed it so he could document the defeat of the US Navy, but who later in life found God and became a traveling evangelist, also came to the memorial and how he struggled with his feelings and anger toward Fuchida, and how he could not bring himself to shake his hand. He also broached the subject of the bombing of Hiroshima and talked about how the US military put out countless leaflets warning residents to evacuate the area (of which I had no idea). What he said struck me to the core ... “Even if you believe America shouldn’t have used the atomic bomb on Japan, you should know that we tried nearly everything, so we would not have to use it. It was a reluctant last resort. One more thing you should know ... None of us at Pearl Harbor got leaflets like that from the Japanese.” <br /><br />I could go on and on about the nuggets of wisdom I gleaned from this book, but I will simply end this by saying that one of my reading goals for 2020 is to read more memoirs because every time I read one, I learn so much that I can apply to my own life, and All Of The Gallant Men only reaffirms my resolve. I cannot recommend this book highly enough! As George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." All the stars for this incredibly moving read.