Gregory A. Freeman

Tells the dramatic and until now forgotten story of the 1967 fire on board the USS Forrestal during its time at Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam. 
For 35 years the terrible loss of life has been blamed on the sailors themselves, but this documented history shows that they were truly victims and heroes, deserving recognition for their efforts during this tragedy. #hardcover #history #sailors #mustread 

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It

In the tradition of New York Times bestsellers In Harm's Way and The Terrible Hours comes a mesmerizing, high-adrenaline account of the heroic sailors who survived one of the worst accidents in U.S. naval history.

Sailors to the End tells the dramatic and until now forgotten story of the 1967 fire on board the USS Forrestal during its time at Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam. The aircraft carrier, the mightiest of the U.S. fleet, was preparing to launch attacks into North Vietnam when one of its jets accidentally fired a rocket across the flight deck and into an aircraft occupied by pilot John McCain. A huge fire ensued, and McCain barely escaped before a 1,000-pound bomb on his plane exploded, causing a chain reaction with other bombs on surrounding planes. The crew struggled for days to extinguish the fires, the five thousand men on board experiencing different kinds of hell -- some trapped in damaged compartments waiting to die, some battling rivers of flaming jet fuel in order to rescue their buddies. Almost all of them were innocent eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds, but in an instant they were thrust into a tragedy that nearly destroyed the ship and took the lives of 134 men.

Written with the intensity and excitement of a thriller, and based on never-before-disclosed information and extensive interviews with the fire's survivors, here is the first full, minute-by-minute account of the disaster. Told through the stories of a dozen sailors, including John Beling, the carrier's beloved captain who was made a scapegoat for the disaster, Sailors to the End follows the Forrestal from its home in Norfolk, Virginia, through its mission in Vietnam. Focusing on the fateful fire and its aftermath, this book provides a gripping tale of heartache and heroism as young men find themselves trapped on a burning ship with bombs exploding all around them.

Sailors to the End also corrects the official view of the fire, providing evidence that the U.S. government compromised the ship's safety by insisting on increased bombing despite the shortage of reliable weapons. For thirty-five years, the terrible loss of life has been blamed on the sailors themselves, but this meticulously documented history shows that they were truly the victims and heroes, deserving recognition for their efforts during a sweeping tragedy that until now has been only a footnote in history. Gregory A. Freeman dramatically brings this story to life, creating a work that is both riveting and moving.

Sailors to the End

944c9d21-592f-49c4-be4c-b10049424a32-1

The aircraft carrier USS Forrestal was preparing to launch attacks into North Vietnam when one of its jets accidentally fired a rocket into an aircraft occupied by pilot John McCain. A huge fire ensued, and McCain barely escaped before a 1,000-pound bomb on his plane exploded, causing a chain reaction with other bombs on surrounding planes. The crew struggled for days to extinguish the fires, but, in the end, the tragedy took the lives of 134 men. For thirty-five years, the terrible loss of life has been blamed on the sailors themselves, but this meticulously documented history shows that they were truly the victims and heroes.

Category - Non Fiction / History

Format - Hardcover

Condition - Good

Listed - 2 years ago

Views - 1

Est. Publication Date - Jul 2002

Sailors to the End: The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It

ISBN: 9780066212678

Publisher Description

Sailors to the End

By:

$8.00

Meet the seller

Discover more

Sailors to the End

By: Gregory A. Freeman

Pango Buyer Protection

More from this seller

Additional titles by Gregory A. Freeman

'Sailors to the End' readers also enjoyed:

Recently Viewed

Browse by categories

Category - Non Fiction / History

Format - Hardcover

Condition - Good

Listed - 2 years ago

Views - 1

Est. Publication Date - Jul 2002

Sailors to the End: The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It

ISBN: 9780066212678

Publisher Description

Sailors to the End

By:

$8.00

Meet the seller

Discover more

Sailors to the End

By: Gregory A. Freeman

Pango Buyer Protection

More from this seller

Additional titles by Gregory A. Freeman

'Sailors to the End' readers also enjoyed:

Recently Viewed