Galloping Ghost: The Extraordinary Life of Submarine Captain Eugene Fluckey
by Carl Lavo
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Book Summary Information
Author: Carl LavoEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-05-11
ISBN: 1591144566
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: US Naval Institute Press
Book Reviews of Galloping Ghost: The Extraordinary Life of Submarine Captain Eugene Fluckey
Book Review: One of the greatest...
Summary: 5 Stars
Noted submarine author Carl Lavo turns his attention to one of the most colorful characters in the WWII submarine skipper pantheon, Eugene Fluckey. I wasn't sure how well this slim (about 200 pages) volume would stand up in comparison to Fluckey's own book, "Thunder Below". Given LaVo's past track record writing on submarine topics, I needn't have worried. Whereas "Thunder Below" really concentrates on the day to day exploits of the USS Barb, "Galloping Ghost" is really about Fluckey himself, and more importantly the impact he had on others and on the US submarine force.
Fluckey, with blue eyes, red hair and enough freckles to win a contest at age 6, is a strong athlete and student while growing up in Washington, DC. Inspired by a neighbor to consider a naval career, he forgoes a chance to study at Princeton and attempts to get an appointment to the US Naval Academy. Through the graces of Illinois representative William Holaday (his family had roots in Illinois), he manages to gain acceptance at the Naval Academy. We follow Fluckey up to the time of the war, and his efforts to get assigned to a combat submarine. Finally (through some finagling on his part), he ends up commanding The Gato class submarine Barb.
The book details each of Fluckey's war patrols on Barb. The sinking of the Japanese carrier Unyo, and the rescue of British and Australian POWs from sunken Japanese transports, the famous rocket attack and the daring landing on Japanese territory to destroy a train are all related. Fluckey's adventures in running Barb toward the dock at high speed so that FDR can get movie films from his wheelchair add some comic relief. While on furlough at home, Fluckey is told he will receive the Medal of Honor for his exploits, he objects that it is for "dead heroes". He finally accepts it not for himslef, but on behalf of his Barb crew.
Fluckey's service as Nimitz's aide after the war, his command of USS Halfbeak, and his promotion at a very young age to admiral is covered. His role in the time when the US Navy converts its submarine force to nuclear power and missile firing capabilities find Fluckey deeply involved at the forefront of these changes. Even in retirement, he was a sought after inspirational speaker. In later years, he treated the surviving crew members of the USS Barb to several exotic trips, paying for everything with proceeds from the book "Thunder Below". When given a standing ovation at the 1995 50th Anniversary of the war's end in Pearl Harbor, Fluckey thanked the crowd, "on behalf of that standing ovation for my crew."
I heartily recommend this book to all. Eugene Fluckey's irrepressible nature, humor, and character come through, and his self-deprecating ways, always trying to turn the focus on the fact that he led a crew, an extraordinary crew on Barb, and that it was never about him. This book sits next to "Thunder Below" on my shelf, and I am sure I will reread it in years to come.
"Put more into life than you expect to get out of it. Drive yourself and lead others. Make others feel good about themselves; they will outperform your expectations, and you will never lack for friends". Eugene B. Fluckey.
Summary of Galloping Ghost: The Extraordinary Life of Submarine Captain Eugene Fluckey
Eugene Fluckey was one of the great naval heroes of World War II. His exploits as captain of the submarine USS Barb revolutionized undersea warfare and laid the groundwork for the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine fleet that today is the primary deterrent and capability of the United States against nuclear attack. Now a retired rear admiral living in Annapolis, Maryland, he is the most decorated living American, having earned numerous presidential, congressional, and military honors, including the Medal of Honor and four Navy Crosses. In the war against Japan, Fluckey fired the first ballistic missiles from a submarine, sank more tonnage than any other U.S. submarine skipper; including an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, a destroyer, and blew up a train after landing submariners-turned-saboteurs on mainland Japan in 1945. The title of this biography is the legendary submariner s nickname, "Galloping Ghost, " a reference to the hit-and-run tactics that left his enemies baffled about the direction of his attacks.Here is the admiral's story, told with the exclusive access to Admiral Fluckey's personal papers and based on interviews with him, his family, Barb shipmates, official Navy documents, and the recollections of his contemporaries. The author, Carl LaVO, who spent years researching the subject, offers not only a dramatic, action-filled account of Fluckey's wartime experiences, but also a lively description of his life before and after that captures the infectious optimism contributing to his many successes.
LaVO describes meeting the ninety-year-old retired admiral: With a full shock of hair, trim build, natty clothes, and buoyant demeanor, Fluckey looked much younger and still displayed his characteristic dry wit, despite the fact that Alzheimer's disease had robbed him of many memories. When asked about a long-forgotten episode of his life, the admiral replied with a twinkle in his eyes and hearty laugh, I don t know. You tell me. LaVO took up his challenge and with this book presents Admiral Fluckey's full biography.
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