Book Reviews

“Each and every ship's history adds another page and another dimension to our understanding of World War II and the America that fought it. Combat Loaded tells a

 story and preserves a little piece of history that might otherwise be lost, and which indeed would have been lost if not for the indefatigable efforts of Mr. Crew.  These

 voices are among the last we shall hear of the World War II generation as they fade into history's twilight."—Mark P. Parillo, Kansas State University, author of 

The Japanese Merchant Marine in World War II

". . . an important contribution to naval history. . . . The author also does a good job of weaving technical issues in with the letters of and post-war interviews with the crew of the United States Ship Tate. He is also able to place the story and history in the larger context of the Pacific Theater, which gets less attention than the war in Europe."—Nick Sarantakes, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Ft. Gordon Campus, author of Seven Stars: The Okinawa Battle Diaries of Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr., and Joseph Stilwell.

"This is a very well researched book about the men who served on our amphibious ships during WWII. The detail can't be found in any other source. It's not just the story of one ship, it's the story of all the ships that helped win the war. In addition to being incredibly well researched it is very readable and a must read of those who served, their families and those who want to learn about this part of our history."—Russ Padden, Webmaster: Amphibious Forces of World War II.