DDays in the Pacific With the U.S. C..., Ken Wiley
DDays in the Pacific With the U.S. C..., Ken Wiley
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D-Days in the Pacific With the U.S. Coast Guard
The Story of Lucky Thirteen

Author: Ken Wiley

Narrator: Keith Sellon-Wright

Unabridged: 10 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/25/2018


Synopsis

Winner of the 2008 Foundation for Coast Guard History Book Award

The images of soldiers and marines coming ashore on hostile shores are embedded in our collective memory of World War II. But what of the sailors who manned the landing craft, going back and forth under fire with nowhere to take cover, their craft the special targets of enemy gunners?

In this book, Ken Wiley, a Coast Guardsman on an Attack Transport in the Pacific, relates the intricate, often nerve wracking story of how the United States projected its power across 6,000 miles in the teeth of fanatical Japanese resistance. Each invasion was a swirl of moving parts, from frogmen to fire support, transport mother ships to Attack Transports, the smaller Higgins boats (LCVPs), and during the last terrifying stage the courageous men who would storm the beaches.

The author participated in the campaigns for the Marshall Islands, the Marianas, the Philippines and Okinawa, and with a precise eye for detail relates numerous aspects of landing craft operations, such as ferrying wounded, that are often discounted. He conveys the terror and horrors of war, as well as, on occasion, the thrill, while not neglecting the humor and cameraderie of wartime life.

An exciting book, full of harrowing combat action, D-Days in the Pacific also provides a valuable service in expanding our knowledge of exactly how World War II's massive amphibious operations were undertaken.

About Ken Wiley

Ken Wiley was the sixth of seven children born to Troy and Dora Thompson Riley. After service in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, he graduated from Hillsboro Junior College and Oklahoma A&M. In 1952 he took a job with Bell Helicopter as as a hydraulics design engineer, and worked in a variety of skilled and managerial positions until his retirement in the 1990s. He has four grown daughters and is the founder of Veterans Video Museums program. He lives in Mountain City, Tennessee, with his wife, Deane.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Charles m smith jr on February 10, 2019

Little known Coastguard action Now here is something I knew little about. This book is very powerful and informing. Once you get into the story on these pagers,you will find it's hard to put the book down. You surely learn why they are call the greatest generation.......more

Goodreads review by Dave on September 12, 2017

An excellent account of the Invasions of the many islands in the South Pacific by the Coast Guard cox'sun of one of the Landing Craft. Thirty landing craft on each Coast Guard manned Attack transport. Wiley named his boat Lucky when he learned his LCVP was #13. Very descriptive writing of the life s......more

Goodreads review by Don on August 22, 2012

CXN Wiley opens up a whole vista on an unseen part of World War II with this high action adventure. A must read for WWII buffs. I've since met Ken Wiley. He's the real deal and a hero in my book and a great contributor to the nation he helped to save.......more

Goodreads review by Michael on February 17, 2022

Great book, well written, a relaxing read. Wiley lead an interesting life during his time with the Coast Guard during WWII. . A great book detailing life on the boats that shuttled Marines from ship to shore.......more

Goodreads review by Jim on May 22, 2019

Disclaimer: I retired from the U. S. Coast Guard so my opinion of this book may be a bit biased but even having said that, I do not believe for a second my Coast Guard career influenced my review of this book. There are two titles for the same book. The first one is Lucky Thirteen. If you search for......more