Tin Can Sailor

Life aboard the USS Sterett, 1939-1945

By Calhoun, C. Raymond
1993, United States Naval Inst.
ISBN 1557501084
Hardcover, 198 pages, 10 b&w photos

Descripton: The author was a junior officer on the destroyer USS Sterett from 1939 to 1943. The Sterett participated in operations all over the world, including the North Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and the Coral Sea. For a year she was assigned to escort the aircraft carrier Wasp; shortly after Sterett was transferred to other duty, Wasp was sunk by a Japanese submarine. The Sterett received a Presidential Unit Citation for her actions in the Guadalcanal campaign, in particular at the Third Battle of Savo Island. The author uses personal documents and recollections of former crewmates to describe the destroyer's career after he was detached from her in 1943 due to injuries. Includes a complete roster of personnel attached to the vessel throughout her wartime career.