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Though retired Rear Admiral Worthington's narrative takes readers on his personal journey, his ability to also capture a defining era of the U.S. Navy—and the military as a whole—is highly illuminating. In particular, the origins of the Navy SEAL are effectively conveyed. Worthington depicts his experiences with a raw authenticity and credence often left out of the history books. This is not just a book of facts but rather a dive into the mind and story of an individual who repeatedly demonstrates his mettle in the most rigorous and challenging of situations.
From the get-go, the admiral describes his first ten years of life as "under threat," referencing global events like the Berlin Airlift and North Korea attacking South Korea. Astutely, he points out the heavy toll wartime takes on the younger generations, who are often forgotten in the chaos. At ten, the author describes his greatest worries in late 1940s Texas as "climbing the China Berry tree" or "catching lightning bugs." Worthington reminisces on the popular things to do of the time, highlighted by the Saturday matinee, featuring icons like Tarzan and the king of the cowboys, Roy Rodgers. While his family was transitioning to Tucson, the author was reporting to South Kent School (SKS) in Connecticut, an all-boys boarding school that planted the roots of his competitive fire. The summers away from SKS featured Worthington swimming in the mountain creeks of Tucson and even practicing swimming at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base gym.
An all-world talent in swimming, Worthington finds himself hopping from Brown University to the U.S. Naval Academy on the merits of his swimming prowess. What ensues is one grueling and mesmerizing moment after another. In his own words, the author's roughly forty-four months of maneuvering through the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand are eye-opening. With each page turned, the reader embarks on a new adventure, be that the author's participation in the 1962 nuclear bomb tests in the South Pacific, getting his U.S. Parachute Association sports parachutist license, or attending Underwater Demolition Training. Above all else, however, Worthington's depiction of Navy "frogmen," to whom the title is dedicated, and their contributions to World War II is downright riveting. With the frogmen being master underwater tacticians, the author shares several anecdotes of training and live-action that show the historical precursor to the Navy SEAL and the early days of well-known training gauntlets like Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training. However, perhaps what is most endearing is the essence of camaraderie with the frogmen that Worthington establishes. From serving alongside them during brutal training to sharing evenings of entertainment, their tight-knit nature, even in such a competitive environment, is refreshing.
Regardless of which portion of the book one turns to, one thing is clear: Worthington is right in the middle of the making of history, and his recounting of moments of his life is memorable. The San Diego boot camps, Plebe Summer, the swimming competitions, the Saigon War, and skydiving with his son are just some of the gems that the author leaves his audience with. Truly action-packed, there is seemingly never a dull moment in the author's life. This feature, combined with his ability to spin a story that integrates personal life and monumental moments in history, makes his autobiographical snapshot a meaningful read.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review