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Blue has penned a rollicking yarn of the sea full of comedy, camaraderie, and misadventure. It’s a detailed diary of two sailors’ boisterous tour of duty on a U.S. Navy destroyer from 1952 to 1956. From combat in the Korean War to the pleasure palaces of Okinawa to the gambling dens of Macau, the author spins a tale of two unforgettable sea buddies.
Sunshine McGee is a black man from Memphis. Mickey Michigan is a white man from Detroit. From their initial meeting on the way to basic training, they form an unbreakable bond that will see them through high jinks, hell, high water, and beautiful women from one port in the Pacific Ocean to another. Mickey is a gambler with a golden touch. Luck is seldom far from his side whether he’s playing poker, shooting dice, or simply letting the gods decide his fate. Sunshine is a straight shooter. Honest, loyal, and the best sailor in his outfit, he’s true to his country, his friend, and his ship—until a beautiful Japanese princess almost scuttles his entire naval career. Not to be outdone by his pal, Mickey also becomes embroiled with not one but two gorgeous women whose charms he can’t seem to choose between.
The author is an accomplished storyteller whose prose is easy on the eye and the funny bone. His almost encyclopedic knowledge of naval ships and seafaring (honed no doubt by a long Navy career of his own) adds depth and detail to his characters’ life aboard ship and on liberty. This is an appealing tale that will keep you chuckling with, and pulling for, Sunshine and Mickey. If you like a fun read, come aboard.