The year is 1940 and a young man, an orphan, is looking for a better life. John Pruitt enlists in the US Navy. From a humble beginning, John will go on to play an important role in the success of the US Navy submarine fleet in the South Pacific during World War II, and he will be awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, Submarine Combat Award with 5 Battle Stars, Bronze Star, and Army and Navy Citations. John is a young man stationed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attack in 1941. Unlike many others, John survives the bombings. Shortly thereafter, President Roosevelt declares the United States is at war, and John's sub is reassigned to Australia, and then, Guam. After several combat missions as a radio operator in the conning tower, John is sent to New London, CT to help develop a new radar system to better detect the Japanese planes which have been attacking low in the horizon and destroying many US subs. By 1943, the new radar is ready, and John is put in charge of installing it on the US attack subs throughout the South Pacific. He is often dropped off by seaplane and asked to perform the installation while the sub is on active mission. After the new radar is installed on the fleet, the US loses very few subs to enemy plane attacks. John is reassigned to combat duty and serves on the USS Barb, Chub, Tang, Pilotfish and Seawolf, as well as several other boats. He is on the first US sub to penetrate Tokyo Bay, Japan, and the last sub in the line that the Enola Gay took on its route to drop the atomic bomb. John witnesses the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima, is on the deck of the Missouri for the Japanese surrender and takes part in nuclear testing in the South Pacific after the war. Like so many others from his generation, John's personal contribution to the war effort was selfless and highly remarkable. His feats were made even more impressive by the fact that he performed them in such a dangerous post. 70% of all submariners who served during the war, were killed. They did not come home. Thanks in part to John's efforts, this figure was not higher. |