Bering Sea Escort: Life Aboard a Coast Guard Cutter in World War II, details the author's experiences on board the USCGC Haida from July 1941 until March 1944. The 240 foot Haida, Robert Johnson's first duty station, was primarily employed escorting convoys across the Gulf of Alaska and westward to the Aleutian Islands. The author briefly details the Haida's whole career, but the focus is the period of his almost three year tour. Johnson makes it clear that Haida, which was commissioned in 1921, was not the optimum sub hunter. Her WWI vintage armament and lack of radar greatly impeded her combat effectiveness, but it certainly didn't dampen her resolve. Having traveled the same area on a 30+ year old Coast Guard Cutter I can confirm that Johnson's geography, weather and general shipboard experience are true to life. From his first bout of seasickness to his rather sentimental departure, he also captures the lot of the average seaman and the bond that grows between a sailor and his ship. This isn't a fast paced war novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover. Except for storm damage the Haida didn't see any actual combat action during the period covered in the book. What the narrative does offer is a view of normal men doing an important job that was essential to the war effort. Their tasks were often boring, and they received little recognition, but they did their part to the very best of their ability. For an accurate glimpse of the common sailor's life during WWII this is a great book. Also has a great center section of photos.

You've got to love a book with comics in it. The actual text was pretty good too. The book covers several psychological experiments, which were interesting. Works well for general reading as well as a text book if you are interested in psychology.

I wish I had found this book when I made my decision to join the Coast Guard. It answers a wide range of questions on everything from why Coast Guard vessels are called "cutters" to why members of the service wear the present-day blue uniform. From the first chapter, concerning the formation of the Coast Guard through the merger of the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving Service, to the final chapter describing the rescue of 319 passengers from the burning liner Prinsendam in 1979, this book holds the reader's attention throughout. It also deals with the mistakes as well, such as the Simas Kudirka incident, in which a Lithuaninan seaman tryig to defect was allowed to be taken back to his ship, and the collisions which sank the cutters Cuyahoga and Blackthorn. Anyone considering joining the service, or anyone who just wants to know more about our smallest branch of the armed forces, should read this book. It has helped me to understand more about the work I do in the Coast Guard than any other source of information.