US Navy veteran Mike Smith offers a glimpse of the spiritualism, adventure, and navy traditions of the ageless brotherhood of sailors in his fascinating memoir, In the Presence of Heroes.
Smith provides a vivid portrait of daily life and the tragic events aboard the USS Frank E. Evans during the Vietnam War, as well as detailing his own son’s experience decades later on the USS Cole.
Largely forgotten by their government, their country, and the world, these heroic men are few in number, but their stories still beg to be told.
When an Australian carrier rips into the side of the USS Frank E. Evans, only its stern section remains, and Smith loses seventy-four of his comrades in just minutes.
Years later, Smith’s son Johnnie is on the USS Cole in Yemen for routine fueling when suicide bombers blow a hole in the ship’s hull, killing seventeen sailors and injuring thirty-seven others.
These parallel incidents, witnessed and survived by this remarkable father-and-son team, highlight the camaraderie, sacrifice, and heroism of US Navy fighters.
With many stories already lost to time, death, and a reluctance to relive the past, In the Presence of Heroes comes just in time.
