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Bluejacket: In Harm's Way from Guadalcanal to Tokyo or "the Golden Gate...or Pearly Gate...By'48"
Hutchinson, a radioman, relates both his story and the Pacific War in general.
628 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 15, 2016
BLUEJACKETS is the culmination of a mission by John “Hutch” Hutchinson to educate the American public, particularly the youngest generations, about the fighting and sacrifice of thousands of Americans in the Pacific Theater in World War Two. It is his contention that much more attention in the past 70 years has been paid to the War in Europe against Nazi Germany than to America’s war with Japan. I would have to agree with that assessment. While I cannot comment on how school textbooks cover the War, casual observation would indicate that motion pictures and TV have leaned toward Europe’s battlegrounds than the conflicts at sea and island-hopping of the Marines.
Hutchinson was a radio operator on two ships during the war and was proud of what was accomplished in the Pacific by the combined land, air, and sea forces of the United States. He believed more people should know what happened in the Pacific from December 7, 1941 – August 15, 1945 ---- 70 years ago to the day that I write this review ---- twenty years after the publication of the book. In that score of years, much has been done to rectify the situation but probably not enough to satisfy that bluejackets who served then.
Sadly, if young Americans are to learn about that part of the War, it will not be through this book. Indeed, based on GOODREADS, only three people have bothered to read and review or rate this book; I’m the fourth. While I will not give it just one star out of five as one reviewer did, I cannot rate it above two. I wanted to but the final one hundred pages or so cut my original rating in half. More on that later.
What Hutchinson does well is capture the essence of what being an enlisted man in the Navy during the War was like. For the most part, their lives were made up of two opposing conditions. There were the periods when ships were on constant alert, General Quarters. This included action in battle but also those long stretches in which all hands were on watch for enemy subs, ships, and planes, particularly kamikazes. This was not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually draining. I’m sure “Hutch” represented most of the bluejackets, (and soldiers), men who fought long and hard and didn’t get enough leave time.
One the other hand, there were extended periods of pure boredom. It’s hard to imagine being bored while at war but apparently it can happen.
Hutchinson also was capable of beautiful prose. Chapter 21 is the best example of this as he is tells of the love of the sea.
Hutchinson’s descriptions of battle were less than riveting. He focused too much, in my opinion, on statistics, men killed, wounded, missing, and ships sunk and planes shot down.
If BLUEJACKETS had been simply a book reporting on the War in the Pacific, it would have merited at least 3 stars. However, there was too much venom spewing out of Hutchinson to my liking.
It is natural that he had hatred for the Japanese. After all, they started the War which led to the killing of thousands of Americans. But it appeared that his hatred had not abated in the forty years since the War; he still looked at Japan as a threat to the U.S. at the end of the century. Indeed, he believed that our nation from an enemy. This is one example in which, I believe, Hutchinson did not learn from history. The Allies’ attempt to punish Germany after World War One led to the Nazi uprising in the 1930’s. The Allies of the 1940’s did not want to make the same mistake.
Hutchinson’s poison was not only directed toward the enemy; it was also focused on fellow Americans. He had almost nothing good to say about President Franklin Roosevelt. He proclaimed his New Deal policies a failure to end the Depression. While, as Hutchinson wrote, it was the war that truly brought the U.S. out of the Depression, Roosevelt’s programs gave the people one thing they lacked under Herbert Hoover: HOPE. Daniel James Brown writes eloquently of this in his outstanding book THE BOYS IN THE BOAT.
Hutchinson also blamed Roosevelt, at least in part, for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Ironically, Hutchinson quotes Roosevelt positively, but without credit (“a President in my life time) near the end of his book.
Hutchinson’s hatred of FDR was an extension of his hatred of liberals. He believed that the war was a waste of time, money, and lives because the country they fought for no longer exists. We know the country is quite different from what it was 70 years ago. No country survives just standing still. Of course, Hutchinson believed the nation went backwards.
Tragically, Hutchinson cites a couple of statistics that show his true color: white. He implies that because 95% of the American fighting force was of European descent, the nation’s quest for civil rights and equality for all people has brought the country down. This bigotry extends to religion. The Protestant ethic should prevail in this country that was founded as a Christian nation, according to Hutchinson. What I see in Hutchinson is the attitude, the policies, the nationalism our country and Hutchinson fought against Germany, Italy, and Japan.
BLUEJACKETS is not a book I can recommend.
Hutchinson was a radio operator on two ships during the war and was proud of what was accomplished in the Pacific by the combined land, air, and sea forces of the United States. He believed more people should know what happened in the Pacific from December 7, 1941 – August 15, 1945 ---- 70 years ago to the day that I write this review ---- twenty years after the publication of the book. In that score of years, much has been done to rectify the situation but probably not enough to satisfy that bluejackets who served then.
Sadly, if young Americans are to learn about that part of the War, it will not be through this book. Indeed, based on GOODREADS, only three people have bothered to read and review or rate this book; I’m the fourth. While I will not give it just one star out of five as one reviewer did, I cannot rate it above two. I wanted to but the final one hundred pages or so cut my original rating in half. More on that later.
What Hutchinson does well is capture the essence of what being an enlisted man in the Navy during the War was like. For the most part, their lives were made up of two opposing conditions. There were the periods when ships were on constant alert, General Quarters. This included action in battle but also those long stretches in which all hands were on watch for enemy subs, ships, and planes, particularly kamikazes. This was not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually draining. I’m sure “Hutch” represented most of the bluejackets, (and soldiers), men who fought long and hard and didn’t get enough leave time.
One the other hand, there were extended periods of pure boredom. It’s hard to imagine being bored while at war but apparently it can happen.
Hutchinson also was capable of beautiful prose. Chapter 21 is the best example of this as he is tells of the love of the sea.
Hutchinson’s descriptions of battle were less than riveting. He focused too much, in my opinion, on statistics, men killed, wounded, missing, and ships sunk and planes shot down.
If BLUEJACKETS had been simply a book reporting on the War in the Pacific, it would have merited at least 3 stars. However, there was too much venom spewing out of Hutchinson to my liking.
It is natural that he had hatred for the Japanese. After all, they started the War which led to the killing of thousands of Americans. But it appeared that his hatred had not abated in the forty years since the War; he still looked at Japan as a threat to the U.S. at the end of the century. Indeed, he believed that our nation from an enemy. This is one example in which, I believe, Hutchinson did not learn from history. The Allies’ attempt to punish Germany after World War One led to the Nazi uprising in the 1930’s. The Allies of the 1940’s did not want to make the same mistake.
Hutchinson’s poison was not only directed toward the enemy; it was also focused on fellow Americans. He had almost nothing good to say about President Franklin Roosevelt. He proclaimed his New Deal policies a failure to end the Depression. While, as Hutchinson wrote, it was the war that truly brought the U.S. out of the Depression, Roosevelt’s programs gave the people one thing they lacked under Herbert Hoover: HOPE. Daniel James Brown writes eloquently of this in his outstanding book THE BOYS IN THE BOAT.
Hutchinson also blamed Roosevelt, at least in part, for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Ironically, Hutchinson quotes Roosevelt positively, but without credit (“a President in my life time) near the end of his book.
Hutchinson’s hatred of FDR was an extension of his hatred of liberals. He believed that the war was a waste of time, money, and lives because the country they fought for no longer exists. We know the country is quite different from what it was 70 years ago. No country survives just standing still. Of course, Hutchinson believed the nation went backwards.
Tragically, Hutchinson cites a couple of statistics that show his true color: white. He implies that because 95% of the American fighting force was of European descent, the nation’s quest for civil rights and equality for all people has brought the country down. This bigotry extends to religion. The Protestant ethic should prevail in this country that was founded as a Christian nation, according to Hutchinson. What I see in Hutchinson is the attitude, the policies, the nationalism our country and Hutchinson fought against Germany, Italy, and Japan.
BLUEJACKETS is not a book I can recommend.
August 8, 2009
A must miss.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews