based on a true story.

written by Dr. Pelham Mead III

The first novel I wrote and published in 2010. After fifteen years of research after my father died in 1993 I began researching the USS Antietam cv-36 aircraft carrier on which my father was a Chief Petty Officer of Aviation Mechanics. His crew repaired the wrecked planes on the aircraft carrier. My father’s story begins on August 30, 1045 when he and three other sailors departed the USS Antietam at Hagu bay on Okinawa to return to Hawaii and then home to New York. Unfortunately, they became stranded on Okinawa for two month. During that time the 10th Army was rounding up Jap prisoners and civilians. Jap snipers were killing American soldiers everyday. Two major typhoons hit the island killing thousands of people and sinking over a hundred ships. In addition the Army would not give the sailors any food. They had to play poker to win food. They even had a three on three basketball game to win food also. When the typhoons hit the Army headed to the limestone caves on the southern part of Okinawa to hid during the story. They took with them the four sailors and thousands of prisoners and civilians. After the storms the Army went in search of Japanese soldiers hiding in limestone caves on the island. Many Japanese soldiers refused to surrender and fought to the death or committed suicide.

It wasn’t until Oct. 14, 1945 that the Battleship the USS Idaho came to Hagu bay to pick up the surviving sailors and my father. Read the whole story on Kindle format on Amazon for only $3.99.