Book Synopsis
"Because of Francis Brock's wartime diary and sharp recollections of events eighty years ago, "Sub Chaser" gives a rare and intimate look into the daily life of small boat sailors in the Pacific during WWII. An enlightening read for anyone interested in history, this book gives renewed appreciation for the everyday young men who answered their country's call to arms during a time of great global conflict." - US Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.) Dean H. Hines
"Fortunately for us, when eastern Ohio farm boy Francis Brock enlisted in the Navy on his seventeenth birthday in 1943, he decided to keep a logbook. As a result, we now have the opportunity, eight decades later, to relive the humdrum of scraping rust and swabbing the decks interspersed with the stress and dangers of raids from Japanese Kamikaze planes and horrific typhoons which threatened to sink Francis Brock's little ship. You'll find especially interesting his "Sea Stories of SC-1349", some of which are funny and some of which are deadly serious. An easy and most enjoyable read." - US Navy Lt. Commander (Ret.) Philip E. Wentzel
About The Author
"On the day I was born at home in Somerton, Ohio on Feb. 11th, 1945, the subject of this book was on the high seas of the Pacific Ocean bound for Guam. Due to Frank's later work all over the country, our lives only crossed paths at family gatherings at the Brock farm. In later years, after he retired to Bethesda, Ohio, we began to do some fishing together, and have continued to do so to this day. Whether we caught anything or not was unimportant as Frank regaled me with stories, many of them of his Navy days during WWII. As I showed interest in his adventures aboard a little subchaser, he gave me a shoe box full of magazine articles and a couple of books about subchasers. As I reached the bottom of the shoe box, I found and read his wartime logbook. It was a story that needed to be told. This book was written and published to tell that story and to honor Cousin Frank and all the other young men who answered the call to duty in World War II." - Duane Lucas