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(More customer reviews)The Navy Cross is second only to the Medal of Honor. The medal has been awarded over 6,900 times since 1919 for "extraordinary heroism not justifying an award of the Medal of Honor." The combat exploits of 41 winners of the Navy Cross are detailed in this new book from the Naval Institute Press.
Of the 41 winners covered by authors James Wise and Scott Baron, 20 won their awards in Afghanistan and Iraq, six in Vietnam, three in Korea, 10 in World War II and two in World War I. Curiously the authors present the stories in a reverse chronological order, starting off with the Iraq/Afghanistan awards. I don't understand the reason for this arrangement though Wise and Baron, in their preface, make the point that the troops fighting in those areas weren't receiving the media coverage they deserved. Whatever the reason, I found the reverse chronological approach made for a clumsy read.
Though some of the winners, such as 'Chesty' Puller, Roy Davenport, 'Manila John' Basilone and 'Pappy' Boyington, have been previously chronicled, many others have received little coverage, an injustice the book rectifies. Having said that, I wonder why the book relates the actions of all seven troopers who won Navy Crosses in Fallujah but only details the exploits of six of the nine men who won medals at Wake Island.
Recommended...with a few reservations.
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