Radarman Second Class Zack Martin wants nothing more than to sail out to sea on a sleek destroyer now that the war in Vietnam is heating up. Instead of heading to the Western Pacific, he's stuck in a deadend clerical position. When he's ordered to join a new ship, it's not quite what he envisioned, but his attitude changes when he learns he'll finally be getting duty in a combat zone.
Although Martin craves danger and excitement-and a chance to help the war effort in Vietnam-this mission may have more perils than he bargained for. The captain, in charge of a ship for the first time, is anxious to make a name for himself. Misadventures in port pale into comparison with the risks the captain is willing to take when he deviates from the crew's mission. Will his gamble pay off or will he put the entire ship into danger?
In Stories from the Navy II: Friendly Fire, Bob Stockton draws on personal experience to create a novella that puts readers right on the deck of the ship even as it pulls them headlong into the unforgettable story.
Trenton, New Jersey, native Bob Stockton left high school in 1957 to join the Navy, where he served for 20 years, sailing the seven seas. He worked on destroyers, diesel electric submarines, aircraft carriers, auxiliary vessels, reconnaissance attack squadrons and patrol gunboats in Vietnam. Bob, who retired as chief petty officer, went on to receive undergraduate and graduate degrees and has worked as a shipyard welder's helper, epidemiologist, adjunct graduate instructor, small-business owner, pharmaceutical trainer and radio host.
Exposure to Agent Orange while in Vietnam led to the Veterans Administration declaring Bob fully disabled. He now lives near his three children and three grandchildren in Jacksonville, Fla. This novella is a followup to Stories from the US Navy I: A Suicide in the Mediterranean.
