A review by suebrownreads
All the Gallant Men: An American Sailor's Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor by Donald Stratton, Ken Gire

5.0

I really enjoyed learning about Donald Stratton's story. I have read many books on WWII, and this is one of my favorite memoirs. It is not too long, and it is very well written. I definitely learned some new information. It was also nice learning about the band members on the Arizona, and what their jobs were aboard the ship. I didn't realize that there were bands on all the ships, and that they had a battle of the bands (although it was never completed due to the bombing on Dec 7.) I also learned a little more about those men of the Arizona who survived the attack that day, and I learned that in the 1980's the navy made it possible for the Arizona survivors to have their ashes interred on the Arizona which many of them chose to do. Donald Stratton's story is a unique one. After almost dying and being medically discharged, he chose to reenlist in the Navy where he fought again in the Pacific at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. It is an emotional story and well worth the read!