'One Man's War' by Robert C. Sheats
Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:30 pm
Since it's Veterans Day here in the USA, I thought I'd share this short, but densely informative book:
As many of you already know, Robert C. Sheats was a Master Diver in the USN and also a diving director on Sea Lab.(forgive me if I get his Sea Lab title incorrect.)
What I was unaware of until recently, is that Mr. Sheats was also a POW in WWII. He was captured by the Japanese on Corregidor in May, 1942. in his book, Master Diver Sheats writes about his exploits as he tries to defend the Phillipines from invasion and also, after his capture, of diving for the Japanese.
Much of what he writes is brutaly honest. This isn't a fireside, brain-candy novel. This book is rather blunt about his experiences with death and dying and inhumane living conditions. At one point he tells of being shipped to Japan in the hold of a cargo ship with 1,200 or so other POW's who are suffering from dysentery. He does not dwell on the details, but instead states them plainly for the reader.
Much of the diving in the book deals with sunken silver pesos that were dumped in Manilla Bay and the Japanese use of American POWs to attempt to retreive the riches. Ultimately, Mr. Sheats and his comrades commit enough sabotage and subversion that the Japanese resort to using other divers and only utilizing the Americans for tending duties.
I will not give too many details, so you folks can enjoy the book yourselves in the fuiture. But I will say, it is definately worth the time to read and share with friends and it should be in every divers library.
As many of you already know, Robert C. Sheats was a Master Diver in the USN and also a diving director on Sea Lab.(forgive me if I get his Sea Lab title incorrect.)
What I was unaware of until recently, is that Mr. Sheats was also a POW in WWII. He was captured by the Japanese on Corregidor in May, 1942. in his book, Master Diver Sheats writes about his exploits as he tries to defend the Phillipines from invasion and also, after his capture, of diving for the Japanese.
Much of what he writes is brutaly honest. This isn't a fireside, brain-candy novel. This book is rather blunt about his experiences with death and dying and inhumane living conditions. At one point he tells of being shipped to Japan in the hold of a cargo ship with 1,200 or so other POW's who are suffering from dysentery. He does not dwell on the details, but instead states them plainly for the reader.
Much of the diving in the book deals with sunken silver pesos that were dumped in Manilla Bay and the Japanese use of American POWs to attempt to retreive the riches. Ultimately, Mr. Sheats and his comrades commit enough sabotage and subversion that the Japanese resort to using other divers and only utilizing the Americans for tending duties.
I will not give too many details, so you folks can enjoy the book yourselves in the fuiture. But I will say, it is definately worth the time to read and share with friends and it should be in every divers library.