Where's the Wood on This Tin Can: The Saga of a Navy Carpenter's Mate in Wwii Book

Ted Gruhn enlisted in the Navy as a carpenter's mate in September of 1941. On his first voyage at sea, headed toward Pearl Harbor, he asked a shipmate if he thought the cook would bake a cake for his birthday—December 7. The author missed the attack by just a day, but would see plenty of action at sea over the course of World War II, including Leyte Gulf and the biggest sea battle of the war at Okinawa. Gruhn's wartime duty began in Honolulu, where he patrolled bars and whorehouses and came upon a murder in an alley. Shipboard, he was resourceful, requisitioning CO2 canisters to chill beer, and "borrowing" a second film projector so he and his mates could see movies without changing reels. All the while, he was corresponding with a girl back home, who he married while on brief stateside duty. This sailor's story mirrors those of thousands other brave young servicemen who gave their all during that terrible time.

About the Author

Ted Gruhn retired from a career in construction in 1997. Born in Eureka, California, Gruhn received a saw and hammer for Christmas at the age of four and soon began his career in carpentry - sawing off the legs of a chair. Since then, he has worked as a carpenter, foreman, superintendent, and estimator.