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Sailors to the End: The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It
In the tradition of New York Times bestsellers In Harm's Way and The Terrible Hours comes a mesmerizing, high-adrenaline account of the heroic sailors who survived one of the worst accidents in U.S. naval history. Sailors to the End tells the dramatic and until now forgotten story of the 1967 fire on board the USS Forrestal during its time at Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam. The aircraft carrier, the mightiest of the U.S. fleet, was preparing to launch attacks into North Vietnam when one of its jets accidentally fired a rocket across the flight deck and into an aircraft occupied by pilot John McCain. A huge fire ensued, and McCain barely escaped before a 1,000-pound bomb on his plane exploded, causing a chain reaction with other bombs on surrounding planes. The crew struggled for days to extinguish the fires, the five thousand men on board experiencing different kinds of hell -- some trapped in damaged compartments waiting to die, some battling rivers of flaming jet fuel in order to rescue their buddies. Almost all of them were innocent eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds, but in an instant they were thrust into a tragedy that nearly destroyed the ship and took the lives of 134 men. Written with the intensity and excitement of a thriller, and based on never-before-disclosed information and extensive interviews with the fire's survivors, here is the first full, minute-by-minute account of the disaster. Told through the stories of a dozen sailors, including John Beling, the carrier's beloved captain who was made a scapegoat for the disaster, Sailors to the End follows the Forrestal from its home in Norfolk, Virginia, through its mission in Vietnam. Focusing on the fateful fire and its aftermath, this book provides a gripping tale of heartache and heroism as young men find themselves trapped on a burning ship with bombs exploding all around them. Sailors to the End also corrects the official view of the fire, providing evidence that the U.S. government compromised the ship's safety by insisting on increased bombing despite the shortage of reliable weapons. For thirty-five years, the terrible loss of life has been blamed on the sailors themselves, but this meticulously documented history shows that they were truly the victims and heroes, deserving recognition for their efforts during a sweeping tragedy that until now has been only a footnote in history. Gregory A. Freeman dramatically brings this story to life, creating a work that is both riveting and moving.
307 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2002
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July 5, 2011
The story of John McCain and the tragic fire on board the Forrestal. The author provides lots of interesting detail on the hazards of working on a carrier. Falling overboard was one of the most feared and could happen easily. One had to be always on the alert and totally aware of the surroundings. Fatigue and heat made this difficult. Sailors working in unbearably hot conditions for 12 hours at a stretch could be blown overboard by an errant jet blast, or run down by a tractor that got away when the deck shifted before it could be chocked down properly.
I did not realize there was a severe shortage of bombs for the crews flying over Vietnam. Despite assurances of McNamara and the President, crews were leaving with the wrong ordnance and ⅓ the normal bomb loads because there were not enough ordnance. There was so much bombing going on, the supply line could not keep up. Officers were told to lie about the situation and about their bombing success or lack thereof.
The shortage of ordnance meant that the Services were scrounging everywhere for bombs and the load that was delivered to the Forrestal just before the accident had their ordnance officer very upset. They were old 1000 lb. Comp B bombs dating from 1935 which had been stored in the jungles of the Philippines. Unlike the newer , more stable bombs, these became much more unstable and even more explosive over time as the ingredients began to deteriorate. Not to mention they had to be “banded” in order to hang beneath the newer planes. He was worried that any vibration, even one from the catapult as the plane was shot off the deck, might set one of them off unleashing a terrible series of explosions. The officer refused to store them with the other bombs and insisted they be moved on the flight deck where they could be loaded quickly on to the planes scheduled for a big mission the next day. The captain was informed of the danger but refused to let the ordnance officer chuck them overboard since they had no replacements.
The fire on the Oriskany had pointed up serious deficiencies in training and the way emergencies were handled. In that case safety procedures had been short-circuited in order to move planes faster off the deck. Magnesium flares were stored in the wrong locker in order to make them more accessible for loading on the planes and a sailor's failure to properly handle the accident after ignition of a flare made a dangerous situation disastrous. Failure to communicate decisions and the desire to get planes into the air as fast as possible were major factors in the Forrestal accident. Two separate groups made adjustments to safety procedures, each assuming that their early removal of two separate devices designed to prevent the accidental firing of a missile, would be prevented by the other’s safety mechanism. Independent of each other, both devices were disarmed making an accident almost inevitable.
The author does a very good job of conveying the horror faced by the sailors as the old bombs blew up, often blowing a hole through several decks down below the waterline and leaving a river of flaming fuel cascading down through passageways. It’s an amazing wonder the ship was saved even if an ungodly mess. Captain Beling, falling into a state of unreality after the fires had been brought under control, the entire aft section of the ship a mess with fires reigniting on a regular basis, 134 dead sailors, the flight deck a shambles, tried to insist that with some minor repairs the ship could be back in action over Vietnam at “80%” capacity. He even thought he could launch a couple of A-6’s off the forward catapult as they steamed into Norfolk for repairs. Fortunately, the Navy’s Admiral conducting an investigation into the fire put the kibosh on that idea very quickly. The author provides generally a favorable view of Beling. I was dismayed, however, as usual, by Belin's platitudinous speech to the crew after the fire “thanking God for sparing the ship, yada yada yada, right after that same God had just killed, in the most horrible fashion possible, 134 of their shipmates, and disfigured hundreds more. But I guess that’s typical of lala land.
Freeman quotes extensively from Beling’s testimony at the board of inquiry. He noted that the Navy had never published any kind of official training review detailing lessons learned on the Oriskany and Beling had to make 3,000 copies of an article for distribution to his crew from Reader’s Digest about the fire on the Oriskany as part of his own training efforts. There were actually few planes carrying rockets on the Forrestal and he used his degree in aeronautical engineering to, in hindsight, show the flaws in the safety mechanism on the launch circuit of the Zuni rockets. The pigtails should never have been plugged in (engaging the firing mechanism) until after the plane was on internal voltage and after being checked for stray voltage on internal power. But ultimately, he insisted the fire from the rocket strike on the plane could have been put out if they had the full three minutes available before cook-off on the modern bombs. The old 1,000 lb bombs blew up in just half that time killing most of the fire-fighting crew instantly and blowing holes in the flight deck permitting rivers of burning fuel to flow into the crew berthing spaces.
Moving account of a tragedy that should never have happened. I would hope that lessons were learned from it. Freeman nicely mixes personal accounts with detailed information on the workings of the ship and crew to create a real page-turner.
There is a good Youtube video that intersperses actual footage of the missile and bomb detonation with some re-creation of events and the investigation (one discrepancy: the video says 7 bombs exploded, the book reports nine.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK7RGp...
I did not realize there was a severe shortage of bombs for the crews flying over Vietnam. Despite assurances of McNamara and the President, crews were leaving with the wrong ordnance and ⅓ the normal bomb loads because there were not enough ordnance. There was so much bombing going on, the supply line could not keep up. Officers were told to lie about the situation and about their bombing success or lack thereof.
The shortage of ordnance meant that the Services were scrounging everywhere for bombs and the load that was delivered to the Forrestal just before the accident had their ordnance officer very upset. They were old 1000 lb. Comp B bombs dating from 1935 which had been stored in the jungles of the Philippines. Unlike the newer , more stable bombs, these became much more unstable and even more explosive over time as the ingredients began to deteriorate. Not to mention they had to be “banded” in order to hang beneath the newer planes. He was worried that any vibration, even one from the catapult as the plane was shot off the deck, might set one of them off unleashing a terrible series of explosions. The officer refused to store them with the other bombs and insisted they be moved on the flight deck where they could be loaded quickly on to the planes scheduled for a big mission the next day. The captain was informed of the danger but refused to let the ordnance officer chuck them overboard since they had no replacements.
The fire on the Oriskany had pointed up serious deficiencies in training and the way emergencies were handled. In that case safety procedures had been short-circuited in order to move planes faster off the deck. Magnesium flares were stored in the wrong locker in order to make them more accessible for loading on the planes and a sailor's failure to properly handle the accident after ignition of a flare made a dangerous situation disastrous. Failure to communicate decisions and the desire to get planes into the air as fast as possible were major factors in the Forrestal accident. Two separate groups made adjustments to safety procedures, each assuming that their early removal of two separate devices designed to prevent the accidental firing of a missile, would be prevented by the other’s safety mechanism. Independent of each other, both devices were disarmed making an accident almost inevitable.
The author does a very good job of conveying the horror faced by the sailors as the old bombs blew up, often blowing a hole through several decks down below the waterline and leaving a river of flaming fuel cascading down through passageways. It’s an amazing wonder the ship was saved even if an ungodly mess. Captain Beling, falling into a state of unreality after the fires had been brought under control, the entire aft section of the ship a mess with fires reigniting on a regular basis, 134 dead sailors, the flight deck a shambles, tried to insist that with some minor repairs the ship could be back in action over Vietnam at “80%” capacity. He even thought he could launch a couple of A-6’s off the forward catapult as they steamed into Norfolk for repairs. Fortunately, the Navy’s Admiral conducting an investigation into the fire put the kibosh on that idea very quickly. The author provides generally a favorable view of Beling. I was dismayed, however, as usual, by Belin's platitudinous speech to the crew after the fire “thanking God for sparing the ship, yada yada yada, right after that same God had just killed, in the most horrible fashion possible, 134 of their shipmates, and disfigured hundreds more. But I guess that’s typical of lala land.
Freeman quotes extensively from Beling’s testimony at the board of inquiry. He noted that the Navy had never published any kind of official training review detailing lessons learned on the Oriskany and Beling had to make 3,000 copies of an article for distribution to his crew from Reader’s Digest about the fire on the Oriskany as part of his own training efforts. There were actually few planes carrying rockets on the Forrestal and he used his degree in aeronautical engineering to, in hindsight, show the flaws in the safety mechanism on the launch circuit of the Zuni rockets. The pigtails should never have been plugged in (engaging the firing mechanism) until after the plane was on internal voltage and after being checked for stray voltage on internal power. But ultimately, he insisted the fire from the rocket strike on the plane could have been put out if they had the full three minutes available before cook-off on the modern bombs. The old 1,000 lb bombs blew up in just half that time killing most of the fire-fighting crew instantly and blowing holes in the flight deck permitting rivers of burning fuel to flow into the crew berthing spaces.
Moving account of a tragedy that should never have happened. I would hope that lessons were learned from it. Freeman nicely mixes personal accounts with detailed information on the workings of the ship and crew to create a real page-turner.
There is a good Youtube video that intersperses actual footage of the missile and bomb detonation with some re-creation of events and the investigation (one discrepancy: the video says 7 bombs exploded, the book reports nine.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK7RGp...
March 12, 2010
Having spent the better part of a 23 year Navy career, mostly working flight deck operations. We often used the incident scenario from the USS Forrestal to stage our own drills. I found the book to be true to events prior to and after the unfortunate incident that day. I could have plugged my own experiences into portions of that book. I had trouble putting the book down until completion.
I think everyone should read this book and gain true respect for the brave men and the events they endured that day.
At sea there is no choice when an incident like this occurs. In the middle of the ocean you just do what needs to be done and deal with it.
I think everyone should read this book and gain true respect for the brave men and the events they endured that day.
At sea there is no choice when an incident like this occurs. In the middle of the ocean you just do what needs to be done and deal with it.
June 16, 2020
Very readable telling of fire aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal during the Vietnam War. The book describes the Forrestal, background of some of her crew; how the fire started: from a WWII-era bomb the ship was carrying; the selflessness of the crew in extinguishing the spreading fire and the severe injuries many of the men sustained. Afterwards followed an investigation into the whole affair, with lessons learned. Many of the tiny details escaped me, but I did get the gist of the whole disaster.
April 27, 2025
Over 35 years later I can still remember firefighting training in Navy bootcamp. It was reinforced by a viewing of the film Trial by Fire, compiled from flight deck camera footage taken during the flight deck fire on Forrestal. The message was simple. Learn (firefighting and damage control) or burn. I still remembered that lesson during my time on a CVN in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm. My battle station was Unit Locker 41, a satellite locker of Repair 4, and my role on the hose team was #1 nozzleman, whose job was to get up close and personal with a shipboard fire while with no more protection than a battle helmet, an oxygen breathing apparatus and my long-sleeve Navy-issue dungarees. Admittedly, my top shirt button was buttoned and my pants legs tucked into my socks. That makes all the difference. Fortunately, we didn’t have to deal with any battle damage or fires, whether started by enemy action or by accident, as happened on Forrestal. Regardless, with my background, I was drawn to this book once I came across it.
On July 29, 1967, Forrestal was at Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam and launching an air strike when a Zuni rocket mounted under the wing of a parked F-4 Phantom inexplicably fired, striking a parked A-4 Skyhawk without exploding and ultimately crashing into the sea. Even so, the bombs fell from the Skyhawk’s wings and its fuel tanks ruptured and ignited, spilling burning jet fuel onto the deck that spread the fire to other planes parked along the deck-edge at the aft end of the flight deck, fueled and armed for the air strike. Although the thousand-pound bombs didn’t detonate when they hit the flight deck, they cooked off less than two minutes after they landed in pools of flaming jet fuel, blowing huge holes in the flight deck and killing or otherwise incapacitating the trained flight deck firefighting team. From this point, men with little or no firefighting training were faced with fighting a fire that was not just on the flight deck. Burning jet fuel had poured through blast holes in the flight deck and cascaded off it onto the fantail. As a result, there were fires in and around hangar bay 3, every deck between the hangar deck (deck 1) and the flight deck (deck 04, with decks 01 and 02 ringing the hangar and 03 above the hangar and below the flight deck) as well as in spaces below the hangar deck. Ultimately, the fires were extinguished and the ship saved, at the cost of 134 lives and hundreds of injuries.
In the wake of such a disaster, there are some obvious questions:
1. Why did the Zuni rocket misfire?
2. Why did the bombs cook off in the burning jet fuel?
3. Why was the crew so unprepared for firefighting?
Regarding the misfire, there were several measures in place to prevent such an event:
1. The triple ejector rack (TER) arming system had five built in safety devices.
2. Procedurally, the pigtail from the aircraft wasn’t to be plugged into the ordinance until the plane was at the catapult and preparing to launch. Until this pigtail was plugged in, no electrical signal, whether spurious or legitimate, could reach the ordinance.
3. Procedurally, the TER electrical safety pins could not be removed until the plane was at the catapult. When in place, these pins prevented a firing signal from reaching the ordinance.
There was a problem, though. Waiting until the plane was at the catapult to arm the ordinance was fine for peacetime exercises, but when time was of the essence, such as launching an air strike in a war zone, it caused unacceptable delays, and flight deck crews had been taking shortcuts since the air war began in 1964. As this was Forestal’s first time off Vietnam, they had been advised to take shortcuts themselves by other carrier crews. One group was responsible for the pigtails and another for the TER pins, and each one decided to do its thing while the planes were parked and waiting to taxi to the catapults, each one unaware of the other’s decision and counting on the other action as a safeguard. In other words, the pigtail crew thought is was ok to install the pigtails early because the TER pins would still be in place and vice versa. So, when the Phantom pilot transferred from external power to internal power, the only thing keeping stray voltage from the Zuni rocket were the built-in safety devices, and they all failed. The author believes that the Navy should have provided standardized guidance for early arming of planes, such as waiting until the power transfer to plug in the pigtails, etc. I am inclined to agree; this was not a new issue, and the Navy set up all its carriers for failure.
The bombs being built in the 60’s were designed not to explode when exposed to prolonged high temperatures such as a jet fuel fire, but there was a problem. Just as the Ukraine war exposed weaknesses in Russia’s weapon system and ordinance supply chains, forcing Russia to reactivate mothballed weapons and equipment, the US encountered similar issued during the Vietnam War, and there were shortages of bombs by 1967. So much so, that the thousand-pound bombs handed off to Forrestal at Yankee Station included World War II vintage Composition B bombs that had spent the last two decades in Quonset huts in the Philippines. The pallets supporting them were rotting and the bombs were rusting and leaking. At least one pallet was stamped “1935.” When the bombs were high-lined from the ammunition ship Diamond Head, the Weapons officer pitched a fit and Forestal’s commanding officer (CO) had a chat with Diamond Head’s CO over the substandard ordinance. Ultimately, those Composition B bombs were all that was available and had to be brought aboard. It just happened that these were the bombs cooking off in burning jet fuel the next morning.
Regarding the lack of firefighting training, the Navy hadn’t made such training a priority. Captain Belen had been unable to get his crew sent for firefighting training before deploying and, shockingly enough, had been unable to get them sent to firefighting school after returning to Norfolk in a fire-damaged carrier. One consequence of this is that many men had to read the instructions for firefighting equipment as they were getting it ready to fight the ongoing fires. Captain Belen had gone out of his way to get hundreds of thousands of dollars of extra firefighting equipment before deploying, but the lack of training among his crew defeated the purpose. During the Vietnam War, three carriers experienced major fires: Oriskany (1966), Forestal (1967) and Enterprise (1969). Ultimately, the Navy figured out that it needed to place a premium on firefighting training. As a result, every recruit had to learn how to fight fires and work with firefighting equipment in boot camp. Furthermore, before my CVN deployed for Desert Storm, every member of the crew went to firefighting school. So, the Navy had learned its lesson, but the price had been blood.
Two sub-narratives from the book stood out to me. The first was the O2-N2 shop. This shop produced liquid oxygen for aircrews as well as nitrogen for gage calibration equipment, etc., and had a 750-gallon liquid oxygen (LOX) tank. It also just happened to be on the port side of the hangar right under the exploding bombs. During the firefighting efforts, there was one man there, and he was in regular contact with the Engineering Officer in Damage Control Central. Once he reported that the fore and aft bulkheads were glowing red, he was instructed to dump the LOX tank. There was a problem, though. No overboard line, and he had to run a hose from the tank to a weather deck so he could dump the LOX into the sea. Subsequent inspection for damage identified shrapnel holes in the shop’s overhead and deck on either side of the LOX tank. Had the shrapnel trajectory been just a little different, the LOX tank might well have ruptured and ignited, turning the ship into “the biggest blowtorch in the South China Sea,” as the Engineer Officer put it.
The second sub-narrative was port aft steering. A modern supercarrier is equipped with two rudders positioned by electro-hydraulic steering gear, each one located in a different space so a single hit should not disable both units. Shrapnel from the explosions penetrated port aft steering, mortally wounding all three watch-standers and rupturing the hull, partially flooding the space. The watch-standers contacted Damage Control Central to report the injuries and damage and request relief. Unfortunately, out-of-control fires blocked access, and the Engineer Officer had to order the watch-standers to transfer local steering control to starboard aft steering because he couldn’t risk a loss of steering control after they died. Even so, he kept the line open as the man in charge down there reported the first death, then the second and finally went silent himself.
I have no idea how much the Forestal fire affected the war effort, but it did result in meaningful change in how the Navy trains its sailors and officers. Even so, the cost was not just in lives; the reputation of an entire ship was sullied, with Forestal bearing the pejorative nickname Forestfire thereafter, as if its crew were a bunch of losers who didn’t know how to stay out of trouble. The author wrote the book in an effort to redeem that reputation by pointing out how the crew had been placed in an impossible situation and managed it to the best of their abilities and beyond.
On July 29, 1967, Forrestal was at Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam and launching an air strike when a Zuni rocket mounted under the wing of a parked F-4 Phantom inexplicably fired, striking a parked A-4 Skyhawk without exploding and ultimately crashing into the sea. Even so, the bombs fell from the Skyhawk’s wings and its fuel tanks ruptured and ignited, spilling burning jet fuel onto the deck that spread the fire to other planes parked along the deck-edge at the aft end of the flight deck, fueled and armed for the air strike. Although the thousand-pound bombs didn’t detonate when they hit the flight deck, they cooked off less than two minutes after they landed in pools of flaming jet fuel, blowing huge holes in the flight deck and killing or otherwise incapacitating the trained flight deck firefighting team. From this point, men with little or no firefighting training were faced with fighting a fire that was not just on the flight deck. Burning jet fuel had poured through blast holes in the flight deck and cascaded off it onto the fantail. As a result, there were fires in and around hangar bay 3, every deck between the hangar deck (deck 1) and the flight deck (deck 04, with decks 01 and 02 ringing the hangar and 03 above the hangar and below the flight deck) as well as in spaces below the hangar deck. Ultimately, the fires were extinguished and the ship saved, at the cost of 134 lives and hundreds of injuries.
In the wake of such a disaster, there are some obvious questions:
1. Why did the Zuni rocket misfire?
2. Why did the bombs cook off in the burning jet fuel?
3. Why was the crew so unprepared for firefighting?
Regarding the misfire, there were several measures in place to prevent such an event:
1. The triple ejector rack (TER) arming system had five built in safety devices.
2. Procedurally, the pigtail from the aircraft wasn’t to be plugged into the ordinance until the plane was at the catapult and preparing to launch. Until this pigtail was plugged in, no electrical signal, whether spurious or legitimate, could reach the ordinance.
3. Procedurally, the TER electrical safety pins could not be removed until the plane was at the catapult. When in place, these pins prevented a firing signal from reaching the ordinance.
There was a problem, though. Waiting until the plane was at the catapult to arm the ordinance was fine for peacetime exercises, but when time was of the essence, such as launching an air strike in a war zone, it caused unacceptable delays, and flight deck crews had been taking shortcuts since the air war began in 1964. As this was Forestal’s first time off Vietnam, they had been advised to take shortcuts themselves by other carrier crews. One group was responsible for the pigtails and another for the TER pins, and each one decided to do its thing while the planes were parked and waiting to taxi to the catapults, each one unaware of the other’s decision and counting on the other action as a safeguard. In other words, the pigtail crew thought is was ok to install the pigtails early because the TER pins would still be in place and vice versa. So, when the Phantom pilot transferred from external power to internal power, the only thing keeping stray voltage from the Zuni rocket were the built-in safety devices, and they all failed. The author believes that the Navy should have provided standardized guidance for early arming of planes, such as waiting until the power transfer to plug in the pigtails, etc. I am inclined to agree; this was not a new issue, and the Navy set up all its carriers for failure.
The bombs being built in the 60’s were designed not to explode when exposed to prolonged high temperatures such as a jet fuel fire, but there was a problem. Just as the Ukraine war exposed weaknesses in Russia’s weapon system and ordinance supply chains, forcing Russia to reactivate mothballed weapons and equipment, the US encountered similar issued during the Vietnam War, and there were shortages of bombs by 1967. So much so, that the thousand-pound bombs handed off to Forrestal at Yankee Station included World War II vintage Composition B bombs that had spent the last two decades in Quonset huts in the Philippines. The pallets supporting them were rotting and the bombs were rusting and leaking. At least one pallet was stamped “1935.” When the bombs were high-lined from the ammunition ship Diamond Head, the Weapons officer pitched a fit and Forestal’s commanding officer (CO) had a chat with Diamond Head’s CO over the substandard ordinance. Ultimately, those Composition B bombs were all that was available and had to be brought aboard. It just happened that these were the bombs cooking off in burning jet fuel the next morning.
Regarding the lack of firefighting training, the Navy hadn’t made such training a priority. Captain Belen had been unable to get his crew sent for firefighting training before deploying and, shockingly enough, had been unable to get them sent to firefighting school after returning to Norfolk in a fire-damaged carrier. One consequence of this is that many men had to read the instructions for firefighting equipment as they were getting it ready to fight the ongoing fires. Captain Belen had gone out of his way to get hundreds of thousands of dollars of extra firefighting equipment before deploying, but the lack of training among his crew defeated the purpose. During the Vietnam War, three carriers experienced major fires: Oriskany (1966), Forestal (1967) and Enterprise (1969). Ultimately, the Navy figured out that it needed to place a premium on firefighting training. As a result, every recruit had to learn how to fight fires and work with firefighting equipment in boot camp. Furthermore, before my CVN deployed for Desert Storm, every member of the crew went to firefighting school. So, the Navy had learned its lesson, but the price had been blood.
Two sub-narratives from the book stood out to me. The first was the O2-N2 shop. This shop produced liquid oxygen for aircrews as well as nitrogen for gage calibration equipment, etc., and had a 750-gallon liquid oxygen (LOX) tank. It also just happened to be on the port side of the hangar right under the exploding bombs. During the firefighting efforts, there was one man there, and he was in regular contact with the Engineering Officer in Damage Control Central. Once he reported that the fore and aft bulkheads were glowing red, he was instructed to dump the LOX tank. There was a problem, though. No overboard line, and he had to run a hose from the tank to a weather deck so he could dump the LOX into the sea. Subsequent inspection for damage identified shrapnel holes in the shop’s overhead and deck on either side of the LOX tank. Had the shrapnel trajectory been just a little different, the LOX tank might well have ruptured and ignited, turning the ship into “the biggest blowtorch in the South China Sea,” as the Engineer Officer put it.
The second sub-narrative was port aft steering. A modern supercarrier is equipped with two rudders positioned by electro-hydraulic steering gear, each one located in a different space so a single hit should not disable both units. Shrapnel from the explosions penetrated port aft steering, mortally wounding all three watch-standers and rupturing the hull, partially flooding the space. The watch-standers contacted Damage Control Central to report the injuries and damage and request relief. Unfortunately, out-of-control fires blocked access, and the Engineer Officer had to order the watch-standers to transfer local steering control to starboard aft steering because he couldn’t risk a loss of steering control after they died. Even so, he kept the line open as the man in charge down there reported the first death, then the second and finally went silent himself.
I have no idea how much the Forestal fire affected the war effort, but it did result in meaningful change in how the Navy trains its sailors and officers. Even so, the cost was not just in lives; the reputation of an entire ship was sullied, with Forestal bearing the pejorative nickname Forestfire thereafter, as if its crew were a bunch of losers who didn’t know how to stay out of trouble. The author wrote the book in an effort to redeem that reputation by pointing out how the crew had been placed in an impossible situation and managed it to the best of their abilities and beyond.
February 21, 2019
I spent ten years in the US Navy, and at least one month of that time was spent learning firefighting and damage control (not consecutively). The Navy takes firefighting very seriously, because as they pointed out, when you're out in the middle of the ocean, you can't just leave the office if it catches on fire. Therefore, everyone learns how to put out a fire and spends some time face to face with a growling, angry fire. It's more terrifying than you think.
The men of the USS Forrestal were off the coast of Vietnam in July, 1967 when their office not only caught fire, but had several unstable bombs go off, killing their firefighting crew among more than a hundred others. By sheer luck, the fire was captured by a video camera left to run. and it captured the fire, the bombs, the rescue attempts, the rescue mistakes, and the jets, bombs, and people who were pushed, shoved, or jumped overboard. That film, in all its grainy glory is shown to all Navy recruits in boot camp to stress the importance of firefighting.
Having said all of that, this book is about the USS Forrestal in July, 1967, off the coast of Vietnam. The author picks a few people, mostly enlisted, and reports their actions on that crucial day in their own voices. He writes about the deadly shortcut that resulted in a bomb hurling itself across the flight deck and the resulting fire. He also writes about people caught in unique situations and untenable situations and how they were able to eventually gain the upper hand. And finally, he concludes the story with the survivors and their life since then, in the Navy and out. This is a gripping book that is most frightening because it actually happened. Everyone should read this book. And maybe learn a little bit about firefighting.
The men of the USS Forrestal were off the coast of Vietnam in July, 1967 when their office not only caught fire, but had several unstable bombs go off, killing their firefighting crew among more than a hundred others. By sheer luck, the fire was captured by a video camera left to run. and it captured the fire, the bombs, the rescue attempts, the rescue mistakes, and the jets, bombs, and people who were pushed, shoved, or jumped overboard. That film, in all its grainy glory is shown to all Navy recruits in boot camp to stress the importance of firefighting.
Having said all of that, this book is about the USS Forrestal in July, 1967, off the coast of Vietnam. The author picks a few people, mostly enlisted, and reports their actions on that crucial day in their own voices. He writes about the deadly shortcut that resulted in a bomb hurling itself across the flight deck and the resulting fire. He also writes about people caught in unique situations and untenable situations and how they were able to eventually gain the upper hand. And finally, he concludes the story with the survivors and their life since then, in the Navy and out. This is a gripping book that is most frightening because it actually happened. Everyone should read this book. And maybe learn a little bit about firefighting.
August 3, 2025
The aircraft carrier USS Forrestal was preparing to launch attacks into North Vietnam in July of 1967, when one of its jets accidentally fired a rocket into an aircraft occupied by pilot John McCain. A huge fire ensued, and McCain barely escaped before a 1,000-pound bomb on his plane exploded, causing a chain reaction with other bombs on surrounding planes. The crew struggled for days to extinguish the fires, but, in the end, the tragedy took the lives of 134 men. The sufferings and death of these fine young sailors was wrenching and the fact that it all happened made it even more poignant. For fifty-eight years, the terrible loss of life has been blamed on the sailors themselves, but this meticulously documented history shows that they were truly the victims and heroes.
The extensive details, captivating personal insight to the sailors, and the gripping emotions made this book a must read. Mr. Freeman does an excellent job of helping the reader understand a little about carrier life by providing insight into the terms and layout of the ship. He brings the characters personalities to the front so that the reader almost feels like they might have known them personally. And mostly, he stirs to life emotions within the reader that actually make you feel so deeply for these men, that it was as if this tragedy happened yesterday. Wars are not fought by presidents, generals or weapon systems. They are fought by everyday people who are given a uniform and placed in harm's way. Awesome book to read.
The extensive details, captivating personal insight to the sailors, and the gripping emotions made this book a must read. Mr. Freeman does an excellent job of helping the reader understand a little about carrier life by providing insight into the terms and layout of the ship. He brings the characters personalities to the front so that the reader almost feels like they might have known them personally. And mostly, he stirs to life emotions within the reader that actually make you feel so deeply for these men, that it was as if this tragedy happened yesterday. Wars are not fought by presidents, generals or weapon systems. They are fought by everyday people who are given a uniform and placed in harm's way. Awesome book to read.
January 19, 2020
"They were sailors to the end. They never begged for mercy. They never whined. They never whimpered." (Pg.184)
On July 29, 1967 a faulty rocket-arming system allowed for a rocket to fire across the flight deck of the USS Forrestal and start a sequence of events that took the lives of 134 Sailors and impacted countless more for years to come.
While the faulty rocket-arming system carries the official label of culprit of the fire, the lions share of blame has to be placed on the Department of the Navy for commanding the Forrestal and crew to store, load and discharge unserviceable composition B munitions from World War II.
Rather than broadcasting the true status of the campaign (running low on munitions) the Department of the Navy forced our service members to utilize hazardous munitions from World War 2, a decision that resulted in not only the death of 134 sailors but also a decision that continues to plague our Vietnam veterans with traumatic memories to this day.
On July 29, 1967 a faulty rocket-arming system allowed for a rocket to fire across the flight deck of the USS Forrestal and start a sequence of events that took the lives of 134 Sailors and impacted countless more for years to come.
While the faulty rocket-arming system carries the official label of culprit of the fire, the lions share of blame has to be placed on the Department of the Navy for commanding the Forrestal and crew to store, load and discharge unserviceable composition B munitions from World War II.
Rather than broadcasting the true status of the campaign (running low on munitions) the Department of the Navy forced our service members to utilize hazardous munitions from World War 2, a decision that resulted in not only the death of 134 sailors but also a decision that continues to plague our Vietnam veterans with traumatic memories to this day.
October 28, 2024
This was the story of the Fire on the USS Forrestal CV59 on July 29,1967 in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam. After only 4 days on Yankee station, a catastrophic fire caused by an accidental firing of a Zuni rocket that hit John McCain’s plane which was fueled and loaded with its payload for a mission over Vietnam. The fire set off a series of explosions starting with outdated 1,000-pound bombs and spread to other ordnances, and the fuel caught fire. The fire raged for days as the ship fought to survive. When the count was made 134 sailors died and 161 were injured. Afterward, an investigation started to discover who would be held accountable, what the cause was, and how it would affect future aircraft carriers. I spent 6 years in the navy with a tour on a navy ship in the Tonkin Gulf so this book really hit home. I never knew the whole story, so this was an eye opener. Thank you for the story. The opinions of this review are my own
May 4, 2019
On that July day in 1967, nobody but God knew that by sunset 134 sailors and navy aviators would be dead with just as many injured, some terribly burnt. Our carrier, USS Oriskany CVA-34, steamed over to aid and assist the Forrestal during the emergency. Supplies and sailors were transported between the two ship via Sikorsky choppers. I volunteered to assist during the terrible overload down in sickbay. I did everything from mopping up puke to extracting bomb shrapnel from the bleeding bodies of 18-year-old enlisted men... and of course, just comforting them in whatever manner I could while they awaited treatment. Naturally, the wounded were triaged, taking the worst first. I wrote about the Forrestal incident in my book, "God, Bombs & Viet Nam" but I must admit Gregory Freeman has done a much better job. He is an excellent and prolific writer. I wish I could be half as skilled.
August 3, 2023
This book was so captivating that I found it difficult to put it down. Despite being aware of the plot, it kept me engrossed throughout. The viewpoint of other sailors provided a more comprehensive understanding of the story. However, as a sailor myself, I had a few concerns with the book. Although it may not be a problem for others reading it, the author did not address the men by their rank, except for a few instances, which is disrespectful. Additionally, the use of Navy terms and slang were not used correctly. For instance, firefighting foam was referred to as AFFF, but the author did not consistently use the term throughout the book. Similarly, the author explained the concept of underway replenishment but did not use the term "UNREP," instead opting to explain what "WESTPAC" was spelled out but didn't explain what it meant.
September 8, 2017
A fascinating and true analysis of one of the greatest tragedies in US NAVY history
Having served on an aircraft carrier and working with ordnance on the flight deck I have a unique understanding of what happened on the USS Oriskany and Forrestal. In fact my training included lessons from both incidents.
I'm angered that a proximate cause of the severe loss of lives on Forrestal tracks back to Washington, DC in the White House and the Pentagon where politics and bureaucracy provided highly dangerous, out-of-date bombs to the ship's crew, so that "progress" and "success" could be claimed. Official reports never acknowledged this matter as it would have involved too many special people. I'm sure that still goes on.
Having served on an aircraft carrier and working with ordnance on the flight deck I have a unique understanding of what happened on the USS Oriskany and Forrestal. In fact my training included lessons from both incidents.
I'm angered that a proximate cause of the severe loss of lives on Forrestal tracks back to Washington, DC in the White House and the Pentagon where politics and bureaucracy provided highly dangerous, out-of-date bombs to the ship's crew, so that "progress" and "success" could be claimed. Official reports never acknowledged this matter as it would have involved too many special people. I'm sure that still goes on.
July 8, 2017
This is a terrible book - terrible In the best sense, in that it tells a story that is full of terror and hardship and pain. Due to a chain of errors rooted in military stupidity, and worsened by plain bad luck, a rocket aboard a Navy fighter plane on the flight deck of USS FORRESTAL hit another plane, and a further chain reaction set the ship ablaze. Freeman is meticulous in explaining the roots of the disaster, but he is just as meticulous in detailing the heroism of the crew, from the captain on down, in fighting the fire, saving the ship, and caring for the horribly wounded. This is a first-class bit of research, told at the pace of a Tom Clancy thriller. Highly recommended.
January 24, 2024
I can’t believe the ride I just climbed off after finishing this book. It made me laugh and then it broke my heart and made me cry. Getting to know the men of the USS Forrestal and then watching a terrible tragedy unfold with the vivid imagery that Gregory A. Freeman was able to convey was a powerful trip indeed!
The author was able to explain the working’s of a naval carrier in a way that even those without a naval background can understand. Seeing where so many things failed and yet so many men fought with everything they had, even if it cost their lives, understanding that the fire didn’t end for those who survived that terrible day, this was truly an amazing book!
The author was able to explain the working’s of a naval carrier in a way that even those without a naval background can understand. Seeing where so many things failed and yet so many men fought with everything they had, even if it cost their lives, understanding that the fire didn’t end for those who survived that terrible day, this was truly an amazing book!
June 23, 2025
Good read
The Navy put together films about shipboard safety and the Oriskany and Forrestal fires are prominently featured. As they often say, safety lessons are written in blood. This writer does a good job of describing life on a carrier. My squadrons served on the Coral Sea, Independence, Guam, Nimitz, and Theodore Roosevelt. Some old and some new. Even a short stint on a guided missile cruiser, The Albany. I also went to the Navy firefighting school in Newport, RI and Mayport, FL (2x).
The Navy put together films about shipboard safety and the Oriskany and Forrestal fires are prominently featured. As they often say, safety lessons are written in blood. This writer does a good job of describing life on a carrier. My squadrons served on the Coral Sea, Independence, Guam, Nimitz, and Theodore Roosevelt. Some old and some new. Even a short stint on a guided missile cruiser, The Albany. I also went to the Navy firefighting school in Newport, RI and Mayport, FL (2x).
October 17, 2021
Dam good book that plus no punches about a naval tradigy
I was a corpsman stationed at Oakhurst Naval Air Station when we were told about th taat trading taking place on the Forrestal. Little information was given
I was a corpsman at NAS Oakhurst when we were informed about the tragody
Talk ngpl
Every Viet
Every Vietnam war sailor needs to read this story .
A
I was a corpsman stationed at Oakhurst Naval Air Station when we were told about th taat trading taking place on the Forrestal. Little information was given
I was a corpsman at NAS Oakhurst when we were informed about the tragody
Talk ngpl
Every Viet
Every Vietnam war sailor needs to read this story .
A
November 15, 2023
Picked it up because i recognized the name Forrestal because it was berthed at Newport early in my career, and people were trying to figure out how to save the ship from being scrapped. 270+ pages that are largely focused on a 24-hour period. Well written, a quick read because of the suspense created. Could have used more diagrams of the ship, particularly belowdecks. Overall, it was a good retelling of a disastrous and heroic event in naval history.
November 25, 2024
Excellent book
I was only a little aware of this incident from reading McCain’s account of the fire so to see it in dept was very interesting. The author does an excellent job dissecting the accident and explaining the hours during which the sailors fought to save their ship. It is a shame the Navy acted the way they did but as a veteran I am also not surprised.
Very good book.
I was only a little aware of this incident from reading McCain’s account of the fire so to see it in dept was very interesting. The author does an excellent job dissecting the accident and explaining the hours during which the sailors fought to save their ship. It is a shame the Navy acted the way they did but as a veteran I am also not surprised.
Very good book.
February 20, 2025
an unblinking look into hell
Written in a very matter of fact style, the book tells the story of the disastrous fire on the flight deck of USS Forrestal in 1967 after all the slices of swiss cheese lined up a hole through the safety procedures. This book should be required reading for all Navy medical officers so that they will know what it is that those supplies are for and why they’re on that ship (it’s not for sick call or administrative separations).
Written in a very matter of fact style, the book tells the story of the disastrous fire on the flight deck of USS Forrestal in 1967 after all the slices of swiss cheese lined up a hole through the safety procedures. This book should be required reading for all Navy medical officers so that they will know what it is that those supplies are for and why they’re on that ship (it’s not for sick call or administrative separations).
June 11, 2023
riveting, heartbreaking and inspiring
I had no idea what these men went through. My father was one off them on the flight deck, my hero. The author told the story that dignifies the men, the Forrestal, and the US Navy. May the 134 sailors rest in peace knowing their story was told so well.
I had no idea what these men went through. My father was one off them on the flight deck, my hero. The author told the story that dignifies the men, the Forrestal, and the US Navy. May the 134 sailors rest in peace knowing their story was told so well.
November 10, 2024
Very good. IMO, gave right amount each of scene-setting (descriptions of the ship and men), the accident as it happened, the battle against disaster, the personal dramas, the cleanup, and the investigation afterward. Seemed unbiased in sharing out the blame, though the Navy itself seemed to have a bias. Bonus for the appendix listing everyone who perished.
March 15, 2019
Sailors To The End: The Deadly Fire On The USS Forrestal
I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s a gripping and disturbing account of the 1967 accident that took the lives of 134 men and seriously injured greater than a hundred more. Terrific read.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s a gripping and disturbing account of the 1967 accident that took the lives of 134 men and seriously injured greater than a hundred more. Terrific read.
March 18, 2019
Absolutely riveting!
An incredible story about human beings working at their maximum limits, under unbelievable circumstances, overcoming some incredible challenges brought about by some very unique circumstances.
An incredible story about human beings working at their maximum limits, under unbelievable circumstances, overcoming some incredible challenges brought about by some very unique circumstances.
February 5, 2020
This was such a good historical book. I had never heard of the Forrestal before and this really brought the story to life. What these men went through is unbelievable. Thank you for your service gentleman.
June 15, 2024
Amazing book from the first page to the last. The book gives enough details to make it interesting for someone who has served on an aircraft carrier, but not so complicated that someone who has not experienced an aircraft carrier can enjoy the book.
November 18, 2024
Great book
This is a fascinating story written extremely well. It's a page turner, something that isn't usually said about a non-fiction book. The author captures both the technical details and the human stories. War times i as brought to tears.
This is a fascinating story written extremely well. It's a page turner, something that isn't usually said about a non-fiction book. The author captures both the technical details and the human stories. War times i as brought to tears.
September 30, 2017
Incredible story of loss and survival. Well written and well balanced, it dispels a few of the myths surrounding this tragedy.
November 3, 2019
Fire on an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Tonkin - caused John McCain screwing off and killing a bunch of sailors.
October 2, 2020
Best and most informative book on the events that led up to the fire on the flight deck.
September 26, 2021
An uplifting story of the courage and discipline of young men during the Vietnam War.
October 11, 2021
Excellent and heartbreaking. A poignant account of a seminal Naval tragedy with many takeaways. This is a must-read for anyone who serves on ships.
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