Tin Can Sailor: Life Aboard the USS Sterett, 1939-1945

by Susan Cosentino

More than eight hundred sailors served aboard the Sterett during her hazardous and demanding duties in World War II. This is the story of those men and their beloved ship, recorded by a junior officer who served on the famous destroyer from her commissioning in 1939 to April 1943, when he was wounded at the Battle of Tulagi. Peppered with the kind of vivid, authentic details that could only be provided by a participant, the book is the saga of a gallant fighting ship that earned a Presidential Unit Citation for her part in the Third Battle of Savo Island, where she took on a battleship, cruiser, and destroyer and was the last to leave the fray. Calhoun's gripping and colorful account tells what it was like to be there during those furiously fought, close-range engagements. When published in hardcover in 1993, the book was widely praised as a good read loaded with rich and interesting details.

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction, Naval History, Memoir, American History, Biography

198 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

Reviews

[Ben Goller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of WWII books, always looking for any reference about my two relatives who served in that war- my great uncle and my grandfather.

It was a real privilege to finally have found a book that includes one. My great uncle served on the USS Sterett from its commissioning to some time after the Third Battle of Savo Island.

Thanks to the author for his careful recounting of the stories and lives of the men my great uncle knew and served with. This was a great little piece of history!

Now I have to find a book that includes my grandfather...

[Michael Delaware · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating history that covers a lot of insight into heroes and their ships in World War II. The USS Sterrett and the USS San Francisco are covered in this, as well as many other ships.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Destroyers, or "tin cans" are often overlooked in the history of WWII; usually they are mentioned only in passing in histories of carrier operations. So it is refreshing to read a volume focused on them, and one in particular, the Sterret. Sterret was commissioned before the war and saw service and combat all the way through in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.
This account is mostly first-person. The author served aboard in a variety of roles before leaving the ship in 1943 after being injured in combat aboard. The history of the ship he gives after his departure is based on correspondence with others and is, unfortunately, not as detailed. That being said, it is adequate, and ends with the ship's decommissioning immediately after the war.
Overall the book helps fill a notable hole in WWII naval history by conveying the experience of life aboard the "tin cans" that served essential duties with little glamour or recognition.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author served on the USS Sterret, a highly decorated navy destroyer. He was a "plank owner," that is, he was assigned at the time the ship was commissioned in 1939. The Sterret was seemingly everywhere, from the North Atlantic guarding convoys to the Mediterranean escorting aircraft carriers (British and American.) After Pearl Harbor the author went with his ship to the South Pacific. On the night of November 13, 1942 the Sterret was in the forefront of a night action between surface ships. The destroyer suffered extensive casualties and damage, while inflicting the same on the enemy.

This memoir is well written. The author never engages in any casual racial invective or patriotic jingoism. He was patriotic, though, and deeply attached to his shipmates. Probably the best WWII naval memoir I have read.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tin Can Sailor is an overview of the actions of and life aboard an American destroyer from 1939 till 1945, written by an officer who went from junior ensign to executive officer of the ship. However, shortly after the (third) Battle of Savo Island (which was described from the Sterett's perspective in the most compelling chapter of the book - for a more balanced view of this action, please see the excellent Neptune's Inferno by James D. Hornfischer; and for the Japanese point of view on the same engagement, see the extremely worthwhile Japanese Destroyer Captain , by Tameichi Hara), the author was seriously wounded and left the ship. From that point on the narration was second hand and lost its energy.

[James N. Roets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grit and determination

Tin Can Sailor is a fast-paced book, but it was over too soon. Cal Calhoun had a storied career on a legendary ship. His narrative was matter-of-fact which belied the sometimes horrific battles the Sterrett was engaged in. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Pacific war. How anyone survived it just makes you realize that they are the Greatest Generation.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading books about singular ships as much as battle books. I think it’s so personal. The USS Sterett is a fun ship. Mr. Calhoun obviously still has a lot of love for it and it is easy to see why! Exciting battles, great men and tons of history too. This was a great memoir for a little known ship.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was truly a labor of love for the author-a former crewmember of the STERETT he brings the ship and her crew alive for the reader.

[Seth Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Miikka Lehtonen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tin Can Sailor is a book of two halves. For the first half of the book Raymond Calhoun delivers an exciting and well written narrative of the USS Sterett's service in the first half of World War II. He mixes his own original writing with recollections and letters from other crewmen on the boat, and the end result works wonderfully. The author's retelling of the Battle of Guadalcanal is especially riveting.

Then at about the halfway point our author gets injured and sent home to recuperate for the rest of the war (this is not a big spoiler, he reveals it in his introduction) at which point the book switches to entirely second hand stories. This coincides with a period of the war where the Sterett isn't involved in much action and instead spends most of its time doing routine escort missions and refits. The inevitable result here is that the second half of the book feels kind of flat.

Overall Tin Can Sailor is still worth reading. The USS Sterett was involved in plenty of key moments in the Pacific Theater, and it's worthwhile to read the accounts by people who were there and experienced them first hand.

[Geoffrey Cornish · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellently conceived story form diary of a US navy destroyer during ww2 from a man whose career and abilities grew while he was on board. Life in the real world of take no prisoners warfare against the Japanese in the pacific theatre. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to an older man authentically recounting his navy war career, I would love to meet the guy !

[Kevin Harber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding account of the career and crew of one WWII destroyer from its commissioning in the late 1930s up to its post-war sale for scrap metal. Like those who served on the Sterett, I was sad to leave her behind at the nd of the book.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well researched and thought-provoking book. The camaraderie depicted onboard this ship is over of those special “things” that seem to be missing in life these days. Also their heroism, courage, and selflessness are all character traits that we should strive for, again, as individuals.

[David Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive addition to the documented history of WWII.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF at 74%, some parts were very interesting, but overall wasn’t an enjoyable listen/read in the last 1/3

[L.C. Tang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book a bit difficult to read. First, because I am not really into reading about war history and second, I get queasy reading about injuries, traumas and overboard deaths. However, it was good to read about the lives of sailors during that time period. I do like how the author includes pictures throughout the 11 chapters, which provides a short break from reading and helps the visual learner in me to better understand. I can't imagine surgeons and medical staff trying to do their job of helping an injured person without the necessary tools. The medical departments on board ships today are fully equipped and when they don't have something needed, they submit a requisition and it is delivered immediately at the next available port of call. This reminded me of when my ship was leaving Senegal and crossing the atlantic and I needed medical assistance and the ship did not have the required medication for me. I got to see how the medical team moved so fast to get what I needed before we arrived in Brazil. Technology is a marvel and saving grace when one unexpectedly requires it at an urgent time and so receives it undeservedly. Overall this book was educational and a very serious read for me. I also liked that there was an index at the back of the book.