No Ordinary Joes: The Extraordinary True Story of Four Submariners in War and Love and Life

by Larry Colton

On April 23, 1943, the seventy-man crew of the USS Grenadier scrambled to save their submarine—and themselves—after a Japanese aerial torpedo sent it crashing to the ocean floor. Miraculously, the men were able to bring the sub back to the surface, only to be captured by the Japanese.

No Ordinary Joes tells the harrowing story of four of the Grenadier ’s Bob Palmer of Medford, Oregon; Chuck Vervalin of Dundee, New York; Tim McCoy of Dallas, Texas; and Gordy Cox of Yakima, Washington. All were enlistees from families that struggled through the Great Depression. The lure of service and duty to country were not their primary motivations—they were more compelled by the promise of a job that provided “three hots and a cot” and a steady paycheck. On the day they were captured, all four were still teenagers.

Together, the men faced unimaginable brutality at the hands of their captors in a prisoner of war camp. With no training in how to respond in the face of relentless interrogations and with less than a cup of rice per day for sustenance, each man created his own strategy for survival. When the liberation finally came, all four anticipated a triumphant homecoming to waiting families, loved ones, and wives, but instead were forced to find a new kind of strength as they struggled to resume their lives in a world that had given them up for dead, and with the aftershocks of an experience that haunted and colored the rest of their days.

Author Larry Colton brings the lives of these four “ordinary” heroes into brilliant focus. Theirs is a story of tragedy and courage, romance and war, loss and endurance, failure and redemption. With a scope both panoramic and disarmingly intimate, No Ordinary Joes is a powerful look at the atrocities of war, the reality of its aftermath, and the restorative power of love.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, World War II, War, Military Fiction, Biography, American History

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Debbie Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a truly extraordinary story about the experiences of men who endured the horrors of the Japanese POW camps during WWII. I had a great uncle who was declared missing in action during the war in the Pacific. He was captured and spent time in the POW camps. I actually never knew growing up as no one including my uncle never talked about his experience. It was only after he passed away when I was working on a family tree that I began to learn some of the stories about what he experienced and the condition he was in when he was finally released and came home. My aunt had to nurse him back to health and the rest of his life she was very protective of him. So many of the men and women who served during this time suffered both physically and mentally. I think it was the mental part that was the hardest part for them to admit as they message they received was to forget and move on. We need to remember all members from the armed forces from all of the wars for what they experienced and thank all for their service.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished "No Ordinary Joes: The Extraordinary True Story of Four Submariners in War and Love and Life" by Larry Colton. This might as well have been a sequel to "The Worst Hard Time" (about the Great Depression) in that it tracked the lives of four sailors from growing up during the Great Depression - one of whom came from the area covered by the previous book - to joining the Navy and fighting in World War II. Their submarine was sunk by a torpedo dropped from a Japanese plane and the men were captured and taken as POWs to be held for two years, until the war ended. It then followed their lives as they returned home, grew old and, in some cases, died. I was torn between 4 and 5 stars as a rating, but I didn't want to put this one down until the end. Even then I did a bit of research on the ship and crew. Then I asked my mom about details about what my dad did while he was in the Navy since he's no longer around to tell me the stories.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a story about 4 submariners from WWII. It told of there horrific experiences as POWs. But it also told of their lives before and after the war. It was a fascinating read.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is now 80 years since these sailors left their Japanese prison camps for the last time. To hear the stories containing all details of their suffering is truly remarkable and it provides the reader both how much human beings are able to survice as well as how far people are willing to go during wartime. As a current veteran I am priveladged and thankful for the sacrifices made by these men and their families and I am gratful for the authors effort to tell their story.

[Jason Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

While no one can take the demands of military service down to another level this book reminds us that many of the "Greatest" generation served not out of duty or love of country: they served because they were teenagers and early twenty somethings living in a country coming out of the Great Depression. Service then was an opportunity - the next step up that someone else wouldn't do.

The stories of the submarine sailors told here is extraordinary. It is hard enough to dream of diving deep and blowing up ships, but then to live through the explosion of their boat, you get the idea that life wasn't easy. The fact that they were rescued by the Japanese during hostile times and served several years in a prison camp....one is left in wonder what I might do.

Each story is well told and the book is well indexed as well.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book follows four men. They grew up during the Great Depression, joined the US Navy, volunteered for submarine duty, went to war, ended up on the bottom of a bay with no engines, got to the surface, were taken prisoner by a Japanese ship and endured years of starvation, beatings and torture. The author follows up the events as they returned to the USA, got married and raised their families. These were lives of surviving, sacrificing, laughing and crying. I enjoyed this book and commend the author for his years of labor.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what an incredible story. When I started this book, I assumed the most difficult part to read would be the time the men spent in the POW camps, but I was wrong: it was their lives after returning home. I think Gordy Cox summed it up best:

"I have always believed that the government should have done more for the returning soldiers, sailors, and other fighting men. It spends a fortune to make them into killers, and then when they returned, they were just turned loose on society...We as POWs had in our mind that once we got out of prison camp, everything would be all right."

Sadly, that was not the case.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colton tells the life stories of four members of the USS Grenadier. They were still only teenagers when the crew was captured by the Japanese and they spent two years in prisoners of war. Different than other submarine books, Colton tells of their early childhood and their later life.

Why I started this book: I downloaded this book mainly because of the cover. I'm trying to learn more about the navy and the men that have served.

Why I finished it: Compelling story, and I saw a lot of parallels with my family history... in the relationships between my grandparents and parents. What is said, and the mountain that remains unsaid.

[Jbuzuvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the best written book, but the story of these very remarkable men who survived POW camps during WWII was interesting to me. I feel these types of stories need to be told and I am always an interested and respectful listener.

[Josh Dockter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook. Great stories. Sad stories. Incredible strength of these men.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating recounting of four guys lives before, during and after World War II.
It is epic in its scope and I constantly kept thinking “this should be a mini-series/movie!” as I was reading it. They went through unspeakable tragedy and torment throughout their lives, yet still came out more or less in one piece.
It is no Hollywood script in many respects though: racism is everywhere - seemingly everyone in the book exhibits at least a little of it. The imperfections and flaws of the four guys are put on display, but are viewed next to their selfless and courageous acts, and the seemingly endless suffering they endure.
Their POW experience is an eye-opening one for readers not familiar with the atrocities wartime Japan committed. Truly mind-blowing the depths people can sink to. To think the Emperor got a free pass after that war and remained an esteemed dignitary seems like one of those wrongs in history that future generations will never quite understand.
One of the most surprising things to me in the book was how forgiving these four guys ultimately were to the evil they came across. Better than most would be, I think.
All in all an amazing tale.

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thrilled I use goodreads daily now, the endless book ideas can be overwhelming, but when you find jewels you long overlooked it makes me stand up and clap with glee. Well, this book is not gleeful, but it's overpowering and I can't quite shake it from my system. Oh the horrors of war, this was relentless, I found myself hating the Japanese with such intensity I thought why are you reading this! Ok, I ended up skipping parts, the torture was making me cry, and hate a whole country, until the war ended and then a simple act of kindness to the pow made me cry again on the flip side. I found this BRUTAL, but the love story prevailed in the end, it was a pleasure to read these men's stories, tragic, sad, hopeful. Everyone has a story in them, but these will haunt me for a long time...

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once knew a Navy man captured at Corregidor who spent 4 years as a prisoners. His life after the war and in the USN into the 60s was very similiar to these men. He married a different woman because his girlfriend was told he died and she married another man. Only to divorce 20 years later and marry him- very much like a man in this book (Parker). These men carried on with PTSD and life the best they could.

[Sandy Carmichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

My father was wounded in WWII and my uncle was a POW in Japanese prison; plus I have worked with and listen to many of the WWII vets and read volumes of books on such. This is one of the best, straight forward, factual accounts, in my opinion. Hard to get thru at times but worth the tears/sorrow. Thank them all who fought for us.

[Joel W9NXM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pulls no punches about what happens during wartime. Well told stories of 4 Navy men and their friends and families. Very cool that the author followed up after the wartime stories, and updated the lives of the 4 men to present.

[John Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to give you bad dreams

First third of the book is life on a WW2 submarine, the second third is the brutal years in a Japanese prison and work camp, the third is the post war life.
I would not have made it out alive as a POW.

[Frank Colley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diesel electric

Having been a " bubble head", I can sooo identify. A really great, well told story by a
obviously very intelligent individual. Thank you sir!!!

[Patricia Sharman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

This is a story everyone needs to read. Drills in the respect I have for out military and what our food represents

[Jim Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

I highly recommend this book. I wish I could have met the men I’ve just read about. Will we ever appreciate the sacrifices they made?

[Janice Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love non fiction. This was an amazing book..

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read the book. It tells of things you can't imagine and doesn't tell the things that go beyond that.

[Nancy Whitlatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was enthralling. It's one of the best books I've ever read. A "could not put it down" one.

[Bill Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say. the 1920s bred a different kind of male. Extraordinary is putting it mildly.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara is my grandmother and Bob Palmer my “Bobbob”. I’ve heard their love story a thousand times but reading it makes it that much more special. All the things these men and women went through!

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This highly-interesting non-fiction book had a bow-tie construction. The author introduced each of the sailors individually, giving his entire background story - childhood, interests, family relationships, early adolescent experiences, and first assignments in the navy. This introduction took about 13 chapters.

Then the knot of the bowtie showed us how the men knew each other as crew members of the same submarine. Of course this is the part of the story that caused the story to be written. The experiences these young men (ages 17-23 at the time) endured as prisoners of war, were horrifying. I hung on every word as the author showed their physical and emotional degradation and their incredible strength as they lent support and comfort to each other.

The other side of the bowtie followed each man's life after they were freed when the war ended. This enlightening follow-up story showed the reader some of the long-term positive as well as negative results of such harrowing experiences as these men suffered in early adulthood. It was interesting to me to see the changes in the individual personalities as the men aged; however, it was also clearly shown that many of their early characteristics were intensified rather than changed by the experience. The men were shown as 80-year-old grandfathers at the end of the book.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colton tells the story of four WWII submarine sailors from their early years to the date of his book. The defining experience is their imprisonment by the Japanese for the majority of the war. The description of torture and abhorrent living conditions shows that the experience described in Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption was not an isolated example.

When they returned from the war, all these men struggled with alcohol abuse and three had difficult marriages and strained relations with children. Nevertheless, they were resilient and were able to turn things around for the better after learning from their mistakes.

Some of the experiences described in the book would never pass by a fiction editor's review because they would be considered too unbelievable for the reader to accept. I guess it proves that truth can be stranger than fiction.

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author wrote the book to pass down the knowledge of what happened to our men held in Japanese prison camps during World War 2. He uses the real life vehicle of four sailors from the submarine USS Grenadier to explore the issue.

There is a fine line between writing a book on this topic that reads like a coffee table picture book, or that swings way too far into the graphic details of the depravity of man.

Larry Colton strikes a balance. From time to time the reader senses he's on the road to reading a nightmare when, suddenly, the story lightens up to a palatable level.

In the tradition of all good novels, there are many peaks and valleys to the emotions coursing through the reader as they are absorbed in these pages. It's a fairly easy read and one I'd recommend to teenagers - especially teenagers with parents who have fought in our most recent wars.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book today while mowing my lawn. Gratefully, there was no-one to see me pushing my lawnmower around with my eyes full of tears! What a great story (or rather four great stories). Colton has woven together four biographies covering the entire lives of these four men who find themselves on the same submarine in World War 2, but he covers each of their lives from their childhood to their eventual deaths (I think one was still alive when he finished the book). Clearly the primary focus is on their war experiences, but what brought me to tears was the epilogue. In it he talks about their last years of reconcilliation, redemption, love lost and found again. It was really life affirming. I really wasn't all that excited about reading another war book, but this one was well worth it.

[Edy Gies · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the premise of this story was interesting. In a "bow tie" style the author tells of the early lives of four men, their time together on an American submarine, their time together in the prison camp, and what happened to them after the war. The author said he wanted his story wanted to be one of resilience, but he couldn't because that's not where the stories took him. I thought his descriptions of the prisoner of war camps were gruesome and realistic, but also dark and discouraging. In Unbroken, Laura Hildenbrand does a great job of detailing the brutality of the prison camp while keeping the spirit of the story up. I understand the difference of writing style, but it felt like the author had some kind of agenda which he explains in the author's note. I would call this one interesting and I am glad I read it, but I can't say I would recommend it to anyone either.