All the Gallant Men

An American Sailor's Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor

By: Donald Stratton, Ken Gire

Narrated by: Mike Ortego

Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

The extraordinary first and only memoir by a survivor of the USS Arizona, published in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

An unforgettable and moving story of tragedy, heroism, resilience, and redemption that is sure to become an enduring document of American history, All the Brave Men is a sailor's moment-by-moment eyewitness account of the Japanese surprise attack that decimated the US Pacific Fleet in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, and his inspiring return to active duty to carry on the Allied fight in the Pacific.

On December 7, 1941, the Arizona was moored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, alongside seven other American battleships. At 7:55 a.m., the leisurely Sunday morning's serenity was broken by the drone of bomb-laden Japanese Zeros swooping from the sky. The Arizona was the first battleship targeted in a massive surprise attack by the Empire of Japan; 353 imperial warplanes swarmed Battleship Row and neighboring Hickam Airfield in a meticulously planned assault launched to cripple America's Pacific Fleet.

Amid the terrifying chaos of explosions and incessant machine gun fire, 19-year-old Seaman First Class Donald Stratton raced to his battle station on the Arizona. Barely 15 minutes into the attack, a 1,760-pound armor-piercing bomb hit the ship, setting off a million pounds of munitions and 180,000 gallons of aviation fuel aboard. The explosion lifted the massive battleship out of the water, causing the forward deck to buckle, and engulfed it in an enormous 50-foot fireball that tore through the antiaircraft platform where Don and his team were stationed.

Burned over more than 65 percent of his body, Don, with his gunnery team, miraculously escaped the inferno; using their charred hands, they climbed across a 70-foot-long rope stretched 45 feet above flaming, oil-slicked water to reach the Vestal, moored nearby. While Don made it out alive, 1,177 of his crewmates perished - more than half the American casualty total of the attack.

But this remarkable story does not end here. After more than a year of grueling treatment, including learning to walk again, Don recovered and doggedly battled navy bureaucracy to reenlist. Determined to take the fight to the enemy, he participated in some of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific, including the invasions of New Guinea, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

Told in remarkable, never-before-revealed first-person detail, this powerful and uplifting memoir of war and survival resonates with the spirit, heart, and undaunted courage of such beloved best sellers as Unbroken and The Boys in the Boat.

©2016 Donald Stratton and Ken Gire (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Should be required reading for every American!

I knew of Don Stratton because I’m a fellow Nebraskan. What a story he told and what a life he led! Wish I had read this before visiting Pearl Harbor & the Arizona Memorial. RIP Don.

Outstanding!

Incredible book by a member of the greatest generation. A tale of the horror of war.

read or listen, it's a must, I thought I knew but

loved it. I learned a lot. but it's not just a documentary it's a life well lived.

Incredibly told

One of the most incredibly told stories of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The story is powerful and the narration does it justice. Powerful reminder, I especially like that Don Stratton tells of the lessons learned and the changes made. Thank you sir for your heroic service, for going above and beyond and for inspiring others.

The strength of a nation summed up in one man

Fantastic, if the Axis powers knew the country was made up of these kinds of individuals they would've never contemplated going to war with the U.S.

Eye opening.

This memoir lets you look through the eyes of an amazing man that experienced something most will never. I’m grateful for Mr. Stratton for sharing his memories. Great man and great story. I will definitely be suggesting this to others. Thank you.

Words can not describe...

One of the best books I have encountered in a long while. While I was taught the history, I lacked the emotion for the event that this gentleman brought to the surface. I will be going back to Oahu to visit the Memorial, this time I will see it with different eyes and respect.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. Learn from a survivor. And cry as you ask yourself, "Am I worth dying for?".

Great first person slice of "infamy"

This is an amazing first person account from a young sailor aboard the USS Arizona on that fateful Sunday. Not just numbers and details of the attack, but touching on the lives of the crew while also telling Donald Strattons amazing story of survival and beyond. I am very glad I found and listened to this account of Dec 7th.

Get on board the Arizona

Great detail of growing up in Nebraska during the Depression and of the attack on Pearl Harbor from on board the Arizona. Made feel like I was there. I have an even greater appreciation for those who were there.

Hard to Verbalize

How they managed to allow me to see and feel a piece of that horrible moment in our history and the affect it had on so many? I am at a loss of words to describe the emotions this story invoked. God Bless our country, our armed forces and all the great things they represent.