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BOOK REVIEW – Haze Grey and Underway: A Memoir of U.S. Navy Surface Operations in the Western Pacific Supporting the Vietnam War, 1965 to 1975 (Vols. 1 and 2)

By Capt. Barry Nelson Kaye USN (Ret.), Self-published, Miami, FL (2016)

Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart

Captain Kaye provides an excellent account on his service in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War in the first volume of his memoir. He states that the reason he wrote this self-published book is that almost all of the books and articles about the U.S. Navy’s presence in the Vietnam War focus on naval aviation. However, the author contends that the naval air war was only made possible by the direct and indirect support of a variety of non-aviation combat and non-combat ships, the “small boys.” Kaye notes with sadness that the U.S. Navy cannot agree on which small boys saw service in the Vietnam War, but can provide detail accounts of the employment of its carriers and attached air units.

The author mixes within his autobiographical account of his Vietnam-era service official documents that amplify his story.  Included within both books are some excellent photos that enhance and bring to life the story. The heart of the book concerns the author’s service on board two ships, as Salvage Office on USS Lipan (ATF 85) and as Weapons Officer and temporary XO on USS Richard D. Anderson (DD 786).

Kaye entered the U.S. Navy via Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. Due to a shortage of officers onboard Lipan he qualified as OOD during his first bridge watch. Before reporting on board Anderson, the author received training to be the ship’s Operation Officer, but with no background in gunnery, he was instead assigned to be the ship’s Weapon Officer. The book is full of accounts about how dysfunctional the Navy became during the 1960s as it sought to fight an unpopular war with obsolete ships, 5-inch ammunition shortages, and a lower deck workforce pool that reflected all the racial turmoil that American society was then undergoing. His tale of a sailor armed with a loaded rifle holding the Captain of Lipan hostage and the Navy’s response to this incident shows an institution that had lost its way. In contrast, his stories of Anderson on the gun line off of the coast of Vietnam tells the tale of American sailors giving their all to carry out the missions assigned to them. The author ends this book with an excellent list of YouTube videos showing U.S. Navy operations during the Vietnam War.

The author compiled twenty-nine articles on various aspects of the naval war fought off the coast of Vietnam in the second volume. These materials expand and elaborate on many of the events that the author covered in his autobiography. This volume contains an excellent discussion of the 5″/38 gun and its ammunition and ends with a chapter entitled “In Memoriam” in which is listed by ship and date all the sailors who died on board ship while off the coast of Vietnam, 397 officers and enlisted men.

This book is great. Hopefully, over the next few years, more surface sailors will follow in the footsteps of Captain Kaye and take the time to record in writing their experience in the U.S. Navy.

Bogart is a frequent contributor to Naval History Book Reviews.

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14 Comments

  1. Rex McCoy

    This is long overdue, and the subject deserves an official history itself. I contributed an article to the subject in the Oct 2012 issue of Naval History magazine, and hope that Capt Kaye had an opportunity to read and reference it in his second volume.
    But how may one obtain this book? It’s self-published and isn’t available through the normal channels.

    • mengx001

      Rex,

      We are currently talking with the author about possibly getting copies sent here for purchase since this was self published. Email him directly for queries at [email protected].

      Matthew T. Eng
      Digital Content Developer
      NHF

  2. Dave Secrest

    Thank you for you work – I look forward to reading your book. In 1972, surrounded by kayak-protestors and anti-war brochures, USS Bordelon (DD881) got underway and sailed from Charleston, SC into Operation Linebacker missions along and north of the DMZ. Highlights included providing gunfire support from just beyond the surf line (resulted in having to write a main engine LP turbine casing Lifting Letter to NAVSEA) to being bracketed by NVM shore battery to playing golf in Subic Bay, Singapore and Yokoska…dave secrest

  3. BMCM Joseph McGrorty, USN Retired

    Where can I purchase both volumns?

    • mengx001

      BMCM McGrorty,

      We are currently talking with the author about possibly getting copies sent here for purchase since this was self published. Email him directly for queries at [email protected].

      Matthew T. Eng
      Digital Content Developer
      NHF

  4. Barry Nelson Kaye

    To all who are interested – I am currently working on getting these two volumes published via Amazon/Kindle. I’ll advise when this is complete. Thanks for your interest. 2/12/2017

    • Paul COVERDALE

      CAPT Kaye…I served with you in LIPAN (66-68) as a PN3/2 under the command of CDRChandler and LCDR DeMarke. Just ordered your book from Amazon and am anxious to read it. Sounds like you had quite a career also. Thank you for your service. My contact info is [email protected]. LCDR DeMarke recently passed away in Hawaii. Regards, Paul Coverdale

  5. I served under Captain Kaye a long time ago. If he writes as well as he drives ships this will be a masterpiece. It was my honor to sail with him.

  6. Charles Brand

    Mr. Jaye,
    I would purchase your book/s if available. I agree that the birdfarms got the recognition and we received only “Our Just Desserts” for service in and around Asia South and East.

  7. STG2 Marlin Kraft

    Mr Kaye,
    Thank you so much for writing this book. I came aboard starting on page 113.
    I was a sonar tech in AS Division. That gang and the rest of the crew of the RBA made me the man I am today. It is so true what you said about the bond among those shipmates. I manned the Mount 51 magazine during those times. In the magazine, the sound of the exploding shells outside the ship sounded like a giant sledge hammer hitting us. I also remember a day that I was one of three manning the gun director during condition 3. The ship was slowly drifting toward a cliff to draw fire when twin 5 inch guns opened up on us. Then the F5s came in to bomb them the hell out of them. The RBA did a 180 and full speed out of there while we tried to stay on target with gun director.

  8. STG2 Marlin Kraft

    A heartfelt thanks you and Chris Servant for the Bennion Bell and it keeping the RBA crew safe through those times.

  9. SM2 Paul Silman

    We served together on the USS Lipan. I would love to get your book.

  10. Cathy Lenhardt

    Any word on the publishing of this incredible memoir? My dad served onboard the Lipan in Vietnam around 1969-70 timeframe. (ENC Gordon Lenhardt)

    • Cathy Lenhardt

      I just purchased it from Amazon!!! Can’t wait to read this!!

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