Description:
This is a comprehensive history of a fast WWII aircraft carrier, and her air groups. The book details from concept through construction, launching, outfitting, shakedown, service in the Pacific war, earning 8 Battle Stars, and her demise.
Brief description: John G. Lambert, 17 years old, joined the US Naval Reserve and served aboard the (Essex Class) aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard, CVA-31, in 1965-1966 on a West-Pac for 9 months, as an Avionics Technician in VAW-11. With keen interest in the sea, he surfed on the west coast, and later became an advanced scuba diver. Hobbies were diversified from boating to water skiing, snow skiing and photography. He learned to fly in 1970, then purchased plans, and built his own plane, a Burt Rutan designed VariEze. He test flew & raced it, and flew it from coast-to-coast and border-to-border. A member of the EAA, he headed up a experimental aircraft builders group in San Diego for a number of years, and became both active with (and historian of) an experimental aircraft racing group. With his background in the navy, and aviation, he wrote a book on the history of the WWII aircraft carrier USS Independence, CVL-22, at the request of the ship's Reunion Group. The book has involved approx. 9 years of research, with trips across the nation to places including NARA - The National Archives in College Park MD, and NARA San Bruno CA, the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, Tailhook Association in San Diego, to name a few. First released in 2011, with file changes made since for inclusion of additional historical data and photos. John was invited to join Dr. James Delgado on the joint NOAA / Navy / Boeing / Coda Octopus mission to obtain 3D side scan sonar images of the USS Independence on the bottom of the Pacific off Half Moon Bay California in 2015. The image provided by NOAA now on the book back cover. The following year John was invited to participate as a "Scientist Ashore" on Bob Ballard's mission with his vessel "Nautilus" to live stream video and photograph the ex USS Independence on the bottom for four days.
Review Quotes:
CDR Doug Siegfried, USNR (Ret), as reviewed in the Spring 2012 edition of "THE HOOK", the quarterly magazine of the "Tailhook Association". "excellent and heavily researched book". Doug's review closed with "I highly recommend this book. It brings to light what war was like on a carrier in the Pacific on a daily basis and how much we owe to those who fought in WW II."
"Your Independence book is a great one." - Captain A.W. "Willie" Callan USN (Ret) (Hellcat pilot in "Butch" O'Hare's VF-6 division aboard the USS Independence in 1943).
"I am OVERWHELMED By your BOOK" - Harvey Nye (A former CVLGN-41 aircrew member who flew as a gunner in an Avenger off the USS Independence).
Notes from Stone & Stone:
"A fantastic self-published labor of love. This might be the best history of a WWII warship we've ever seen."
" The book is well written and is difficult to put down." Charles R. Goemmer - (Brother of Independence crew member Jean Richard Goemmer).
" John Lambert has made a significant contribution to U.S. Naval history." - Michael H. Lee - (Son of a USS Independence VFN-41 Hellcat pilot, I.H. "Hebe" Lee).
"It is a good read, with 784* pages of highly detailed, well ordered facts, and laid out to make it easy to nail down historical content for anyone doing research." Ronald G. Davis - President of the USS Cabot (CVL-28) Reunion Group. (* Now 896 pages.)