All the Gallant Men by Donald Stratton

All the Gallant Men by Donald Stratton

Stratton is a survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. He was on board the U.S.S. Arizona on the morning of December 7 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He was at his battle station only 15 minutes after the attack began, when nearly a million pounds of explosives went up underneath him. The ship sank, but before it did Stratton was able to climb a rope to a nearby battleship to be rescued. This is a firsthand account of not only what it was like to be there but to want to finish the war. Doctors had recommended his arm or leg be amputated, but Stratton refused because he wanted to go back and keep fighting. This is a fascinating, riveting read that includes a look at Stratton in the present day, as a very old man who has grappled with the demons of 1941. He does not blame the Japanese people, but is still angry with the Japanese military. Many teens might turn away because of the topic or the idea that history is boring, but this is a fast-paced read told in the first person. It helps bring one of the most important moments in U.S. History to life for students in a way that few other books for the young adult audience have done.