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90 Day Wonder - Darkness Remembered

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... it's a good read, especially for denizens of a Navy town and also for those who, after seeing the movie, enjoy boasting that they read the book.

The book purports to be the Cooper's autobiography covering the period starting with his senior year at the University of Illinois just before Pearl Harbor, continuing through his Navy service as a landing craft officer in the Pacific during World War II, and examining with especial vigor how the psychological trauma of this experience affected his post-war life.

Why do I say "purports" ? Well, a part of the reason is that I have insights gained from talking with Cooper's sister. These insights cast doubt on the truthfulness or accuracy of some of the incidents reported - having an engineering degree - meeting future bride Alberta in D.C. - having pre-marital sex with her - attacking the Admiral Boda's Buick in downtown Washington - talking his way aboard the Potomac (President Truman's yacht) armed and intending to kill this same admiral - the pickup scene in Hollywood. When questioned by his sister about some of these discrepancies, Cooper reportedly waved his arm and claimed "poetic license."

However, I believe it is more than poetic license. This is a book that screams out "Make me into a movie!" Witness co-author, Don Tait. This is not an "as told to" co-author. No, this is an experienced TV and movie writer (Maverick, Bonanza, Mr. Roberts) who has been brought in to enhance and perhaps concoct scenes that will sell the book as a movie. When is the last time you saw a movie without a sex scene?

Yes, but even the best movie biopics (a film or television biography) often have fictionalized, exaggerated, or time-disordered episodes - Patch Adams - for example. What remains is a basic core of truth. In this case that core is that sometimes malign tyrants cum martinets are placed in command of men and ships, that this error leads to unnecessary deaths and long-term, post-war psychological problems for the surviving subordinates. And the Navy looks the other way and brushes all this [stuff] under the rug. I'm sorry to be so blunt. Read the book, and judge for yourselves.

In Steven C. Barber's film "Return to Tarawa," which features Leon Cooper's role in the Battle of Tarawa, Mr. Cooper is portrayed as a heroic character who ferried Marines into Tarawa and wounded guys out throughout the 3-day battle in November of 1943. Cooper has said publicly many times he "closed the eyes of the dead" and buried "scores" of his fellow countrymen in the days following the battle.

Unfortunately, in Cooper's own 2003 book, 90 Day Wonder: Darkness Remembered, which has been widely marketed and reviewed as "true to life" (i.e., a nonfiction memoir), he tells a different tale. In the book version Cooper's Higgins boat was hit and he was returned to a ship and cleared for duty by a Navy doctor. Cooper then ordered a coxswain to bring him to a strip of land far away from the battle for about a week, by which time the fighting and follow-up actions had ended. He'd missed the battle almost entirely and never set foot on Betio, the islet where the fighting took place.

Both accounts cannot be true. If audiences accept the film version then Cooper's own autobiography is a fabrication. That means Cooper knowingly duped readers and allowed them to think it was true. The book conveniently lacks a label as "fiction," "nonfiction," "history," etc., yet reviews on the author's own website clearly indicate that readers view the book as truly an account of the author's life. Mr. Cooper proudly features these reviews to market the book, further promoting the book as a true account. But on the other hand, if audiences accept the book version as fact, then the Barber film cannot possibly be accurate or considered a true documentary. The film then becomes the fabrication.

As we know from recent controversies in the publishing world (e.g., James Frey and the falsehoods of his memoir "A Million Little Pieces"), fiction sold as truth is unacceptable and destroys an author's credibility. If Mr. Cooper's memoir is one such fiction, then his claims in the film, and the many interviews available online with the likes of Katie Couric, Larry King, and others, are impossible to believe.

My Dad was a 90 Day Wonder. I read the book to find out more about what he went through and as a tribute to him and his fellow Naval officers. My Dad passed on 02/27/2007; I believe he would have enjoyed reading your book as well.

Thank you again and God Bless you always

Who started the dirty rumor? I learned the simple rhyme in elementary school, and it has hung around with me ever since. You know the childhood chant, "Sticks and stones/May break my bones,/But words can never hurt me." Let me dispel this falsehood. Words can hurt. They stick to our bodies like invisible glue. This is true for words spoken and unspoken.

"90 Day Wonder: Darkness Remembered," captures the ugly truth about how words can harm and mutilate souls. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor the military needed leaders, and Leon Cooper describes his quick training as an officer in the US Navy directly after college. His first assignment is aboard the USS Harry Lee.

Once on deck, he stood at attention in Captain Joseph Boda quarters, answering routine questions. As Boda stands up from his chair, tossing a few coins rhythmically in his hands, one of the coins falls on the floor. Leon doesn't to pick it up, realizing this is a test. He reflects, "I was off on the wrong foot with Captain Boda and my life aboard the Lee was to become a floating hell."(pg. 57) For the next four years, Leon survives Boda's verbal abuse, but Boda's words continue to circulate in Leon's mind. Even after Leon is honorably discharged from the Navy, the words plague Leon to the point of threatening Boda's life.

At the height of the story's action, Leon causally recalls the time as a child, and how his parents bought his brother Bill a bike, because had a paper route. When Leon whined for a bike also, his mother soothingly replies, "Maybe next year." (pg. 123) At the time, the scene seems insignificant, because one of his shipmates is waking him from a dream. But this dream of past reality describes the crux of Leon's attitude towards Boda or anyone in authority.

After years of serving in military and hating Boda, Dr. Metzler his psychiatrist, describes the situation perfectly, "You might have come out of the service okay, but you went in there with problems you didn't know you had. You were the helpless victim at home with your big brother, and you became the helpless victim on shipboard where you ran afoul of Boda." (pg. 266) Leon waited too long to talk about his anger towards his parents. The time lapse caused those unspoken words to become deeply embedded in his body, causing a raging fire, which could not be squelched.

Leon Cooper and Don Tait keep the reader anxiously awaiting for the story to unfold. The action often flips from the present to the past, but there is a smooth flow of events. The time line gets fuzzy towards the middle, when we were waiting for the birth of his second child. It is only at the end, when I learned he had five children. And it is not definitely clear if the cause of his wife's death relates to "the curse" (pg. 51) But, the physical combat and the mental battle keep the reader interested. I recommend "90 Day Wonder: Darkness Remembered" to anyone who likes military stories. It is also a good book for introverts to read about the danger of allowing words to hurt, instead of them letting go.

Comment about review by author Leon Cooper:

Judine - I hope you won't take my reaction to your review the wrong way ... but it's not "words" by the commanding officer of Cooper's ship that is the principle message of the book. Rather, it's the madness of sociopath Boda, including his reckless commands, that leads to the deaths of many of Cooper's shipmates. In wartime, military organizations are forced to put misfits or worse, madmen like Boda, in command positions -- this what leads to the conflict between Cooper, with his sense of justice, and Boda, with his absolute powers.

So, this is not a "war story" as such -- rather, it is the playing out of right vs wrong that happens to many of us during our lives. In this case, it happens to take place in a war setting -- and therefore is intensified -- but the main elements of the conflict happen often in less dramatic circumstances to many of us.

Based on author Leon Cooper's personal experiences as an American naval officer during World War II, "90 Day Wonder: Darkness Remembered" is a compelling military biography that flows with the engaging qualities of first rate story telling, all of which was written down with the assistance of successful screen and television writer Don Tait. The term '90 Day Wonder' referred to the speed with which First Lieutenants were being turned out as America plunged into war. Leon Cooper was Boat Group commander for his ship, leading Higgins Boats carrying assault troops in a number of invasions of Japanese-held islands and experienced first-hand many battle experiences where he was in mortal danger. But nothing was to prove so dangerous as his commanding officer Captain Boda -- a long-serving enlisted man with a battlefield commission who bitterly resented college graduates like Cooper who received their commission after only 90 days of training. Many confrontations between Cooper and Boda were to result in Boda's arbitrary punishment in all 'Captains Masts' cases. Boda's dislike of Cooper went so far as to Boda's ordering the unfortunate lieutenant and several of his shipmates to carry out a reckless command intended to kill them. Cooper avoided death, but several of his shipmates did not. Cooper went outside of the regular military chain of command to report Boda to the Naval High Command. Only the dropping of the atom bomb on Hiroshima saved Cooper from almost certain death at the hands of his embittered commanding officer. "90 Day Wonder" continues Cooper's personal story after the war as Cooper's dying wife made him promise that he would leave vengeance against Boda to the Lord. It was a bizarre, unexpected and unlooked for development that would allow Cooper to even the score with Boda while keeping his promise to his wife. "90 Day Wonder" is a terrific read and the stuff of which legendary movies are made!

This is a good story about a Navy junior commissioned officer who tangles with a superior officer who was promoted from the NCO ranks which was common in the early years of WWII. The biggest complaint is that there is sometimes a lack of a smooth transition between chapters.

Co-author Leon Cooper recounts his experiences as a U.S. Naval officer during World War II. The story goes backwards and forwards in time, but mainly begins around the time Pearl Harbor was bombed. The reader glimpses several key people in Cooper's life, such as Lt. Commander Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Then there is Captain Boda of the Harry Lee who took an instant dislike of Cooper and began to make life very difficult. In fact, Boda is to Cooper what Vader is to Luke, a dark and maleficent force that needed to be reckoned with.

Then there is the return to civilian life. With all he has witnessed, Cooper and Alberta (the love of his life) must somehow cope with not only the events during Cooper's military time, but also events from his childhood.

***** If you enjoy reading about history, biographies, or just the events around the WW II era, then I strongly recommend this novel!

Authors Leon Cooper and Don Tait have done an excellent job in blending Cooper's military time, home life, and even his childhood days into a riveting story for readers. An outstanding piece of work! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

90-Day Wonder: Darkness Remembered is a riveting tale recounting abuse of power, at times acts of lunacy, carnage, retaliation, devotion and atonement. Central to the tale is the fact that there are times when ego maniac martinet tyrants are placed in command of men, that this miscalculation often leads to needless deaths and long-term, post-war psychological problems for the surviving subordinates is something the military has long denied and ignored.

Good book for the history buff and those who enjoy reading `war' stories. Not for everyone, racial epithets and expletives are used.

I am a Vietnam veteran's wife who found the read compelling, happy to recommend.

Reviewed by: molly martin

90 DAY WONDER - DARKNESS REMEMBERED is a great book, a fabulous book, to be read, savored, and remembered. A captivating real life history lesson! The book is not just a story of World War II and how a young college graduate becomes an officer in the Navy after 90 days of training, but it is also a story about exactly what war and life was like during that era. Told in the covers of this book are multi-hued levels of experience to be analyzed and digested. The largest of these is the story of his superior officer who is a sadistic commander. He drives other officers and enlisted men unnecessarily and purposefully to their deaths.

Engineering student, Leon Cooper, is about to graduate from the University of Illinois when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and the USA is pulled into the war against Japan, Germany, and their allies. Through the eyes of Leon Cooper we learn what it is like to make the transition from civilian life to officer and gentleman. Cooper is plunged into World War II with an important combat role to play. Leon Cooper leads us through the physical and mental reality of a nation at war. His individual story reveals what it was like to live and fight during that crucial time in our nation's history. In detail, this story conveys the reality of World War II aboard a cruise ship refitted for combat duty. The ship is able to transport 1000 fighting marines with a crew of 400 enlisted men and officers. Cooper's role is to man `Higgins Boats,' assault landing crafts during island invasions.

Leon Cooper leaves behind his successful college life, a promise of a good job, and a secure future for duty in the armed forces. He also leaves behind a woman he cares about. Leon chooses the Navy and his personal life, like the lives of millions of other men, is interrupted with a war that cannot be ignored. From private life, we follow the individual story of Cooper's introduction to Navy service and training. From there we relive his experiences as he faces the challenges presented to him. If the war is to be won, the young men of the country must sacrifice all personal ambition and possibly their lives for their country. Leon Cooper's story reveals that he gets more than he bargained for. He must serve under a sadistic commander whose behavior is more threatening than that of the Japanese. Commander Boda takes an instant dislike to Lieutenant Cooper and throughout the war repeatedly attempts to get him killed.

This unique account reveals more than the story of life aboard ship during combat. It tells the tale of a man's inhumanity to men. A group of soldiers aboard ship during combat are subjected to inhumane rules and punishment, making life all that more unbearable and dangerous. Through Cooper's eyes we follow his daily struggle to deal with death, turmoil, and survival while on board a sadistic commander's ship. We learn how Cooper copes, keeping his integrity and looking out for the lives of his fellow men.

The reader sees young Cooper enter the service with basic expectations and a healthy spirit. Through no fault of his own he is subjected to unnecessary torture by a twisted commander. Leon Cooper, a sensitive intelligent human being, returns home damaged by his military experiences. The story continues and we follow him into marriage, civilian life, and work. We watch him struggle as a scarred war veteran. Down deep we see the anger and how the bitter experiences distort his daily life. Death and torture remain in Leon's psyche and we see how it affects him. Conflict continues as he deals with his own personal hell.

As Cooper nears discharge from the Navy, he renews his relationship with the woman he loves and marries her. He gives her credit for loving and believing in him; thus, giving him the ability to move forward.

What is unique about this book is the story does not end with the culmination of the war nor with Leon Cooper's transition into civilian life. It continues to tell the outcome of one scarred veteran. The trauma dished out by the cruel Commander Boda is further exacerbated due to Cooper's inability to rid himself of his deep seated sense of injustice perpetrated by Boda. We learn that Cooper suffers from uncontrolled fits of anger from time to time and, like millions of soldiers before him, he is in need of helpful therapy. Worse, his uncontrolled anger affects his spouse and his own family life.

Ultimately Leon Cooper learns that his ex-commander has been promoted to Admiral. Driven by a sense of injustice, Cooper takes matters into his own hands and tries to execute Commander Boda. Yet that very act is intervened by the love of his life, his spouse, and an old friend. Further, no prosecution takes place because Commander Boda knows his own criminal past will be revealed if he does take action against his nemesis Cooper. Finally, Cooper gains life advantage through a series of twists of fate where he meets the son of Commander Boda and learns a powerful secret. How Cooper keeps a promise to his spouse to leave revenge to a higher power, yet still gain advantage over the evil Commander Boda, creates a unique ending to this powerful tale. Truth is indeed stronger and stranger than fiction. This is a fascinating story and it is one well worth reading.

Finding and having professional Hollywood writer, Don Tait, help with the editing and text results in a clear well-written narrative. Together Cooper and Tait have created a wonderful book.

I highly recommend this book for everyone able and willing to read a story about World War II and the history of this time.

Clint Eastwood, if you are out there and looking for a script for another compelling movie, this is it! 90 Day Wonder - Darkness Remembered is a heart-wrenching true story of one man's fight for survival through the days of World War II and how that man, on behalf of his family, copes with repatriation into normal civilian life. This war story reviews and explains again what men of that age had to endure for the benefit of The United States of America. Leon Cooper is a war hero and an eighty plus year old survivor, a man to be revered and congratulated for becoming an author and sharing his life story with us all.