Customer Reviews

Lucky Sweetbrier: Coast Guard Cutter Survives WWII Okinawa Kamikazes, Typhoons and more...

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This book is a well written, interesting view of the men who served on this ship and their interactions. It is honest and doesn't gloss over the reality of the real personalities of real people in a difficult period in our history.
Most "History" is bunk (as Henry Ford is credited with saying), and tells the "spin" of the winners and the rich and the powerful. This is a very good example of what history should be. The book also includes chapters on the devastating attacks on USS LST-808 and battleship USS Pennsylvania.

This is a terrific oral history of a workhorse Coast Guard cutter in WWII told by its radioman, Tanney Oberg. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Oberg at a Coast Guard event this past year and he is a delightful man as well as a gifted writer in the Studs Terkel style. If you like oral histories (i.e. Terkel's "The Good War" and his other work) you'll enjoy this book. It's an easy and facinating read.

If you're looking for dramatic tales of Halsey, Nimitz, MacArther and other fellows with stars on their collars cutting their way through the Pacific to converge on Japan you won't find it here. This is a story of working Joes on a hard working warship doing a difficult, unheralded, but important job. Mr. Oberg makes no effort at overdramatizing events or spinning the facts. What you get is the unvarnished truth about life aboard the USCGC Sweetbrier during its war service, including its combat action.

This is a must read for Coasties and a terrific selection for history buffs everywhere. Bravo Zulu Mr. Oberg! Thanks for the wonderful read and thanks to you and your shipmates for your service.

This is a must read for any former Bouy Tender Sailor. The story covers alot of ground including how the 180' bouy tenders took on typhoons and kept on doing their job while under attack. These ships were the great work horses of the Coast Guard and their work saved many lives. Well Done and thanks for telling the story like it was.

I really enjoyed the book. I had heard that there were a lot of Coast Guard manned ships in the war zone of WWII but had not read any books on the subject. I served on this ship in the 1970's and did not know of her war exploits.