Bill Lawrence served his country for thirty-seven years in a remarkable naval career filled with triumphs and adversities. A naval aviator and test pilot who commanded a fighter squadron in the Vietnam War, he was shot down in combat and held by the North Vietnamese at the notorious Hanoi Hilton prison for six years. During his imprisonment he became a hero among heroes, demonstrating superior qualities of leadership, physical strength, and mental acumen, tap-coding messages to keep his sanity while withstanding solitary confinement and regular torture sessions. Upon release from captivity, Lawrence learned that his wife and the mother of their children had divorced him and remarried. Although these events had a severe emotional impact on him, he resumed his distinguished naval career, rising swiftly through the ranks, remarrying, and being named to such prestigious positions as Commander of the Third Fleet, Superintendent of the Naval Academy, and Chief of Naval Personnel. In this autobiography, Lawrence credits much of his resolve and ability to overcome difficulties to his strong and nurturing parents, his youth in Nashville, Tennessee, his experiences at the U.S. Naval Academy (where he served as brigade commander and earned letters in three varsity sports), and to the love and support of his wife Diane. With the help of his friend and writer Zip Rausa, the admiral tells his story without glossing over the darker elements. This recounting of his path on an extraordinary journey through life is uniquely American and filled with lessons for us all.
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William P. Lawrence graduated from the Naval Academy in 1951 and became the first naval aviator to fly twice the speed of sound in a Navy airplane. He was a POW in Vietnam from 1967 to 1973, when he resumed his naval career. Upon retirement from the Navy in 1986, he became chair of naval leadership at the academy and later served as president of the Association of Naval Aviation. He died in December 2005.
Rosario "Zip" Rausa, Captain, USN (Ret.), is editor of Wings of Gold magazine and the author or coauthor of seven books on aviation-related subjects. A naval aviator for thirty years, he flew 150 combat missions in Vietnam. He has also served as editor of Naval Aviation News and wrote an aviation safety column for the magazine for many years.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Man for All Seasons,
By Richard A. Stratton "The Beak" (Atlantic Beach, Florida United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
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This review is from: Tennessee Patriot: The Naval Career of Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence, U.S. Navy (Hardcover)
As one who served with Admiral Lawrence in the Fourth Allied POW Wing in Hanoi, NVN and later at USNA, Annapolis MD, I can verify that this is a quality look at an ethical officer, gentleman, husband and father - a man for all seasons.
The macho posturing of some fighter pilots, the political posturing of some in the Flag Mess, the rewriting of some in respect to POW history and the tendency of most to make ourselves look good are missing. If you want this bloviating, go someplace else. You can catch the excitement of flight training, the exhilaration of carrier flight operations, the challenge of test piloting, the disappointment of being literally a heartbeat away from the space program, the mundane plodding of being a "horse holder" (Admiral's Aide), the loneliness of Officer of the Deck underway, the delicate balance of civilian control by political appointees (the "Christmas help") & loyalty to one's service and shipmates, the solitary isolation of command and the agony of betrayal - all this in one book - this book. There is no attempt to justify one's life in this work. There is no effort to burnish one's image in the book. There are no craven attacks to get even for real or imagined wrongs. There are not tales told out of school or sly innuendoes directed at those currently in power. If you want this, go read the tabloids - the Washington Post or the NY Times. This is the sometimes exciting, sometimes mundane but always interesting story of a decent human being who tried to make the most of his God given gifts in the service of his country. His only wish was to do what is right. I never heard him ask anything for himself. If your want a refreshing account of the adventures of a true American hero, ethical to the core and loyal to a fault, then you want to obtain this book for your library. It is in mine.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superb naval autobiography,
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This review is from: Tennessee Patriot: The Naval Career of Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence, U.S. Navy (Hardcover)
In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll acknowledge that I knew Admiral Lawrence and always had great admiration for him. This book captures exactly who he was. It conveys his sense of patriotism and dedication to mission. It truly communicates what the career of a highly successful naval officer is like. He takes it step by step from his days as a midshipman through his service as a flag officer after returing from Vietnam, where he was a POW for a number of years. The book is matter of fact and to the point. I truly had the sense that we were sitting together and he was telling me the story of his life. In addition to his achievements as a Naval Aviator and his experience as a POW, Admiral Lawrence held positions of responsibility in the Pentagon, as Superintendant (president) of the Naval Academy, and as a fleet commander. The chapters in which he discussed his youth in Tennessee are also moving, as are his discussions about his family. Anyone who has an interest in what a life of naval service truly entails should be delighted by this excellent autobiography.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tennessee Patrot,
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This review is from: Tennessee Patriot: The Naval Career of Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence, U.S. Navy (Hardcover)
I thoroghly enjoyed the book. I am not completely objective about this since I am a retired Naval Officer, I served on Admiral Lawrence's staff when he was Commander, Third Fleet and I lived just up the street from him on Ford Island.
The book revealed so much about his success in life before and after his POW experience and helped me to understand better why he had such a peaceful and confident demeaner. He was such a wonderful example of positive leadership and had an influence on everyone who knew him. While living on Ford Island, Admiral Lawrence would welcome opportunities to visit with the children of his staff members and presented two of my sons with a picture of the Blue Angels with his greeting and signiture. Twenty years, those two boys are Navy F/A-18 pilots and have a copy of that picture on their "I love me walls". He was a remarkable man and the book is a wonderful read.
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