U.S.N. AND PASS THE AMMUNITION

The third of the chaplain books of the year, and the best of the trio, with considerably more substance for the general reader in both action and human interest. Forgy, young naval chaplain of the cruiser New Orleans, on deck during the Pearl Harbor debacle, originated the now ubiquitously assigned ""praise the Lord and pass the ammunition"" as he walked from sailor to sailor, giving help where he could. This is the story of that ship and her men; she went through big actions, Coral Sea and the sinking of the Lexington and the rescue of 700 survivors; the Midway action and victory, thanks to Torpedo 8. Finally the battle off Lunga Point when she lost her bow and many of her best men. It is also the story of the spiritual and personal contacts sustained by Forgy with the men, -- the boy who was afraid but died without fear; Lee, his closest friend; the pacifist who set theory aside; Chaves, the Mexican boy of fifteen who lost a hand; wives and girls, the sometimes unknown dead, the sick bay and Doo Evans, etc. Not too distinguished in style, sometimes sentimental, but with a popular pull.