THE LONG WATCH

Charles Smart was living the country life as farmer intellectual when World War II began. He wanted to do something for his country and to see how it was, so he joined the Navy as an Apprentice Seaman at thirty-seven. He came out of the war a Lieutenant and Commanding Officer of his third and last ship; he had seen service in New Guinea, in the English Channel during D-Day, and again in the Pacific during the securing of Okinawa. The initial reaction ""My God, this man is a writer!"" of the officials aside, he got along very well indeed, as witness his record, valued the men he worked with -- and they him (his most treasured memory, a personal hand salute from his crew as he left his ship). This modest, agreeable recall is by way of a personal hand salute in return to the men and women, ""usually humble, like those you have seen in these pages, who love life and who are intent on doing, within their limits, good jobs of it."" It seems more a private than a public report and one is led to wonder whether it will get up any steam or be lost at sea.