This is Latch The Story of Rear
Admiral Roy F. Hoffman
By
Weymouth D. Symmes
(529 pages)
Reviewer: James Mullins
Overall
Rating: Four Stars--Highly Recommended.
An
excellent book.
Weymouth D.
Symmes’, “This is Latch The
Story of Rear Admiral Roy F.
Hoffmann”, provides a detailed
and exciting look at a real
“navy type” hero. He comes
across as an understanding,
compassionate, true leader of
men who knows how to get the
best out of them by example, by
giving them a great deal of
responsibility early in their
careers and handing out
compliments or “a kick in the
ass” as he did on one memorable
occasion to a watch officer on
the bridge who was not paying
close attention to his duties.
He started his
career as an enlisted man in the
V-12 Officer Program, graduated
from Notre Dame in NROTC Program
and went aboard USS QUICK
(DD-490), which was converted to
a high speed destroyer
minesweeper during his service.
On several ships during his
career he observed what makes a
good officer in relationship
with other officers and the
enlisted men. He soon realized
that it was the chief petty
officers and long service
enlisted men that ran the navy,
a message he never forgot.
Discharged after
the end of WWII and the draw
down of men, he stayed in the
reserves. This led to his call
back during the Korean War and
service in the USS HUBBARD, the
USS CROMWELL—serving as
commanding officer, a tour at
the Naval War College and
skipper of USS CHARLES F. ADAMS
(DDG-2).
The next
assignment is the crux of the
book, while he served as
commander of Task Force 115
comprised of minesweepers, LSTs
and mostly fast small craft
swift boats, Coast Guard
cutters, some SEALS and US Army,
Marines and Vietnamese troops
that either supported or were
supported by the boats. The
story of their near suicidal
trips up long, narrow creeks
gives a hair-raising story of
this kind of war that was fought
against the Viet Cong and North
Vietnamese Army. The last
portion of the book deals with
the formation of the Swift Boat
Association and their battle
against John Kerry’s run for
president.
An interesting
aspect of the book is the
author’s reporting with exacting
detail the mood of the country
prior to World War II as well as
the radio programs, books we
read and movies we watched. He
continues this type of report
throughout the book. Old Tin Can
Sailors will recognize many
officer types, both good and
bad, and also various types of
shipmates.
Availability:
Available through: Amazon.com
To contact Weymouth D. Symmes go to www.warontherivers.com
|