I’ve only been in one submarine, and that was just a short tour of a sub that was docked.
In fact, the idea of being stuffed into a big can underwater used to seem pretty uninteresting to me. But, Gary Penley made a career of it.
Gary enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1960, completed Nuclear Power School, and went on to a series of adventures, mishaps, and humorous events that totaled seven years.
During that time, his experiences included a large hole being torn in the ballast tank, a ferocious storm in the Arctic, working in an older diesel sub, and being attacked while on a secret mission in the Mediterranean during the Six-Day War.
An attack described by Penley would be of particular interest to anyone delving into hidden history mysteries. It involves what he claims was an assault on a U.S. ship by “friendly” forces that, supposedly, was subsequently covered up.
What was this event? It was an inexplicable Israeli attack on the ship Liberty that filled it with 800 holes and damaged her beyond repair.
Deep Venture by Gary Penley
Gary Penley’s new memoire Deep Venture invited me to join him in his training, work in nuclear submarines, and made me want to know more.
Penley’s gift as a writer is his ability to make his book easily readable, but also highly informative. He introduces and excites you about underwater life in the U.S. Navy without dragging you into the minute details that would distract from the story.
In addition, Gary Penley smartly spices up the read by exploring many unexpected aspects of this lifestyle, from practical jokes to unnerving technical issues.
Deep Venture, from Pelican Publishing, is a book that appeals to both the casual reader and the submarine enthusiast.
As he states in the prologue, "This is no bull."
It’s a real account of real experiences. The reader is presented with a variety of personalities and the impact they have on the author's experience as well as his life.
You also share a recruit’s internal questioning whether boot camp was really just a form of brainwashing, having torpedoes shot at him, and facing his cultural misconceptions while in Japan.
You will also discover a few suprising insider secrets, like how submarines use cold water entering, and warm water exiting, the Mediterranean to slip in and out of the area. You'll read a poem from his brother, bar scenes, and even an episode involving catching a chicken.
You'll read about how another member of the crew’s cruelty to a local girl almost got him killed. You'll share the fear and courageous actions during an attack on his own submarine.
All the while, the narrative is filled with Gary’s characteristic wise-cracking and practical jokes.
The language is a little salty at times, but not really a surprise in a true account of submariners. It’s nothing worse than you’ll hear on at least half of what’s on the television these days.
Any man that can be published with such a wide range of works like his Deep Venture nonfiction book about his years in submarines; his novel Jubal set in 1930s Mississippi Delta; the biography Della Ray about a bright girl wrongly imprisoned in mental institution for several decades; and the American West memoire Rivers of the Wind, has to be a writer worth a peek.
© Mark Dorr, All Rights Reserved
Photo reference:http://bluejacket.com/usn_sub_image_nuc.html
Photo reference:http://www.gatosubs.com/mknavcal63amberjack.htm
Photo reference:http://www.ourcoloradonews.com/tellercounty/life/adventure-goes-deep-in-divide-author-s-new-book/article_c8a9c44b-5ed1-5391-bdeb-dac5d0913051.html
Photo reference: http://pelicanpub.com/proddetail.asp?prod=9781589808706
Mark Dorr grew up the son of a treasure hunter. His experiences and education led to working internationally in a variety of unique and amazing situations. MarkDorr has 40 post(s) at Top Secret Writers
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