An Eyewitness to History: An Autobiography by Frank Eldon Graves

Frank Eldon Graves was born in 1922 a few miles south of Honey Grove, Texas. At the ineligible age of 14 he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, and shortly thereafter, he joined the US Marines. As a very young Marine he personally witnessed the bombing of Pearl Harbor and later, on the decks of the USS Enterprise and USS Montpelier, he was involved in many of the various battles of the war. Almost killed by Japanese suicide bombers, he saw many others perish by his side. -- It should be mentioned that, because of it's outstanding service during WWII, the USS Enterprise is known as one of the most decorated ships in Naval history. -- Frank was also one of the few to be "volunteered" as a close-up witness to an atomic bomb test. His life; from the poverty stricken early years as a child, through his career as a Marine and his life after the Marines; is an incredible read. Without a high school diploma he rapidly rose up through the ranks of the Marines from a recruit to an officer. After retiring from the service as a Captain, he went on to college, eventually becoming a college professor and later part of the administration. It is a very entertaining autobiography, chuck full of history and humor.