Sea Pay by Bob Dorgan is a rollicking tale of an enlisted sailor making the most of his time in the United States Navy during the late 70s and early 80s. The straightforward, autobiographical story follows Dorgan through his early years at Valley Forge Military Academy and then onto his Navy career stationed aboard the aircraft carrier the USS Midway. While bending some rules (and breaking others), Dorgan goes into great detail about his day-to-day duties and the wild adventures he and his fellow sailors went on during their precious time off-duty.

Sea Pay is an interesting read. Dorgan’s attention to detail is quite remarkable. As an electrician working in the E Division of the ship’s engineering department, the author’s duties amounted to more than mere grunt work. His descriptions of the internal workings of the Midway really paint quite a picture. I could imagine working in the bowels of a steam-powered aircraft carrier and just how exciting (or miserable) that could be.

As he familiarizes himself with his duties and the rest of his crew, Dorgan does get up to some unsavory practices to increase his “sea pay.” I’m not sure how many boy scouts would approve of his other enterprises. While Sea Pay is a nice slice of enlisted life, it does run aground on the technical side of things.

Bob Dorgan’s writing style is extremely literal. Almost every detail is specifically told, but little is shown. There’s a kind of emotional detachment. For example, after an entire chapter describing “wild” liberty in Thailand, he rather nonchalantly ends the chapter with, “We were sorry to hear that several of our shipmates did not make it back to the ship alive, victims of the big H—heroin. They were gone but not forgotten.” It’s a jarring end, and there is little to no reflection by the author.

Sea Pay is a fascinating depiction of Navy life from that particular time told from the viewpoint of someone that was living it. This true story account will give readers an inside look at life on an aircraft carrier.

Pages: 356 | ASIN : B0B23CJ8S7