Skipper

World War II interrupted Ray Manns college careerin political economy and journalism. At midship man school he chose service in the amphibious corps and was given command of a LCT (a 120 foot vessel.) As a green ensign, learned to lead a crew of a dozen men. Soon they were shipped to the South Pacific. The22-year-old officer encountered unusual situations: being lost among fishing nets in Chesapeake Bay, leading a shore patrol into a rowdy Panama barroom, swimming under the ship to dislodge hawsers , almost losing a sinking ship, fighting a vicious typhoon, beingrun over in a row boat, landing in Luzon close to enemylines, dangling on a line over two ships clashing together in rough weather. In Manila the skipper turned his hand at practicing journalism by investigating the political situation. He interviewed business men, senators , labor leaders, guerillas ,and journalists. He uncovered corruption and the powerful forces at work in a post war political culture . He met a world-famous journalist and traveled with him to the mountain town of Baguio to find out how a former collaborationist to be turned into a patriot so he could be groomed to become president of the Philippines. Life aboard ship was always lively with a scheming cook, an antagonistic exec, anambitious quartermaster, a sympathetic bosun, an emotional gunners mate, and some crew members concerned with alcohol , sex, and liberty. The events actually happened and the characters are real people.