BOOK NOOK REVIEW

I Remember the Yorktown

November 26, 2008 at 12:53 p.m.

By Jill Williams

Fresh out of the Navy Machinist Service School in Norfolk, VA, Gene Domienik was hoping to be assigned to a carrier. His hopes were realized when he was assigned to the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier in the Atlantic. The author would be transported to the Yorktown via the USS Kilauea, an ammunition ship. It was on this ship he would experience his first battle station under fire. As the USS Kilauea navigated the Boston Harbor, a German submarine was detected and bombed. The young soldiers did not know what was going on. They were not sure if the Atlantic Coast was going to be attacked. Eventually the young sailors were transported to the USS Yorktown where they would be trained in their assignments.

The author was assigned to the M division (main propulsion), which provided the main power source to the Yorktown, and also the main source of water for fighting fires. They controlled the turbines that turned the screws, which propelled the ship. He was also trained to be a Fireman Second Class. In these relatively peaceful times on board, the sailors were given Liberty. They could leave the ship when it was docked, and they could visit their families. They enjoyed a feast of a Thanksgiving dinner on board, and sent the menus home to their loved ones to show how well they were doing. They were looking forward to Christmas when they would see their families again.

Then Pearl Harbor changed everything. Leave was cancelled. Repairs necessary to the Yorktown were cut short, given only 48 hours to fix what they could, when it needed 3 months of work to be done. It was needed in the war, and with the destruction in Pearl Harbor, our country could not afford to lose any time. As quickly as possible, the old biplanes were off loaded and more modern aircraft were loaded onboard, along with some new 20mm guns.

The young soldiers again wondered if the Atlantic Coast would be attacked, because they were in the Atlantic and they did not know what they were being equipped so quickly for. When the Yorktown passed through the Panama Canal into the Pacific, they got a little better idea of what they were headed toward. The Yorktown had been repainted to hide its identity, and now as it passed into the Pacific, it would be a surprise offensive against the Japanese Navy.

During wartime, the crew went without many amenities for long stretches of time. They were not allowed to communicate their assignment or whereabouts to their loved ones. The Navy censored their letters to protect their position in the Pacific Ocean, helping to make offensive strikes again the Japanese Navy, as well as protecting the Australian Coast. In this effort, the USS Yorktown partook in the Battles of the Coral Sea, and at Midway, where it gave everything for its country.

The author gives us an inside look into what it was like during his time in World War II, between November 1941 and June 1942. It's a very interesting book, and if you want more information, please see the author's Website at www.yorktownmemoriesdomienik.com where you will learn more about the author's navy career (he was awarded the American Theater Ribbon, Asiatic Pacific Ribbon with 7 stars, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 2 stars, American Defense Ribbon with "A" and a Good Conduct Medal) and learn that he currently lives in Venice, Florida with his wife.

Jill does laundry for a 7 year old who thinks he's too old for toys, a 5 year old gymnast, a 5 year old niece who has joined the family, and a 3 year old computer whiz. She also occasionally irons her husband's suits. In between loads, Jill loves to read.