|
|
HEY, WHO YOU CALLING "BOOTCAMP", HUH???
USS Compton DD 705 Reunion in Branson, Mo April 2008  Taken November 2007 after a Veterans Day Ceremony at the high school On my novel, Black Oil Chief, USN: Is the book worthy of reading? I just received this from Ohio: "I JUST FINISHED READING YOUR BOOK. IT REALLY GETS HOLD OF YOU AND WON'T LET GO! EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, JUST BETWEEN YOU AND I, I GOT CHOKED UP A TAD, YEP. I DID. YEP, DARN GOOD BOOK. THINK JUST MAYBE THE LORD WILL BE PROUD OF YOU. NOW THAT I READ THIS BOOK, JUST MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, I CAN GET SOMETHING DONE AROUND HERE. GOOD READ!" CMS Middletown, Ohio January 08 "Mr. Bill. My daughter gave me your book for Christmas. Once I started reading it, it was hard to put down. As a Yeoman in the Navy I never experienced the life or times of the real workers, the real sailors, but I could just imagine, reading your book how interesting and exciting your job was. I want to read your next book. Please put me on your mailing list!: BL Dallas, TX Still, another one. This from South Carolina: "It kept me interested all the way. I am not a qualified as a critic, but I will say that your objective of promoting Christianity was well done!" Harold Wade author of "COLD WAR FIGHTER PILOT". ORDER YOUR COPY OF THIS WELL-WRITTEN BOOK BY E-MAILING MR. WADE AT Another one: "Chief Bill. Book read! Good read! Congratulations! Nice job! JL, Wisconsin (Master Chief Boiler Technician, USN) Subject: Fantastic!!! "Although I had great faith in your writing abilities, you overwhelmed me! Read the whole thing in three days---the ending was perfect!! And there has to be a sequel. You developed Phil so well that another book is a natural. Phil now has a life! Great book!!!" Major Albert Perez, USAF (Ret) Lockhart, Texas ___  _______________________________________________________________________________ BLACK OIL CHIEF, USN: Exciting, vivid characters, pure Navy, with a Christian undertone, sure to please!!!
I am very excited about my book, BLACK OIL CHIEF, USN, finally being published. After many revisions and changing the characters a bit, which involved mega skull labor and countless rewrites, I now really feel that I have the novel that I have looked for all these years. But, gee, it now frightens me a bit to know that this story will go PUBLIC soon. It's sort of like being a cop again in that I am "putting it on the line". I am thankful that I have studied the craft of fiction all these years while writing the novel. While I think it's a great book, I am only the author. You're the reader. You judge...when the book comes out. I will let all know when this great event happens. SPECIAL NOTE: I would like to give special thanks to the thousands of crew members of USS Waldron DD 699, the Naval Historical Museum in Washington and its curator, Finney Jr, Edwin who was also a crew member of Waldron: edwin.finneyjr@navy.mil for allowing me to use their "prized" ship photo for the cover of my novel. Many thanks, guys. God bless.
Black Oil Chief, USN "marketing" synopsis:
With its action-packed boiler room operations and crew conflicts, Black Oil Chief, USN parallels with Richard McKenn' s The Sand Pebbles. It is the story of Chief Boiler Technician Phillip Keith, three weeks short of his 20 year retirement goal.
Expecting an easy voyage to the USA from the Philippines aboard a modern cruiser, Keith is suddenly transferred to a WWII destroyer. Young women assigned to his division make efforts to awaken his spiritual awareness, but the hardcore chief shuns their attempts.
The captain assigns Keith the secret mission of securing proof that the ship is being used to smuggle drugs. The drug leader, Elwood, vows he will stop at nothing to get the cache of "goods" Stateside, even if it means murder...again!
While Keith struggles with emotions for one of the women, he encounters conflict with a deckhand named Lynch. Lynch has Keith put on report for assaulting him. Keith gets his due in a "first time ever revealed" fire room scene.
Discovering the drug culprits, Keith and a woman, Kris Palmer, are intercepted by Elwood. In a hurricane-like storm, they are bound together and thrown overboard. Not even the ship's mascot, a beagle, can save them!
The novel ends in a "never before used" spiritual twist that will satisfy any reader.
Navy duty stations of Chief Bill Sneed, USN (Ret): USS Howard D. Crow DE 252 (Reserve while in high school 1958 & '59) USS Robert H. McCard DD 822 (Active duty July 1960) Reenlisted into Regular Navy Feb '62 USS Compton DD 705 (Newport, R.I.) (advanced to 1st Class, E-6) Voted "Best Ship" of my Navy career USS Dyess DD 880 (Vietnam, probing inland rivers and along coast)1966 USS Charles H. Roan DD 853 (1966- 1969) Mediterranean Cruise...again! *Discharged from Navy (1968), and joined Merchant Marines, sailing on two merchant ships before re-enlisting back in Navy. Met and married Charlotte Crowell (RN) during this absence from my Navy career. USS Bennington CVS 20 (Vietnam) 1968 Navy Recruiting Branch Station, Corpus Christi, Texas (1969 to April 1972). Made "Chief" on recruiting duty) USS Downes DE 1070 (good ship, good crew, turn to!) - was aboard her from 1975 to 1977. Am going to the 2008 reunion. Hope to see you there, esp Carl Angell and family). Thanks, Chaplain Mike Halley for info.
USS Barbey FF 1088 (good ship and crew; last ship of Naval career) SIMA, San Diego, California (1978 - July 1980) Oct. 07: While I think all my ships I served aboard are very special and I love every one of them, I can't go to every reunion as this would cost a lot of $$, and travel time would be staggering, but I am going to try and go to a few. I plan on attending the USS Jouett reunion in 2008. *Chosen as the best duty station of my 20 year Navy career: USS Compton DD 705 
BLACK OIL CHIEF, USN
Brief Synopsis of book:
Murder. Women aboard a combat ship. Drugs. Crew conflicts. Not conducive to retirement for CPO Phillip Keith, three weeks short of his 20 year goal; especially in a storm when he is thrown overboard. Even the ship's mascot, a beagle, can"t help him. Uplifting spiritual ending.
 
Johnny Cupp Bill Sneed Emile Duchemin John McDougal Ohio/Tennessee Texas New York Conn. Branson USS Compton reunion April 08
|
|
|