DENVER, Jan. 31, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- For 56 years the World War II carrier U.S.S. Franklin has been known as the "ship that would not sink." In his new book, Saving Big Ben (now available from 1stBooks Library) Peter J. Prato, Ph.D. recounts the events surrounding the unsinkable Franklin that stands in history as the most damaged ship to survive World War II.
On March 19, 1945 when Japanese bombs severely damaged the carrier U.S.S. Franklin, the crew refused to abandon ship. Captain Leslie Gehres' defiant words, "Abandon her? Hell no! She's still afloat!" demonstrate the great strength of the fearless officers and men who served aboard this ship. In recognition of their courage on that fateful day in 1945, the Franklin's crew was awarded the greatest number of decorations ever granted to a single crew in naval history.
Dr. Prato derived many of the book's details from the Deck and Action Logs of the U.S.S. Franklin that the U.S. Navy declassified during the early 1960s. The book also depicts some of the events and values of this historic time through a fictional love story.
Also a Navy veteran, Prato served aboard the U.S.S. Altamaha during the latter part of World War II. After the war ended, Prato met some of the crewmen who had rescued the Franklin, and their compelling stories inspired Prato to write Saving Big Ben.
In addition to Saving Big Ben, Prato is the author of three additional books Reflections of a Soul's Journey, a book of poetry, Certainty from Uncertainty, a text for spiritual enhancement, and Financial Freedom for Women, a book of financial resources exclusively for women.
ABOUT 1STBOOKS LIBRARY: The only profitable print-on-demand and eBook publishing company of its kind, 1stBooks Library was founded in 1997 and has helped more than 7,000 authors publish their works. For more information, visit www.1stbooks.com and click the "Media" image at the top of the page.