CHIPS OFF THE OLD BLOCK
Lt. Roy Swift, the intelligence officer for the CVE 21, had been a newspaper editor in Texas prior to joining the Navy. He wanted to create an information paper that could be given to the crew that went beyond the daily reports. He also wanted to create some kind of document that members of the crew could send home to their families. As a result, CHIPS was born.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CHIPS
HOT OFF THE PRESS!
“VALOR AND COURAGE…The Story of the USS Block Island Escort Carriers in World War II” by Historian Benjamin J. Hruska.
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO PURCHASE A KEEPSAKE FOR YOURSELF AND FAMILY MEMBERS
“In Valor and Courage, Dr. Benjamin Hruska tackles a daunting task–the full story of two WW II escort aircraft carriers bearing the same name. Thus, ‘Fighting Block Island’ became a byword for the ‘baby flattops’ that fought Germany in the Atlantic and Japan in the Pacific. But far more than ships and aircraft, Valor and Courage properly focuses on the men of both vessels who remain an inspiration for their current heirs operating nuclear-powered descendants and supersonic jets.”
– Barrett Tillman, author of On Wave and Wing: The 100-Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier
Note: Book is available at Amazon.com for around $55.00
From the Author, Dr. Ben Hruska: “I still remember back in the summer of 2003 when I served as the summer intern at the Block Island Historical Society (BIHS) on Block Island, Rhode Island. It was here on the third floor of the museum, surrounded by the local history of this small New England island, where I began to find random boxes containing World War II naval history. These boxes, with postmarks from such states as Utah and Kentucky, held donated items from veterans on the history of the two escort carriers both names USS Block Island. My interest was stirred. At the BIHS, I produced an exhibition on the ships; this was soon followed by my traveling New England states interviewing veterans. In 2005 & 2006, I attended USS Block Island Association reunions and met more people connected to the vessels. In 2007, The USS BI Association held their reunion in Providence, Rhode Island which allowed for a day trip to Block Island to see the bell of CVE 106 proudly on display in Legion Park. From here the history of the carriers, and how veterans remembered their service, was the basis of my dissertation at Arizona State University. And finally, this monograph published by the University of Alabama Press. This book would not have been possible without veterans seeking to remember their experiences via personal memoirs, the publication of CHIPS over the decades, and veterans telling me about their experience in oral interviews. I wish to express my thanks to all those veterans and family members who helped in ways large and small. Happy reading!