In his memoir, “A Flash of Green:  Memories of WWII”, the late Charles S. McCandless recounts his World War II experiences in the Pacific Theater – first as a naval aviator and then as a Seabee.  McCandless brings the history of pivotal battles alive with his vivid descriptions and engaging style.

The author opens his memoir with accounts of his life before the war—his first jobs after graduating from Stanford in 1939 and his trip to Hawaii in 1941.  With war impending, he becomes a naval aviator. His war experiences began on December 7, when he was near the USS Arizona when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.  He goes on to describe being shot down at the Battle of Midway, crashing at Guadalcanal, and doing underwater reconnaissance as a frogman at Iwo Jima.  Narrated with striking clarity, the memoir gives the reader a glimpse into historical events in America’s history and the on-the-ground realities of the war.