Adducent

From Dennis Lowery

James Palmer’s review of ¡El Capitán! | The Making of an American Naval Officer points out something very important. It’s a quality that we sorely need in all aspects of our life… and we need our leaders (corporate, government and military) to exemplify this quality. The traits of: Character, Ethics and Integrity. Their strength or lack of, in individuals, can build or break: our society, our communities, our economy, our government and our personal relationships.

We are so very proud of Frank Gamboa and his book. He exemplifies those three traits at their highest and brightest levels.

Non Sibi Sed Patriae!

Read the complete review: “A Man of Character”.

By Jay M. Siegel

Flotsam & Jetsam | A collection of Sea Stories that have washed ashore during a forty-year career in the United States Navy

As I read Hank McKinney’s book, I was fascinated and amazed by his ability to recount details of every phase of his Navy career, from midshipman to admiral. His recall is truly incredible. And not only does he recall events, he relates them with understanding, with humor, and with depth. Having retired from the Navy after 35 years of service, I look back through a fog of memories. Hank McKinney looks back through a microscope, and one with a crystal-clear lens. For anyone who has served in the Navy this book will bring back memories long-forgotten. For anyone who has not served, the book will entertain, delight, and inform.

Book Review from NewsOK:

Leadership In Action, should be read and studied by those who seek to make a difference. According to the author (retired Rear Admiral Greg Slavonic), honor, courage and commitment must be the cornerstones for our country’s return to greatness.

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Hardcover: 456 pages

ISBN: 978-0984637171

Kindle Edition - ASIN: B005HZDQ7W

In 1958, Frank Gamboa became the first Mexican American from Owens Valley, California, to graduate from the United States Naval Academy. His memoir’s focus is his professional development as a naval officer of the line from 1958 to 1988 in the U.S. Navy’s surface warfare community. It highlights his duties, challenges and opportunities during more than 17 years of sea duty in destroyers, a cruiser, and six amphibious warships operating in the Navy’s Second and Third Fleets; and in frequent and extended deployments in the Sixth and Seventh Fleets during the Cold War.

¡El Capitán! portrays the leadership, management, technical and seamanship skills required to succeed in shipboard billets ranging from division officer to commanding officer and squadron commander, in ranks from ensign to captain. It describes Gamboa’s performance as the first Mexican-American naval surface warfare officer to command a major warship as a Commander, the first to command major warship as a Captain, and the first to command a squadron of amphibious warships as a captain.

Hardcover: 270 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0984551170

Our country has witnessed leadership successes and failures, some large some small, at different times throughout its history. Much like what an individual experiences throughout their life—we all have bad times and good times. Our most recent “bad times” highlight so strongly a number of leadership failures that led to them—that books like this one are necessary. This book provides the reader with a collection of highly successful real-world leaders detailing their own sound fundamental principles on how to lead, what to do as a leader and most importantly—how not to lose sight of the objective of the mission. Corporate America and leaders (or those who want to become more effective leaders) of businesses of all sizes and kinds can learn much from the experiences and guidance shared in this book.

There are fewer things more complicated and high-risk than responsibility for the men and women in our military and our relationship with other nations. No matter the branch, much of the time even routine daily tasks bring with them the reality of people in life or death situations. On the international scene, small errors and incidents are magnified, often having out-sized consequences. To lead in this environment and succeed at the highest levels, takes uncommon courage and skill. To say it is challenging would be an understatement. This book shares details of the men and women who rose to the challenge—in the reading, you can learn from them transferrable skills and qualities that will have just as much success in the business world as they have proven in the military.

Those who contributed to this book would rightly be on a “Who’s Who” list of our nation’s most highly honored and decorated military leaders; two-, three- and four-star Generals, Admirals, Captains and Colonels, war heroes and two Medal of Honor recipients—they know what it takes to lead and to succeed.

Hardcover: 344 pages

ISBN: 978-0984551149

A collection of Sea Stories that have washed ashore during a forty-year career in the United States Navy.

Any veteran of the United States Navy knows about “sea stories”. If you served in the Navy, it is almost a 100% certainty that you’ve heard one (probably many more than just one). And maybe you even told “one or two” yourself.

In a sense, “sea stories” and the tellers of them have all the finest attributes of oral historians and cultures that preserve through Stories the tradition and lore specific to their society. From old to young, handed down in rich detail shared by telling stories—much that we learn in life comes from this medium—and in the service (all branches) older more experienced personnel share much of their knowledge in just such a way. In their finest sense, a Navy sea story carries with it a lesson learned—a small slice of experience and specific circumstance talked about. Often leavened with humor, sometimes touching on the tragic—the cold hard facts of the risks involved—stories of experience help us to connect with our own contextual existence and adjust our thinking based on what we learn from what we hear.

At this writing, the statistic is that only 5% of the U.S. population has served in the military. So the vast majority of citizens of the United States do not know what it means to serve as a member of our armed forces. Service is voluntary—so it become a decision and many choose not to serve. Nothing wrong with that but I think it is important for those who have not served—to gain a better understanding of life inside the military. Hank McKinney’s book provides us a glimpse not often seen, into a life and career that shares some of the humor and tragedy you experience in a 40-year military career. If you had a friend or family member who served in the Navy—you can understand a bit more about their service by reading this book. If they were in the submarine service—you will gain an even stronger understanding.

Story tellers usually have a single intent. To touch the listener – some way and some how. Hank McKinney does that with his stories. For those who have served you’ll see bits of your own service in these stories. And I would be surprised if some of them don’t bring a smile in remembrance. You will also feel the pang of separation from family, an unavoidable price paid by those who serve and their families

As Admiral Frank Kelso so colorfully commented on in his endorsement of this book “The book is a great read and does a wonderful job of telling others what goes on in the steel tube beneath the sea. … It is a delightful chronicle of the professional life of a remarkable naval officer imbued with exceptional intellect and wit.”

You’ll find stories that cover the gamut of experience and responsibility, from midshipman to admiral, told in a refreshing conversational tone. You have permission to come onboard and spend some time with Hank McKinney. You’ll come away with a better understanding and appreciation for the “Silent Service” and the men and women who serve and I guarantee you will learn things that you never knew about what was essentially a critical component of our front line defense during the Cold War.