Another Side of World War II: A Coast Guard Lieutenant in the South Pacific

Lieutenant Fern's warm and personable letters, spanning two years at sea in the South Pacific, offer an alternative view of life aboard ship during World War II. Seizing every opportunity for an adventure, he muses upon his assignment living at sea and its inherent challenges. His varied duties aboard three different ships afford Fern numerous vantage points regarding his unique war experiences. Lieutenant Fern's letters are descriptive, intriguing, and amusing, often evoking smiles and laughter from the reader as he reveals his quick adjustment to life at sea, the camaraderie he readily establishes with his fellow officers and crewmates, and his opportune ventures to the surrounding islands. He embraces every situation with an eagerness for novelty and excitement.

Juliana Fern Patten is a graduate of the University of Denver and holds a Master's in English from the University of New Hampshire. She lives in Maine with her husband and son. After her father's death, she discovered a box filled with letters, photos, and documents still in their postmarked envelopes that he had sent to this mother during his war assignment. These letters inspired Another Side of World War II: A Coast Guard Lieutenant in the South Pacific.