Flight Deck: A Pictorial Essay of A Day in the Life of an Airdale

In an age where most 18 year olds are occupied with iPods and video games, imagine how surreal it would seem for a teen-ager to find himself on an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Edward Atkins' book Flight Deck; A Pictorial Essay of a Day in the Life of an Airdale, from RoseDog Books (www.navy-wwii-memoir.com) is Atkins' personal account of the time when he was an "airdale" aboard the U.S.S Antietam during World War II. In 1944, he attempted to join a Naval program where he would be trained as a commissioned officer, but was turned away for health reasons. These health reasons kept him out of the commissioned service but did not interfere with his enlisting as non-commissioned. He invites the reader to live the life of an Airdale through his eyes; vision faded with time, yet the intense experiences live on in vivid detail. The 355 photographs compiled for this book provide a fascinating look at every aspect of life on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. This book will resonate with anyone with respect for or curiosity about the armed forces and the history of WWII.

Atkins book follows the U.S.S. Antietam from it's building to its launching and into the Pacific where it ran its flight training. The photographs are a breathtaking piece of American history. The U.S.S. Antietam was an Essex-class aircraft carrier, a training ship that was stationed in the Pacific beginning in 1945. Although the crew never saw any "action" they did have extensive training activities and the crew never knew where in the Pacific they were, which led to the belief that the enemy was just over the horizon at all times. There were 100 aircraft on board and flight operations could consist of 90 or more aircraft at a time.

An Airdale's job was simplistic, but not simple, according to Atkins. The Aviation Boatswain's Mates, otherwise known as airdales, play a vital role in the operations of an aircraft carrier. They are responsible for aircraft movement throughout the ship, operating the three giant aircraft elevators, refueling the planes, and directing the catapult launches. They also get to clean up the mess whenever a plane crashes on the deck.

"An Airdale was a very minor player and had a fairly simplistic job: he had to pull wheelchocks, put wheelchocks, push aircraft around the flight deck, put out aircraft fires, and clear up after aircraft crashes," said Atkins. "Simplistic or not, no aircraft could be launched, much less moved, unless and until an Airdale pulled the wheelchock."

At first glance, this book seems to be a collection of memories recounting the days and the tasks of an Airdale - told in "couplets" of text and photographs - yet the hidden secret this book contains is in its photographs and the thoughts of its author. The history of an Airdale is brought to life and honored in this heartfelt and philosophical collection.

"I'll close this book with a citing of the Navy's motto as expressed subsequent to WWII: ‘Honor, Commitment, Courage'," said Atkins. "It means, I believe, the following: Honor in not shirking ones duty, commitment in fulfilling that duty, and Courage in being intrepid in doing that duty. I firmly believe the Airdales of the Antientam were exemplars of that motto, and they did so with quiet determination."

Edward Atkins was an Airdale aboard the U.S.S. Antietam from 1945 to 1946. He earned a degree in Business Administration from Yale in 1950. He then earned a degree in Electrical Engineering and worked for the Navy Department from 1962 until his retirement in 1991. He is the author of three Flight Deck books, of which this is the first volume.