Although little known and mostly anonymous, members of the “Dungaree Navy” are irreplaceable contributors to the operations, maintenance and readiness of the U.S. battle force. They include a variety of tugboats, barges, floating dry docks, lighters and scores of other “blue collar” vessels, such as range tenders, floating derricks and ferries. Taken all together, the Navy’s behind-the-scenes workhorses are collectively known as “service craft.”
With more than 500 photos, this unique book provides the histories and discusses the operations and characteristics of more than 4,000 ships, boats, and other craft in some 140 classifications and types that have served in the Navy as utility vessels from World War I to today. This comprehensive work includes such rare listings as drone aircraft catapult ships, light salvage lift craft, and radiological repair barges. In addition, readers will discover a virtual flotilla of houseboats, dredges, torpedo trials craft, and many other behind-the-scenes ships and boats.

Ken W. Sayers is a former naval officer who served on board a Pacific Fleet destroyer escort and in the Pentagon on the staff of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs). An IBM veteran, he lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Ken W. Sayers
Format: softcover (8.5 x 11)
Pages:
Bibliographic Info: ca. 530 photos, glossary, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9006-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5363-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi
Foreword: Is This Heaven? by Clare Milliner 1
Preface 5
Introduction 9
Part I. My Story 13
1. The Early Years 14
2. The Artist’s Choice 26
3. College, Career and Crash 30
4. Life Interruptus: My Hero’s Journey 43
Part II. Talking ­Old-Time Community 65
Instrument Builders 69
5. Bart Reiter 70
6. Patrick “Doc” Huff 77
7. Pete Ross 84
8. Zachary Hoyt 90
9. Bill Rickard 98
10. William Seeders Mosheim 103
Performers and Teachers 109
11. Rayna Gellert 110
12. David Holt 119
13. James “Sparky” Rucker 129
14. Clare Milliner 140
15. Mac Benford 147
16. Sheila Kay Adams 154
17. Paul Brown 163
18. John McCutcheon 172
Historians and Authors 181
19. Dwight Diller 182
20. Bill Malone 188
21. Dom Flemons 198
22. Tim Brooks 209
Part III. In the Company of Music 227
23. Clifftop 228
24. Why Play ­Old-Time Music? 250
25. How Music Works Magic: A Conversation with Josh Turknett 259
Epilogue: An Invitation to Join the Fun 273
Bibliography 275
Index 277