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Five Years at Sea
Escape from Korea
When Surrender Was Not an Option
Nine Years in the Saddle
Endorsements
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Five Years at Sea is a fast moving, first hand account of events that made world-wide headlines, taking you from San Diego to Shenzhen--and just about everywhere else you can imagine and puts you right in the middle of shipboard navy life. If you enjoy tales of unimaginable adventure, military intrigue, and cultural encounters, you'll want to spend some serious time with this book!
Lynn Woolley,
syndicated radio talk show host
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James Lee has written the book that all of us who enjoyed our Navy careers wish that we had written.
John Sigler
Rear Admiral, USN (Retired)
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As one of the individuals who went to sea with James Lee, I can assure you he has captured the parts of the journey we both shared with amazing clarity. The adventure of foreign ports and their unique culture, the challenges at sea, and the most meaningful part of being a Sailor--that of camaraderie and teamwork with your shipmates--are described with such accuracy that I relive that deployment again through his words. Just as Richard Henry Dana wrote about life at sea in the age of sail, Jim has captured the day to day life at sea in the modern age.
Philip H. Cullom,
Rear Admiral, USN
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What an adventure! This book is rich in adventure, beauty, and human interaction. I recommend it highly, especially to those who admire a strong individual with a soft touch.
Daniel G. Page,
PACE Coordinator (Retired)
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Five Years at Sea 
Preface:
This book is dedicated to the hundreds of sailors and marines who were members of various classes that I taught as part of the Program for Afloat College Education (PACE) during sixteen deployments on thirteen different ships of the United States Navy.
After I wrote Nine Years in the Saddle, I autographed the book in book stores all across the United States. The short biography in the back of the book caught the attention of readers who noted that I had traveled the world teaching college courses aboard United States Navy ships. Many began to encourage me write about those experiences that spanned five years from 1989 to 1994 on most of the oceans of the world as well as visits to nearly forty countries. I had kept a journal of all those travels for the benefit of my wife so that she could vicariously enjoy my travels. For some time, I wrestled with the best way to present those experiences. After advice from some of my readers, I decided to simply keep the journalistic writing style. This method of presentation allows the reader to see my ongoing interaction with my students, other shipboard personnel, the mission of the various ships and my reaction to world events affecting those missions, and my experiences with people in foreign countries.
Most civilians have never heard of the PACE program, but in the 1970s, the navy introduced shipboard personnel to the opportunity to acquire undergraduate college credits from various colleges. Sailors at sea couldn’t go to college, so the navy took the college to them by bringing on board qualified college instructors to teach any course requested by the ship’s command. It’s the responsibility of participating colleges to find the teachers wherever they may be located in the United States.
Central Texas College in Killeen, Texas, had such a contract with U. S. Navy and I was just one of many instructors from throughout the United States. My subject matter was English, which I taught at the freshman and sophomore levels. I also taught Basic English, basic math, and basic reading for sailors who more or less fell through the cracks in high school. A few eventually became naval officers. Others obtained university degrees after serving their enlistments. Some earned their G.E.D and moved on to advanced training.
Few of the ships really had adequate space to hold classes, so it was necessary to improvise. Often the spaces used for classes were either too hot or too cold and located near noise from the ship’s equipment. Shipboard activities such as general quarters, flight operations, or refueling operations frequently interrupted classes. Yet these dedicated young men persevered under conditions that would dismay the typical land-based scholar. They were the sole justification for my adventure of a lifetime, and I owe them my thanks for allowing me to be a part of their lives. They were some of the best students I ever had.
James V. Lee
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Author
James V. Lee
Table of Contents
1. Adrift
2. USS Belknap CG-26
3. USS Stein FF-1065
4. USS John F. Kennedy CV-67
5. USS Gridley CG-21
6. USS John F. Kennedy CV-67 (Deployments 2 and 3)
7. USS O'Brien DD-975
8. USS Cushing DD-985
9. USS Orion AS-18
10. USS Austin LPD-4
11. USS Barnstable County LST-1197
12. USS Wasp LHD-1
13. USS Guadalcanal LPH-7
14. USS Harry E. Yarnell CG-17
15. USS Belknap CG-26
16. USS Mobile Bay CG-53
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