UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURES

Haynes recalls his service in the U.S. Navy in the 1980s in this memoir.

Like many young adults who spent their formative years growing up in the malaise of the ’70s, the author “indulged in endless beer binges and hazy bong parties fueled by mediocre weed.” After graduating high school in Rhode Island in 1973,the author spent his early 20s as an occasionally unhoused blue-collar worker whose temporary abodes spanned from Vancouver to Florida; roaming Disney World’s “pristine grounds dressed as Goofy in a stoned state held a certain allure for me,” he writes. Then came the election of Ronald Reagan, who increased spending to the U.S. military. Despite his rocky past, Haynes joined tens of thousands of other “90-day wonders” who raced through Naval Officer Candidate School to join a revitalized Navy. The author’s memoir then surveys his decade of service, starting in 1980, blending humor with astute observations of naval life. The clash between evolving social mores and the Navy’s strict regulations plays a significant role in the book’s 60-plus chapters. There were plenty of opportunities for sailors to “blow off steam [by] drinking or having sex,” writes Haynes, but they also dealt with more serious matters. When a married second-class petty officer marched in a gay pride parade in uniform, against regulations, it prompted an intense debate among the officers that lasted for days. Later, the appearance of white supremacist graffiti carved into a ship’s bulkhead led Haynes to dress down a man under his command. Haynes, a gifted storyteller and the author of multiple memoirs, short stories, and works of historical nonfiction, paints an engaging and nuanced picture of naval life during the ’80s. Overall, the author looks back with pride on his service, but he freely admits to “mixed feelings” to his readers, particularly given his “natural dislike of authority” while in a position that required him to enforce the mandates of commanding officers. He also ably places his service in the wider context of the decade’s politics and culture.

An often astute account of military life during the Reagan years.