A work of fiction based on a true story. What Rotten Eggs follows a Coast Guard Lieutenant as he begins a tour as the new commanding officer on a military base. The base is on a small, desolate island, Iwo Jima, Japan.
While he wasn't sure quite what to expect on the island, Lieutenant Roy Fisher absolutely never could have predicted what happened. In his first week, a crew member went insane, another threatening to knife him in his sleep, he experiences a life-or-death decision with a sailor in shock, and then the doctor is seriously injured forcing him to act as the doctor. One crew member was so distraught he tried to sail 700 miles to Tokyo on a homemade raft. While dealing with all this, the new commanding officer realizes that someone on the base is working to make him fail. At first, he believes that his crew is a bunch of rotten eggs. As he gains experience and gets to know the men better, he realizes that isolation is the problem.
The story is interesting because it deals with the problems that arise from being isolated from friends and family and looks at ways of dealing with them. It also shows that confidence and creativity can go a long way to solving problems. With the isolation we all experienced lately with Covid-19, that theme seems a little closer to home.
This book also explores the power of the subconscious mind. Readers should take away that the subconscious mind plays an important role in our lives. It also shows that dealing with adversity can make you stronger.
About the Author
Daniel M. White was born in 1938 in New York City. He graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1962. He served as the commanding officer of Loran Station Iwo Jima 1965-1966. After military service he spent thirty years in the high-tech industry. He worked for both IBM and Apple Computer. He is retired and lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His hobbies include writing, traveling, golf, gardening, bridge, and amateur hypnosis. He is married and has three grown daughters, five grandchildren and one great grandchild. A second great grandchild is on the way.