A Sailor's Life

Captain P.A. "Tony" Lilly, Jr., was a sailor from Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation. He fought for our nation in three wars (World War II, Korea and Vietnam), was wounded during the Battle of Surigao Strait, awarded the Bronze Star with Combat "V" for heroism at the Siege of Wonsan, awarded two Legions of Merit during Vietnam, and retired after 30 years of service. Not many naval officers can boast of commanding five Navy ships in their careers.

Tony was primarily a naval officer - hence, the title of his memoirs. But he was also a consummate family man. From the time he fell in love and married Ginger until his deathbed 20 years after she predeceased him, he loved her with a deep and enduring passion. She brought two daughters into the marriage whom he embraced as his own as much as the two sons they had together.

His children describe him as "Mr.-do-it-yourself." They watched him building, fixing, repairing and maintaining everything. He built a bathroom and fine dining room furniture.

Within these pages, you will glean much of the humble man who was Tony. A frugal, patient, and unflappable leader who lost his mother at a tender age and suffered the worst of the Depression. Far from crushing him, the harsh times of Tony's youth steeled him to succeed. Tony modestly writes that he was not scholarly, but his aptitude and drive to succeed and, in fact, his achievements made him as much a scholar as the best.

Here is a chronicle by a consummate gentleman who beat the odds to become one of the unsung heroes of the Greatest Generation. This is his life story as a sailor in his own words.