Norman Jack “Dusty” Kleiss (1916–2016) grew up in Coffeyville,
Kansas, during the Great Depression, before attending the United
States Naval Academy, from which he graduated in 1938. A
carrier-based pilot of Scouting Squadron Six attached to USS
Enterprise, he was awarded the Navy Cross and Distinguished Flying
Cross. Captain Kleiss (USN, Ret.) was married to his wife, Jean,
for more than sixty years before her passing in 2006.
Timothy J. Orr is an associate professor of military history at Old
Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. He is author and editor
of Last to Leave the Field and Cities at War.
Laura Lawfer Orr is the deputy education director at the Hampton
Roads Naval Museum, the U.S. Navy’s official museum in Norfolk.
“Never Call Me a Hero is a rare and precious gift from a
significant warrior to his posterity. Published posthumously, Dusty
Kleiss’s stirring memoir contradicts his own title: Kleiss
willingly accepted the risks that defined his heroism, and changed
the course of the Second World War.” — BARRETT TILLMAN, author of
Enterprise: America’s Fightingest Ship and On Wave and Wing: The
100-Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier
“Lieutenant Kleiss is one of history’s ultimate unsung heroes. In
this remarkable memoir, the decorated dive-bomber pilot tells a war
story for the ages. Dusty Kleiss’s name should be known to every
American-adult and schoolchild alike. This book will teach you
something on every page.” — JAMES D. HORNFISCHER, author of The
Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and The Fleet at Flood Tide
“Laced with humor, ‘Dusty’ Kleiss’s memoir is an honest, riveting
account of a brave pilot’s life. Never Call Me a Hero is equally a
vivid and unforgettable first-hand view into America’s greatest
victory at sea.” — DAN HAMPTON (USAF, Ret.), recipient of the
Distinguished Flying Cross and bestselling author of Viper Pilot
and Lords of the Sky
“A real treasure. …It is hard to conceive that a better
first-person book on the first six months of America’s war in the
Pacific will surface. … An instant classic, a front-row seat
on a Pacific war journey that is action-packed throughout.” —
STEPHEN L. MOORE, Dallas Morning News
“Inspiring. … America produced men like Dusty Kleiss in their
millions when they were needed, ordinary men who presented
themselves when called, put on uniforms, and did extraordinary
things. … [Kleiss was] a great American and a hero, whether or not
he fancied the honorific.” — American Spectator
“Incredible. ... A standout autobiography for anyone interested in
bravery, courage, and first-person accounts of military heroics
during World War II.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“Masterful. ... Dusty Kleiss was and remains in a class by himself.
... Much more than a vivid remembrance of his heroic role.” — Naval
History
“Without histrionics or bravado, Dusty Kleiss gives us a
fascinating personal account of this seminal naval battle, and a
great read as well. Never Call Me a Hero lets you feel what it was
like to fight in the Pacific, and to grow up in Depression-era
Middle America, too.” — JONATHAN PARSHALL, co-author, Shattered
Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway
“A riveting narrative about the Battle of Midway. ... A saga of
life in the midst of a war.” — Daily Press
“[Kleiss] helped to turn the tide of the war. ... Conveys the
personal nature of war and honors his fellow flyers who lost their
lives.” — Seapower Magazine
“Anyone interested in naval aviation or the Battle of Midway should
read this book.” — Journal of America’s Military Past
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