The, USS O Leary never existed. No destroyer ever had that

name nor the hull number DD 200. However, the O Leary s story

is based on the experiences of the thirteen destroyers of the

Asiatic Fleet during the first months of World War II. The de-

scription of the battles and the ships that fought in them are as

authentic as possible, based on battle reports, the sources listed

below, eyewitness accounts, and the memories and notes of one

of the authors, who served on the destroyer John D. Ford. The

O Leary has been added to the forces that actually took part in

the various engagements in such a way as not to alter accurate

description of the battles. In most cases, the Allied forces were

so inferior that the presence of the extra destroyer would have

been of little consequence.

The officers and men of the O Leary are fictitious, with person-

alities and problems created by the authors. These characters

are similar in many respects to the real men who manned the

Asiatic Fleet destroyers. Those officers and men were a varied

lot, mostly veterans, who made the most of their old ships. Their

courage was above that required in the line of duty, their endur-

ance under difficult weather and living conditions was outstand-

ing, and their devotion to their country and to their Navy was

deserving of the highest-honor. Two destroyers, the John D.