Gregory A. Freeman


	Frequently Asked Questions about Gregory A. Freeman's Books Answered by the author
	Question: In SAILORS, why didn't you write (or write more) about a particular person? Question: Why don't you use military ranks or the right military terminology in your books? Question: I'm mentioned in SAILORS but I wasn't interviewed by the author. Where did the information come from? Question: I was on the Forrestal and I remember something differently than what is in the book. What gives? Question: Did the Forrestal sail around South America or Africa? Question: Isn't there information indicating the rocket hit another plane on the Forrestal, not John McCain's? Question: Did you serve on the Forrestal? Question: How have the Forrestal vets responded to the book? How about the Operation Halyard vets? Question: Is SAILORS available in paperback? Question: Will a movie be made from any of your books? Question: Have the Forrestal veterans benefited financially from the book? *Question: Have you heard from the descendants of Clyde Manning or John Williams, the two main characters in LAY THIS BODY DOWN?* Question: What was the most interesting part of researching the Forrestal story? Question: I have an idea for a book or magazine article that I think Freeman would like. Should I contact him?
	Question: *In SAILORS,* why didn't you write (or write more) about a particular person?** There were so many people on board the Forrestal during the fire -- more than 5,000 -- that it was impossible to tell everyone's story. It was not possible even to tell the stories of all those who were directly and significantly involved in the fire event. I could have written volumes about the Forrestal and this tragedy, but the book format restricted me to telling the stories of about a dozen people. I tried to mix in a variety of people so that the book gave a glimpse into what happened to everyone on board. If you or a loved one is not mentioned or not addressed in full, it was just a matter of space constraints or whether I heard of a veteran's story in time to include it. To this day, I keep hearing more stories from the Forrestal fire that I wish I could have included in the book but I just didn't hear them in time. Question: Why didn't you use any military ranks or the right Navy terminology? I intentionally avoid military jargon so that the stories will be accessible to a broad audience, not just those who served in the military. One goal of writing these books was to bring this story to the attention of the general public, so I tried hard to write them in a way that anyone could understand. Unfortunately, that can mean leaving out some specifics and glossing over some information that veterans would describe differently. If the books were written only for veterans or military experts, I would have written them very differently and included so much military terminology and detail that the average reader would be confused and lose interest. *Question: I'm mentioned in SAILORS* but I wasn't interviewed by the author. Where did the information come from? I conducted extensive interviews with dozens of veterans and others while researching the Forrestal story, but not with every single person mentioned in the book. (Again, the sheer number of men on the Forrestal precluded talking with everyone.) For some individuals whose stories were relatively brief in the context of the book, I relied on historical records that document what happened to them -- records collected by the Forrestal veterans association, some that came directly from the Navy, and some contemporaneous accounts in the news media. Often, those records included first person reports from the veterans in which they documented their experiences and emotions soon after the fire. Question: I was on the Forrestal and I remember something differently than what is in the book. What gives? In researching this story, I often came across conflicting accounts of what happened that day. One of my jobs as the author was to sort through those different versions of what happened and see if there was any reason to believe one over the other. Sometimes there would be an objective, reliable source that could settle the issue, but sometimes I had to just weigh the evidence and go with the version that seemed most plausible to me. I've done my best to portray the story accurately. Question: Did the Forrestal sail around South America or Africa*? The Forrestal* sailed around Africa. In the first edition of the book, there is an erroneous mention of the Forrestal going around South America on the way to Vietnam. This is the result of a last minute correction that was not proofread as closely as it should have been. This error and a couple of others (all minor and not affecting the overall story) have been corrected in subsequent printings. *Question: Isn't there information indicating the rocket hit another plane on the Forrestal, not John McCain's?* Parts of the Navy's report indicate that the the rocket hit the plane of Fred White, another pilot near John McCain, but there is ample evidence to indicate that the report is in error. Multiple eyewitnesses and the film footage of the fire indicate that the rocket hit McCain's plane. Senator McCain has stated repeatedly, and in his own book, that he felt the rocket hit his plane. Exactly which plane the rocket hit was not a major focus of the Navy report, and the Navy's investigation contains other errors, so the discrepancy is only mildly surprising. In the course of writing SAILORS TO THE END, I came across many instances in which sources conflicted over details and I had to weigh the evidence to decide which to use in the narrative. In this case, the evidence is overwhelming that the rocket hit McCain's plane. *Question: Did you serve on the Forrestal?* No, I was three years old in 1967. I never served in the Navy and did not have any personal connection to the story when I first started researching the book. I approached the Forrestal story as a journalist, but I was soon drawn into the personal lives of the men who served that day and felt a strong desire to tell their story effectively and compassionately. *Question: How have the Forrestal* vets responded to the book? The response of the Forrestal vets has been extremely positive, and that is very rewarding to me. The Operation Halyard vets also have been quite positive about the book and thankful to have the story finally told. Question: Is SAILORS available in paperback? Yes, SAILORS is available in hardcover, mass market paperback and trade paperback. The mass market paperback has a cover identical to the hardcover. The trade paperback is larger than the other paperback and has a different cover with pictures of some of the sailors. The content of the different versions is identical, other than a few minor corrections to the paperbacks after the hardcover was published. Question: Will a movie be made from either book?** Folks in Hollywood are currently working on movies for both Sailors to the End and Lay This Body Down, but those projects are in the preliminary stages. It often takes years for a book to become a movie, if ever. The Forgotten 500 also is being considered for a movie project. *Question: Have the Forrestal* veterans benefited financially from the book?** The author donated a substantial portion of the book's profits to the effort to create a USS Forrestal museum. *Question: Have you heard from the descendants of Clyde Manning or John Williams, the two main characters in LAY THIS BODY DOWN?* Yes. Though I could not find them before the book was published, they did find me once they heard about the book. Some of Williams' descendants appreciate the accurate telling of the story, though it is difficult for them to read about this difficult part of their family history. Other members of the Williams family are less appreciative and wish I'd never revealed this story. Descendants of Clyde Manning tell me this is the first time they have heard the full story of what happened in 1921, though a sketchy version of the events had been passed down in their family. They have thanked me for telling the story. Question: What was the most interesting part of researching the Forrestal story? The whole process was very interesting in different ways, but the coolest part was when I visited the USS Harry S Truman at sea. The Truman is one of the Navy's newest and biggest aircraft carriers, and I was able to spend a couple days on board to see carrier life first hand. Landing on the carrier (we missed the first time) and then being launched off the ship the next day was a real kick. Question: I have an idea for a book or magazine article that I think Freeman would like. Should I contact him? Sure. I'm always happy to hear a good story. You can contact me at Gregory A. Freeman, P.O. Box 680922, Marietta, GA 30068-9998. Or you can e-mail me at author@gregoryafreeman.com.

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