The Free and the Brave — John Cornwell

When Pearl Harbor was bombed, young George Kelly decided to join the Navy. Or rather, it was decided for him -- it was either that or go to jail for a minor offense. Kelly dreamed of becoming a flyer, but was posted instead aboard the ancient destroyer Goddard, a floating wreck whose captain and crew seemed as disreputable as their ship. . . . Kelly had gone into the war as a boy. If he survived, he'd come out of it a man.