Never Call Me a Hero

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.

“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“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. With candor, clarity and humility, he invites us to join him in the early days of war against Japan, when Kleiss and his brave squadronmates carried the fight to the enemy in near-vertical dives. Daring, dashing and supremely skilled, Kleiss plunges through the heavens to his rendezvous with destiny at the Battle of Midway, when he and his fellow SBD Dauntless drivers of the U.S. Pacific Fleet won the greatest naval victory in history. 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“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“A World War II memoir that is a real treasure. … Kleiss lives a rich legacy. … 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 in the future. … Kleiss lays out each battle in fine detail. The text moves swiftly through the actions. … A rare snapshot of a love affair between a young couple swept up in the uncertainties of a world war. … An instant classic, a front-row seat on a Pacific war journey that is action-packed throughout. Kleiss did not live long enough to see his fine work in print, but his memoirs will be treasured by historians and students for decades to come.” — STEPHEN L. MOORE, Dallas Morning News“Anyone interested in naval aviation or the Battle of Midway should read this book.” — Journal of America's Military Past“Riveting. ... Vivid. ... In terms of hits, Kleiss emerged as the single most effective American pilot at Midway. That alone would imprint this book with importance, but the meticulous attention to detail and compelling narration make it soar. ... Personal accounts of Americans who fought in World War II have flourished in the past two decades as they pass from the scene. I cannot think of any I would recommend above this work.” — World War II Magazine“[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“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“Masterful. ... Dusty Kleiss was and remains in a class by himself. ... Much more than a vivid remembrance of his heroic role.” — Naval History“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“Never Call Me a Hero is a remarkable feat of remembrance. Dusty Kleiss’s deeply personal memoir of love and war puts the reader in the cockpit of the last living dive bomber from the Battle of Midway, the courageous but costly attack that broke the back of the Japanese Navy, marking the beginning of the end of the war in the Pacific.” — DONALD STRATTON and KEN GIRE, New York Times bestselling authors of All the Gallant Men: An American Sailor's Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor“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)“A riveting narrative about the Battle of Midway. ... A saga of life in the midst of a war.” — Daily Press“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“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