My Navy Too

Now is the right time for a book like My Navy Too. Who can better tell the story of women in the military -- the challenges they face, the traditions they try to understand, and the equality they seek -- than someone who has "been there, done that?" Movies such as "G.I. Jane" tell a part of the story; My Navy Too dots the "I's" and crosses the "T's."

Every day we see headlines about rules and regulations in the military and how they are applied to members of the armed services. Are the regulations which held sway for more than 100 years relevant today? Do they need to be changed to reflect changing attitudes about women, minorities, gays and lesbians in the military? This novel, while fiction, is solidly grounded in the military as it exists today. Tucker Fairfield -- an involved, intelligent woman -- faces challenges, obstacles, love, and "Big Daddy Navy" as her career as a naval officer advances. Her story will make you ache, cringe, and, most importantly, THINK about your own feelings,fears, and beliefs. This is not light reading. This book addresses sensitive and hurtful issues, but in a way that is both balanced and penetrating. It's probably the most balanced presentation of the sensitive political issues surrounding women, minorities, gays and lesbians in the military that has ever been offered to the reading public.

"My Navy Too couldn't come at a better time...In the end, the resolution will have to do with profound values that touch us all. This is a courageous book." Brad Knickerbocker, senior editor for the Christian Science Monitor, former correspondent and naval aviator.

Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse (OR-D) calls it an account that is both political and personal. "I was fascinated by this book and think it should be required reading for women and men who are entering the Navy or any other service."

"This book is strong and has good bones...My Navy Too is a splendid, sometimes astonishing read..." says Darrelle Novak Cavan, professor emeritus, communications, Mt. San Antonio College, California.

joemurphy33@yahoo.com


Good history and story but poor officer attitude   June 3, 2002
Diane Diekman (Upper Marlboro, MD USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I enjoyed the historical perspective of reading about female officers a decade before I came along. The unique letter format of this book is well done and easy to follow, if a bit too long. But the whiny attitude got to me. It seems the protagonist spent her whole career thinking about her future and running to her admiral buddy for help. She also slams naval aviators. For those interested in learning about the next generation of female Navy officers, my memoir, "Navy Greenshirt: A Leader Made, Not Born," offers a different perspective. "My Navy Too" does not represent all women officers.


A thorough, thoughtful, balanced work.   August 8, 2000
My Navy Too could serve as the sole source for anyone who wishes to understand the issues of sexuality in the United States Navy. CDR Coye presents her own point of view, and those of her peers, her friends, and Navy senior officers. With the help of her co-writers, she has managed to write an unbiased book, in spite of her own perspective. My Navy Too is gripping, fascinating, and hard to put down. Presenting her topic in the form of letters to and from her parents, her mentor, her friends (both male and female) makes this book incredibly moving and interesting. It spans a career of 21 years, from 1960 (and her life before the Navy) to 1981, during which time she discovers her own sexuality. Anyone who wishes to know what it is like to discover one is a homosexual will find her story enlightening; especially in the light of the differences in her feelings of love for a male friend, as compared to her love for a female friend. Mainly, she comes across as a person of character, ability, and integrity - who discovers her real sexual preferences. How she struggles to reconcile her own sexuality with her position as a naval officer (and eventually a commanding officer), given the Navy's policies regarding gays and lesbians, is the real meat of this book.


A Damn Good Read   September 22, 1999
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I'd call this a fictionalized memoir, allowing the author to take some liberties with her characters. The lives of the author, Commander Coye, and her lead character, Tucker Fairfield, seem to run in parallel. The inclusion of letters from friends and family brings out many political perspectives about the navy and in some degree the rest of the military, adding greatly to the read. Though many readers will have diverse opinions about the various issues raised, Coye is to be admired regarding the way these issues are handled. Those of us who were in the navy during those years can truthfully disagree with few of the author's conclusions. Women were second class personnel, very limited in their careers. Things are better today and career paths are much more open. Military gays and lesbians were, and still are, open to blackmail, not because of their military performance, but because of policy. Yet today the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is, as Tucker says, a wrong headed one-I firmly believe it's an ostrich approach to a fact of life. Gays and lesbians can and do honorably serve their country, so why this unpolicy hanging over their heads daily? Commander Coye has done a masterful job creating a book that should be required reading for any young person going into the military. Young women can see that the past wasn't roses and young men can learn why new policies concerning equality in the ranks are in place. I would strongly recommend this book. In plain terms, It's a Damn Good Read! Tom Williams, Chief Warrant Officer, U.S.Navy, Retired