{"product_id":"the-luck-of-the-draw-isbn-9780760321560","title":"The Luck of the Draw","description":"A coin flip likely saved the life of Kenneth C. Ruiz. It was August 1942 and he was fresh out of the U.S. Naval Academy. He and a classmate flipped a coin to see who would stand watch on the bridge of their heavy cruiser, the \u003ci\u003eUSS Vincennes\u003c\/i\u003e, off Savo Island as the Marines were landing on Guadalcanal. Ruiz was on the bridge when the ship took a direct hit and sank. He ended up in the Pacific without a life jacket, but his classmate and the entire radio room crew perished in the attack. \"The luck of the draw\" is a recurring theme in this powerful memoir. Following the demise of the \u003ci\u003eVincennes\u003c\/i\u003e, Ruiz volunteered to serve on submarines for the balance of the war and had numerous harrowing experiences. He spent most of his time on the USS Pollack, which was sub-standard in terms of technology, but was still deadly and made a significant impact on Japanese shipping in the far reaches of the Pacific. A worthy addition to the litany of WWII books on submariners, \u003ci\u003eThe Luck of the Dr\u003c\/i\u003eaw is filled with heartbreaking stories of how the smallest decisions made the difference between life and death for soldiers and sailors in the war.","brand":"Zenith Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44892417949925,"sku":"NP9780760321560","price":26.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/O_297fed1f-50e2-4328-8e06-c1dcf03b79cf.jpg?v=1773106458","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-luck-of-the-draw-isbn-9780760321560","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}