A MISSILE SAILOR

Books about the military usually involve combat but there are many military careers that do not include fighting. During the “cold war” between the United States and the Soviet Union, generations of sailors devoted themselves to constant preparation for war. This book is the autobiography of guided missile systems expert Joost Sluis. It tells of his service on ships, at the Pentagon, as an advisor to the German Navy, service with the British Royal Engineers, duty assignments at the Navy’s Guided Missiles Schools and much more. The reader will discover a Navy career full of excitement and variety. Master Chief Sluis’ career was marked by adventure and interesting duties that made his career truly exceptional. This book is his true story.

Joost Sluis was born in The Netherlands while the German Wehrmacht was still consolidating its grip on the country at the beginning of World War II. His parents and siblings survived the hardships of war and came to the United States in 1948. The author’s first book: “Coming to Mokena” tells of his parents’ heroism as they survived the war and began anew in the United States. Mr. Sluis joined the Navy in 1961 and married his wife Helen in 1967. The couple had four children. After retiring from the Navy in 1984 they moved back to Mokena, Illinois, where they still reside.