Artist Member David Rocco’s Photography Part of New Book Due April 2021

The Indestructible Man
The Incredible True Story of the Legendary Sailor the Japanese Couldn’t Kill
– By Don Keith and David Rocco

Dixie Kiefer’s reputation for durability began at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he broke an ankle and shattered a kneecap while playing football. After anti-submarine duty in World War I, he became a pioneer of naval aviation and had an elbow shattered by a plane that buzzed him as a joke. Kiefer’s first World War II assignment was executive officer of the carrier Yorktown. He earned the Distinguished Service Medal at the Coral Sea and the Navy Cross at Midway, where—as his ship was sinking—he suffered severe burns to his hands and a compound fracture of his foot. After recuperating, Kiefer took command of the Ticonderoga. In January 1945, Japanese kamikazes struck the carrier, killing and wounding hundreds. Kiefer broke his arm and was struck by more than sixty pieces of shrapnel—but remained on the bridge for twelve hours, earning the Silver Star. Victim of ten wounds in two wars, veteran of some of the U.S. Navy’s most celebrated carriers and battles, a naval aviation pioneer, Dixie Kiefer died in a stateside plane crash two months after the war ended.

The Authors:

Don Keith is a journalist with decades of experience across various media. As a broadcast journalist, he won awards from the Associated Press and UPI for news writing and reporting, received the first Hector Award from Troy University for innovation in broadcast journalism, and was twice named Billboard’s radio personality of the year for his work in Birmingham and Nashville. As a print journalist, his writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly, and American Legion. He is author or co-author of thirty books, both fiction and nonfiction, including Hunter Killer, the basis of a 2018 movie starring Gary Oldman and Gerard Butler. He lives outside Birmingham, Alabama.

Photography has been a passion for David Rocco for the past twenty years. A number of his photos have been displayed at regional galleries, historical societies, schools, libraries and street festivals. His work has also been published in a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, trade journals, annual and quarterly reports, promotional packages, calendars and websites. In 2013, three of David Rocco’s images were selected for a photo exhibition at the Arts Westchester Gallery in White Plains, NY showcasing the Damage and Destruction of Hurricane Sandy. Shortly thereafter, The Museum of the City of New York selected a number of these images as well for their Hurricane Sandy Exhibition. These images were also entered into the New York City permanent records. Several of David Rocco’s photos were also selected for Arts Westchester’s 50th Years Through the Decades Anniversary celebration in 2015. In 2019, he was awarded the second annual Lawrence (Larry) Salley Photography Award by Arts Westchester for my body of work documenting the construction and demolition of the Tappan Zee Bridge/ Gov. Cuomo Bridge. Several of his images were selected and installed at kiosk stands on the multi-use pathway rest areas on the new bridge. A number of his photos that were published in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020 were considered for a Pulitzer Prize in Photography. The 2020 photo that is under consideration for a Pulitzer was nominated for the New York Press Association Photography Award.

Rowman.com
Emily Cable ● ecable@rowman.com

Distribution:
15200 NBN Way, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214
Tel: (800) 462-6420 Fax: (800) 338-4550

978-0-8117-3964-1 $27.95, Hardback
978-0-8117-6963-1 $26.50, Electronic book text

Imprint: Stackpole Books
April 2021
240 pages
Size: 6 x 9

Category: History (Military / World War II)

Includes: 49 Illustrations, 49 Photos

About David Rocco

I adhere to the philosophy of the three P’s – Passion, Patience and Perseverance whether its a paid job or just taking photographs for enjoyment.

Starting in 2001, I have been involved as a volunteer for many cultural and environmental initiatives in the Hudson Valley and NYC. I played a seminal role in the successful development and eventual success of the Walkway Over the Hudson project. I served in a number of roles in other projects such the Mt. Beacon Fire Tower Restoration Project, the Beacon Sloop Club, Bannerman Castle Trust, Friends of FDR State Park, Friends of the Mt. Beacon Eight, the Yorktown Community Dog Park, the Yorktown Depot in Yorktown Heights, NY, Friends of Lasdon Park’s Trail of Honor and Westchester County’s SPCA. In 2017, I co-authored a book about Navy legend Dixie Kiefer titled, The Indestructible Man. Scenic photography of the Hudson Valley and beyond has been a passion of mine for many years, more so now that I have been involved in some of the most important and historic restoration projects in the Hudson Valley Region. Aside from participating in a number or group and solo exhibitions throughout the Hudson Valley, in 2013, I had the honor of being part of Arts Westchester’s “Damage and Destruction” by Hurricane Sandy, in 2015, the Arts Westchester’s “50th Years Through the Decades” Anniversary celebration and most recently, The Arts Westchester Coronvirus Pandemic Curated Exhibition. In 2019, I was awarded the second annual Lawrence (Larry) Salley Photography Award by Arts Westchester for my body of work documenting the Tappan Zee Bridge/ Gov. Cuomo Bridge project. A number of my photos that were published in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020 were considered for a Pulitzer Prize in Photography. One photo that was published in 2020 is also under consideration for the New York Press Association Photography Award. I have donated blood consistently for the past 30 years. Based on the importance of this community service act, I organized blood donation, bone marrow and organ donor drives at the annual Yorktown Community Street Fair Fall Festival.