Lead never hurt a wooden leg! Keep firing men! 
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William Storm enlisted in the United States Navy some time prior to the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor in 1941. By the time he reached the rank of lieutenant, he was stationed aboard his first patrol boat, PT-93. [1] After serving aboard the PT-93, Storm was eventually promoted to the rank of Captain and given the command of PT-47.
In the early years of World War II, the PT-47 ran afoul of a Japanese submarine which capsized the boat. Storm was thrown overboard and lost his left leg during the attack. A deck gunner named Buddy Brown managed to save his life, but the Japanese sub slaughtered the remaining crewmembers, including Brown.
Storm returned to the naval base at Pearl Harbor a broken man. Nothing could assuage the guilt that consumed him over failing to save his crew. Like a living Captain Ahab, William Storm inwardly swore revenge against the Japanese ship that killed his men. The hospital staff fitted Storm with a wooden prosthetic leg, but it appeared as if his time in the Navy was over. He struggled through rehabilitation, and eventually managed to function with the wood leg as efficiently as if it were his natural one. During his convalescence, Storm briefly fell in love with his nurse, Lea, the daughter of a Navy commander. Although they shared some intimate moments together, nothing could avert Storm’s desire to get back to the sea. [2]
Captain Storm argued his case to his superior officers, pleading to be placed back in command despite his handicap. Although reluctant, the Navy recognized Storm's commitment and bravado and provided him a new crew for the PT-47.
This second crew had learned about Storm's previous failures and grew concerned. They feared that Storm’s obsession for revenge would affect his command judgment. On one of their first missions, the PT-47 encountered the Japanese submarine again, but Storm was able to prevent history from repeating itself. In a moment of irony, one of the crewmen that he saved from the Japanese attack was the brother of Buddy Brown – the man who saved Storm's life on his first ill-fated mission as Captain. [3] What followed next were a series of death-defying adventures that took the crew of PT-47 all across the South Pacific.
On one of their earlier missions, they encountered a Hawaiian tribal leader known as King Komokka. Storm learned of a prophecy which told that he would save a native princess by "fighting fire with wood". As predicted, Storm's crew managed to save the life of an island princess named Anooa. Working alongside the islanders, Captain Storm managed to hide the PT-47 behind a fence of wooden canoes as Japanese zeros battered the area. With his crew safely screened in, Storm was able to repel the invaders and secure the island. [4]
Despite his heroism however, there were always those who doubted Storm's ability. One such crewman, a lieutenant named Calvin Clinton argued that Storm was unfit for command and should return the boat to Pearl Harbor. After a tumultuous sea battle however, Clinton recognized Storm's prowess and bravely followed Captain Storm in a battle against a Japanese destroyer. Storm even allowed Clinton the chance to command, and the green lieutenant heroically sacrificed his life defending the PT-47. [5]
Capt. Storm's missing eye and leg could be construed as a weakness, though it did not impede his determination or his accomplishments.
Endless supply of relacement wooden legs.
PT-47 (patrol boat)
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