My Father My Son Author:Elmo Zumwalt, John Pekkanen Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, Jr. was Chief of Naval Operations during the Vietnam War. As such, his purview included the "brown water navy," an elite force of volunteers who roamed the waterways in fast attack boats. Among boat commanders was his son and namesake, Elmo Zumwalt, III. Young Zumwalt may have thought his major hazard was enemy fire, but i... more »n fact it was not. Like many other Americans who worked the defoliated jungles, he developed cancer. His enemy was Agent Orange. The irony is that his father ordered its use, and MY FATHER, MY SON is the story of how one family has dealt with tragedy.« less