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MWSA Review
Top Fin: Master Chief Rescue Swimmer Gelakoska by George Cavallo is the story of the Coast Guard service of Master Chief Rescue Swimmer Darell Gelakoska. Tracing the thirty-year path from boot camp all the way to retirement as an E-9, Gelakoska's journey is not the journey of a typical military personnel member. Top Fin recounts how Darell almost single-handedly transformed the Coast Guard's old Aviation Survivalman (ASM) rating into the modern life-saving machine that is the current Rescue Swimmer Program. Darell is the living example of leading by doing. He did not ask his crews to do anything he himself had not done first. When a problem was identified, either by him or somebody else, he took it upon himself to see that the problem was solved. If that meant doing first and asking permission later, then that was what he did. When given a task and told to run with it, he did, often to the chagrin of those who gave the directive.
Top Fin is just as likely to make you cry as it is to make you laugh. The book is abounding with anecdotes of military hijinks: swapping coveted Coast Guard leather coats for vasectomies for some of the crew members; men deciding to steal a tank; of being told they had to return the dummy bombs that Darell and a crew member had disposed of themselves to their original location so that the bomb squad could "officially" dispose of them by giving the dummy bombs right back to Darell who had performed the original "disposal." However, this book is not for the faint of heart, as it is replete with stories of gruesome recoveries of bodies either bloated and decomposing or burning and charred beyond recognition; of the loss of not just the people that needed saving, but the rescue swimmers attempting the rescue; of tragic stories of PTSD that remind us that trauma is not something that is simply over and done with. A swimmer that Darell worked with was so overcome with the trauma of two especially gruesome recoveries that his marriage was destroyed, he left the Coast Guard, and eventually drove his car into a telephone pole at over 100 miles per hour. One of the most wizened pearls of great price to be imparted amidst the laughter and tears, the frivolity and the gore, was the simple reminder that the essence of leadership is, "not forcing confidence, but drawing it out...that failure often comes from bad leadership— not bad people." (pages 209-210)
The story is well worth the read. It is a fast, easy read, and is especially recommended for young adults who might be considering a career in the Coast Guard. While not meant to scare such potential recruits away, this book will open the readers' eyes as to the real life of a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer.
Review by Daniel E. Long
Author's Synopsis
Master Chief Darell Gelakoska wasn’t supposed to be there. At forty-three, decades older than the kids beside him, he marched back into Navy Rescue Swimmer School to prove that courage doesn’t retire with age. What followed was a test of grit, humility, and relentless determination that defined a legacy.
Top Fin pulls you straight into the unforgiving world of Coast Guard rescue swimmers—the elite few who leap from helicopters into raging seas, knowing the line between life and death can come down to seconds. Through hurricanes, shipwrecks, and helicopter crashes, these stories reveal not only the danger of the missions but the humor, chaos, and raw humanity of those who answer the call.
This isn’t just a memoir of rescues. It’s the journey of a man who helped shape the future of lifesaving itself. From sleepless nights on storm-tossed decks to the creation of the Advanced Rescue Swimmer School, Gelakoska’s story shows how experience, innovation, and stubborn willpower transformed training for generations to come.
Told with cinematic detail, gallows humor, and unflinching honesty, Top Fin is equal parts history and adrenaline—perfect for fans of military nonfiction.
Step into the cabin. Hear the rotors thunder. Watch the cabin door slide open to the storm. This is what it means to be Top Fin.
Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography
Pages/Word count: 456 / 57,885