Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Detroit, Mike Rabin continually hopes for a better future. Wanting to be a free spirit, Mike drops out of Cass Tech's art program in the eleventh grade. But in his neighborhood, he is more likely to end up as a street hustler instead of something more prestigious, a fact that makes him feel pessimistic on more than one occasion. Strongly influenced by his family roots, Mike also feels burdened with wartime angst. During World War II, he wasn't old enough to join the service and avenge the Jewish people, not to mention participate in one of the biggest events of his generation. But when the Korean War breaks out, eighteen-year-old Mike eagerly enlists in the U.S. Navy and is sent to Hospital Corps School.
Even though he frequently volunteers to be a fleet marine corpsman, Mike spends the entire Korean War never seeing combat. But Mike's cultural roots and his relationships with the people he meets in the navy influence his attitude-an attitude that pushes him toward hope and away from the cynical pessimism of his youth.
"Rub Up: Musings of a Navy Corpsman" is one sailor's inspiring journey of self-discovery.