There will be wars and rumors of wars – What if the losing side wrote the history books?

There will be wars and rumors of wars Matthew 24:6-8 (King James Version) 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: […]

Pre-war Footage of a Japanese Submarine

I was cruising through the National Archives today and found a short video clip of a Japanese submarine in operation. There is no sound to the clip, but it is pretty fascinating to observe the crew and the boat in action. Based on her configuration, only one of the pre-war submarines I identified in Jane’s […]

“Information from other sources sheds rather a different light on the matter.” Underestimating any enemy can be dangerous

“Information from other sources sheds rather a different light on the matter.” Underestimating any enemy can be dangerous. Recently, I was browsing through the national archives and found some declassified documents dating back to the 1920’s about submarine development abroad. During that time frame, there was a great desire on all parts of the world […]

250 Years of Service to Freedom – Happy Birthday US Navy

As the clock ticks down to the United States Navy 250th birthday, I wanted to take a few moments and reflect on what that really means. As a young boy, I was surrounded by navy relics and memorabilia. My family had served in the navy during both world wars, and I could see the navy […]

“If they have to go, I’m glad they died under the flag.” Twin Gold Stars

September 28 is a day where the nation recognizes Gold Star mothers and families. While the starting date occurred officially in 1936, the tradition of remembering lost ones with a gold star dates back to World War 1. Losing a child or family member that is serving a higher purpose has always had an impact […]

From the Archives: Anatomy of a Life Changing Seminar (or how the corporate world found ways to spend down their profits)

In 2014, I was still deep in my second career as a Continuous Improvement Lean Manufacturing Six Sigma Training and Development Change Management Leader. That career had started in the late 1990’s and I kept adding tools (and titles) to my toolbox in order to help the various companies I worked for to eliminate waste […]

Group or Team… what do you really belong to?

I belong to a writer’s circle at the community where I live I have to be honest and say that I have not been to as many sessions as I should have. The caliber of the writers is excellent, and I am trying to humbly learn how to put my words and thoughts together more […]

Requiem for a Man of God: Charlie Kirk

With no apologies, I offer this requiem for a Man of God For most of the fourteen years I have been doing theleansubmariner, I have tried to stay on topic. Whether it was the original content about lean manufacturing principles or historical stories about submarines and navy related topics, my voice has mainly been to […]

What a Great Week – Orlando 2025 USSVI Convention in the Rear View Mirror

After a few days of winding down, I am ready to give a brief report on the USSVI 2025 Convention in Orlando. First, I have to give a huge shout out to our hosts. The Central Florida, South Lake Florida and Snug Harbor Bases were outstanding in their support, and it was awesome to see […]

See you in Orlando – USSVI 2025 National Convention

Just a quick note to let you know that I will be travelling to Orlando FL for the 2025 USSVI National Convention. It’s been ten years since I went to a national and I am really excited about celebrating the Submarine Force’s 125th anniversary. I am not sure who I will see there but there […]