Hallmark doesn’t make a card for Sea Daddys. (But maybe they should)

Warning: Some salty language may have snuck past the censors There was a Navy training film many years ago called “The Lost Sailor”. The idea behind the film was for Navy leaders to recognize all the things that could go wrong with a young sailor when they first report on board a ship or submarine. The […]

Love, your Son Butch ~ Father’s Day Memories

Originally posted on theleansubmariner:
? Today’s blog is from a book I wrote based on my Dad’s letters to his family during the second world war and the following year while he tried to make it back home. I found the letters a few days after he passed away, and learned a lot about a…

Excellent leadership isn’t hard… but it can be difficult.

Excellent leadership isn’t hard… but it can be difficult. There are probably hundreds of thousands of books on leadership written in every language on earth. In these books you will find words like “character”, “strength”, “wisdom”, and any number of words that define what competencies a leader should possess. What makes an excellent leader? It […]

A Better Alternative: The American Dream

This morning, a good friend and shipmate asked this question on Facebook: “Can you explain to me what the American Dream is? I fought for it for 21 years, but what is IT.” I had just finished my time on the treadmill and it struck me that I am living my American Dream. Here was […]

Adversity is a refining fire.

I achieved a minor but important breakthrough this morning at around 4:50 AM when Angus the dog decided he needed to get up and go outside. I have been struggling for months to properly title the book project I have been working on now for about five years. The last three chapters have been the […]

Cassin Young, Captain, United States Navy MOH Recipient, Information request

Good morning. For the past few years, I have been searching through Naval Records, newspaper articles, period books and a number of other sources to help complete the picture of one of the greatest heroes the Navy has ever produced, Captain Cassin Young. The journey has had a lot of twists and turns but I am […]

Things we got wrong (or did we?) Predicting the Atomic Navy (1939)

Things we got wrong (or did we?) In 1939, a book was published called “Sea Power and Today’s War” / by Fletcher Pratt Murray Fletcher Pratt (25 April 1897 – 10 June 1956) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and history. He is best known for his works on naval history and on […]

Now More Than Ever – a Strong Navy and Peace

The Navy League has been tireless in its mission to support the sea services throughout the last 116 years. From its founding in 1902, they have tried to always live the spirit that Theodore Roosevelt embodied when he said “A good Navy is not a provocative of war, it is the surest guarantee of peace.” Three […]

Attention on Deck: Mare Island Naval Cemetery Needs Your Help

It is fitting on Memorial Day weekend that we honor those who have died in service to our country. Many of us also remember those who served on active duty in peace or war time and have passed on to the final muster. This morning, I got an email from Nestor Aliga asking for help […]

The Line

As Memorial Day approaches, I know that all of us will be busy with tributes, ceremonies and parades of honor. At least I hope that we all would be so engaged. The truth is that many will be more focused on picnics and pools, parties and getaways, sales and sports. How far away from our […]