Sometimes you just need a little time to refocus

I have written nearly 1000 posts since the beginning of the blog. Of course most of them have been about submarines and leadership but its been fun to record other historical events and key events from naval history. One project that I started a few years ago was about Captain Cassin Young. His story fascinated […]

Every Moment Mattered Update (April 2021)

I have been working on a book project now for about five years. My first go at publishing was put on hold when the publisher asked me to include some stories and ideas that were in line with the publishers needs. Last November, I was doing a web based presentation for the McKeesport Heritage and […]

“The average citizen is not aware of the dangers that confront America” Launching the Colorado

Happy Spring The weather is getting warmer so writing will be more challenging for a while. As I look at the world situation, I can’t help but think that not much has changed in a hundred years. Today’s story from the archives is about Sea Power, Great ships, Great men and the thread that connects […]

The Most Important Letter I have Ever Written – Winston Churchill

March 11, 1941 – Roosevelt Signs the Lend-Lease Act Between 1935 and 1937 Congress passed three “Neutrality Acts” that tried to keep the United States out of war, by making it illegal for Americans to sell or transport arms, or other war materials to belligerent nations. Supporters of neutrality, called “isolationists” by their critics, argued […]

We Build, We Fight

I love a good John Wayne Movie. One of my favorites has always been the Fighting Seabees. March 5 is recognized as the official birthday of the Seabees and I salute all of the men and women who have served in this vital part of the US Armed Forces. From World War 2 to present, […]

Happy Birthday to the Only National Anthem of the Republic

I don’t know if they actually teach American history in schools anymore. I am sure there are cultural studies and social studies that talk about the diversity of the world. But I remember that most of the “history” we learned as children in the sixties was about the founding of this nation and the struggles […]

March 2, 1941… Japan will be a pushover

March of 1941 was a month of great significance in the march to global war. I don’t know anything about the writer of this article in the Washington Evening Star. But I do know that his column was probably being used as a way to telegraph the activities to the world at a time when […]

In Plain Sight (Part 2)

This is a much more detailed account about the man who provided the information to the Japanese Navy about Oahu: UNDER COVER On March 27, 1941, a 27-year-old junior diplomat named Tadashi Morimura arrived in Honolulu to take his post as vice-consul at the Japanese consulate. But that was just a cover- “Morimura” was really […]

In Plain Sight…

Eighty years ago, the United States was still at relative peace. In Europe in December 1941, Britain was hanging on for life while France and most of the other occupied nations were adjusting to life under the heel of the Nazi warlords. In the Far East, Japan was beginning to feel the pressure of the […]

By any other name…

Fair warning… I have been avoiding politics but something has been on my mind recently. Stop reading now if this kind of stuff bothers you. (I am also in the early stages of Covid 19 and pretty exhausted… but I started working on this story before I got sick) I was born in May of […]