Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

Erin go bragh! Mister Mac

Hakko Ichiu (“Eight corners of the World under one roof.”)

Hakko Ichiu. (“Eight corner of the World under one roof.”) Japanese World War II slogan alluding to the Emperor Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan. In an 8th Century literary collection, his words are recalled that the “eight corners of the world be united under one roof” creating a brotherhood of races. In AD […]

Submarines : Documentary on the Submarine Wars of the Cold War (Full Documentary)

If you ever lived on one, this will make you homesick. If you never lived on one, it might make you jealous. In the beginning scenes one of my colleagues Mark Keef is featured in a submarine missile launch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj6VaV6-d6Y Enjoy Mister Mac

March 1, 1945: Surrendering the Chance for Peace

Freedom for millions of people and wars without end were almost guaranteed when President Roosevelt completed his trip to Yalta and came home . In a joint session to the Congress on March 1 1945, President Roosevelt reported informally about the results of the recent Conference at Yalta. While brushing off the prickly questions […]

War in the Pacific – February 1945

The war in the Pacific was raging at full force in February of 1945. The battles in the Philippines were brutal and costly for the warriors and the people who lived there. Iwo Jima was about to be invaded costing the lives of many brave American Marines and Japanese defenders. Back home, citizens were still […]

Come Home to the Sea – Post Number 500 on TLS

I woke up this morning from a dream about being on the seashore looking out. Our family used to drive across Pennsylvania in the heat of summer and spend a weeks vacation in Wildwood New Jersey. Growing up along the rivers and in the hills of Western Pennsylvania, I had never experienced anything like […]

Did it matter? Undersea Patrols on Christmas Day

Did it matter? A few weeks ago on one of the Holy Loch themed Facebook pages, a few of us were reminiscing about the old days and all of the patrols that were made during the Cold War. Someone reflected how successful the system was but a member of the site (who self-identified as an […]

December 10 – The Loss of the First Sealion

The attack at Pearl Harbor was barely finished when the predicted attacks in the Philippines began. In order for the Japanese empire to complete their planned establishment of a Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere, the Philippines would have to be “liberated” from the American’s influence. A casual study of that part of the world shows […]

The World of Polaris

One of the best weekends of my life was our Perfect Scottish Weekend. We travelled the Highlands in August of 1991 and visited Newtonmore for a visit with Clan MacPherson. Then we went to Edinburgh for the world famous Tattoo. I hope you get a chance to visit it someday, it is breathtaking. Recommend that […]

The First Dive – Looking Through a Prism

I have always been fascinated by prisms. As a kid, I loved looking through them at various objects to see what would happen. Without going into the science of it, what you saw as you looked through it was different depending on the angle you looked through it. Another sailor posted a picture on Facebook […]