A tribute to our national symbol… you don’t want to miss this

Despite the fact that I use the computer every day, I am still a bit of a novice when it comes to linking things. But I wanted to share something that is absolutely amazing. This site has gained worldwide recognition so you may have to be a bit patient. It is worth the wait. From […]

What a country … (at least it is so far)

As we drove to Church this morning, I was reminded what a great country we live in. We left the house (that we chose to live in) in our car (that we selected from among hundreds of possible choices). We drove on streets that were paved (using money we paid in taxes) and passed at […]

Fenian Ram: The Green Submarine

Any submariner worth his salt has heard of a good Irishman named John Phillip Holland and his submarine design changed the way wars would be fought at sea forever. On March 17, 1898, St. Patrick’s Day, Irish-born engineer John Philip Holland demonstrated a submarine he designed, the Holland VI, for the U.S. Navy Department, off […]

New Coke

My generation grew up in a time where marketing really came of age. We were exposed to subtle and not so subtle messages about the cars we should buy, the shampoo we should use, and of course the soda we should drink. Coca Cola@ was an American icon long before we came along. Coke was […]

Some Track Records Should Be Remembered

1972 was a leap year and changes were going on all over the world. American involvement in Viet Nam was already significantly reduced to a support role and the last combat troops were scheduled to be out by August. The program of Vietnamization was well into its fourth year and the ARVN was placed in […]

It Happened in 1954

I really like cruising around the “store” in the front of my favorite southern cuisine restaurant. You can see the old fashioned toys and magic sets mixed in with collectables of one kind or another. One of my favorites though is the rotating card stand that holds the little books about what happened the year […]

But look at all the money we saved…

With the current drive to save money, the post Cold War Navy is being reimagined once again. This exercise in policy is as old as the nation itself, but has had some very dramatic consequences over the past 61 years. Studying a white paper recently, the role of the Navy has always been dependent on […]

Hope may be audacious, but its not a strategy

Those must have been heady days for the true believers. The sun had not yet risen completely on the new day that was promised but the magic of the possibility stirred their hearts. Here was someone who spoke their language and truly understood their needs. March 5th 2007 Selma Alabama http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/03/obamas_selma_speech_text_as_de.html “You know, several weeks […]

Come on up to the porch and sit for a while

For those of you who are looking for submarine stories, check out the Qual Card Drop Down on the right side of the page. Click on it, and look for the words submarine or Navy and you can find a good selection of previous posts… For those who just need a quick break, come on […]

So you want to be a Submariner? (circa 1943)

Every American Bluejacket from the early 1900’s to today receives a copy of the Bluejacket’s Manual. The books were written to help supplement the knowledge of men who were being brought into the Navy. Many times, they lacked even a high school education although over the last century that has been less and less. Newer […]