“Well, at least the war is over.” January 23, 1973

Well, at least the war is over. Today is January 23, 2024. I get messages from time to time reminding me of things that happened on this day. For instance, on this day in 1957, the first frisbee was produced, in 1922, insulin is first used to treat diabetes, and Richard M. Nixon declared the […]

“Air Conditioning? Real Submariners Don’t Need No Air Conditioning”

“Air Conditioning? Real Submariners Don’t Need No Air Conditioning” From the very beginning of the submarine service in the United States, there were a number of constants. First, there was limited space. Priority was given to the machinery and support systems that would make the submarine effective. The engines were small at first but grew […]

Not for glory, but for victory – The need for Auxiliary Ships

Not for glory, but for victory Submarine tenders are near and dear to my heart. My seagoing career was launched and finished on the decks of two Cold War era tenders (USS Proteus and USS Hunley). Although Proteus was actually built as a World War 2 era tender, she was later converted to support the […]

“to become a leader, you must learn the following essential points: (What a bunch of antiquated ideas!)

As my regular readers probably already know, I collect Bluejackets Manuals. I’m lucky enough to have one from both of my grandfather’s eras as well as a few from my dad’s. The ones from their generation were produced by the United States Naval Institute in Annapolis Maryland. The oldest one in my collection was […]

Who ya gonna call? (What if the answer is no one?)

Déjà vu all over again. Anyone who reads my blog knows that I have a passion for the US Navy and the men and women who keep us safe. I have been enlisted and was later given the privilege to lead so many of them through clam seas and storms. But I also recognize that […]

Want Volunteers? Keep Your Promises!

Fair warning: If you are strongly invested in Societal Permissiveness and DEI as a part of National Defense, this post is probably not for you. Also, a couple of salty words may have accidently slipped in. My apologies for the second. Sometimes the sailor in me has no filter. Final Warning. Some of the pictures […]

Lessons from 1944 – The Need for Advanced Bases

I’ve been watching the news recently and the escalation of naval conflicts. Because I spend more time than I should looking at the nature of naval construction and strength, I have been concerned about the lack of resources to support the people who are sailing in harm’s way. I’m sure the navy planners have looked […]

The return of Pigboats.com

Happy December! If you are a fan of submarines (and who isn’t) you will be happy to know that one of the granddaddies of all submarine sites is back up and running. The publishers have cleaned off the binnacles from the hull, topped off the fuel tanks and cleared the decks of all fouled gear. […]

An Ethan Allen Son’s Request

Submariners are certainly a unique group of people. I belong to a number of Veteran’s groups including the VFW and American Legion. I’m semi active with the Navy and Submarine League as well as Military Officer’s Association. But USSVI remains one of the best organizations as a whole. I am a life member and looking […]

Nuclear Power: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963-2023)

(NOTE: This post is a big longer than my usual post, but hopefully it will be worth your time to read.) Nuclear Power: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow I was reading about the two nuclear powered aircraft carriers and their battle groups gathering in the eastern Mediterranean this week and got to thinking about when I […]