In my career I received the Order of the Ditch and was a Shellback. The first means that I transited the Panama Canal and of course the second means that I crossed the Equator. Going across the equator involves a lot of pomp and circumstances surrounded by a great deal of silliness. I will freely […]

REPORT ON THE U.S. SUBMARINE PROGRAM – 1968

During the period from 1966 through 1968, the Cold War was producing a heightened level of activity on both sides of the global divide. The Soviets were building their submarine fleet with increased attention to both quantity and quality. The west was trying to make sure its qualitative edge would be enough to counter that […]

Nuclear Power at Sea

The Innovation of a Capitalist Society Still Matters

Hide and Seek at Sea – 1961-1962

Hide and Seek at Sea Ever since the launch of the Nautilus, advances in nuclear propulsion helped catapult the American naval efforts ahead of the rest of the world. Adding the technology surrounding the Polaris program was critical in answering a growing Soviet land and space program. From 1961-1962, the explosive growth of the fleet […]

THE TRIP TO THE SUBMARINE – Key West 1960

Field Trips are Fun I remember as a kid we used to go to businesses on field trips to get a glimpse into what our parents and others did for a living. One year it was a bakery with all of the delicious smells you might expect. Another trip brought us to Menzie Dairy where […]

April 27, 1993: It was supposed to be a glorious day

It was supposed to be a glorious day. My dream of being a commissioned naval officer had certainly yielded some unexpected outcomes. I had gone from being a pretty respected Machinist Mate Chief to being a focus for one man’s vitriol. The Chief Engineer that I ended up working for on the Hunley was not […]