A Real Deep Sea Sailorman – Harley Cope

Personal Note: I’m still reeling from a few personal losses recently. Writing is a form of therapy to try and take my mind off of those events that are taking their toll on me mentally and spiritually. For those who have been regular readers for a long time, I sincerely apologize. Writing as therapy The […]

May you live long enough that you long for your past despite the hardships and difficulties.

The definition for nostalgia that comes from Webster’s Dictionary include these: a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period of irrecoverable condition the state of being homesick With apologies to Webster and company, this is my definition: May you live long enough that you long for your past despite […]

Happy Submarine Month 2021

Happy Submarine Month April is definitely submarine month in the United States. It’s also been that way for me personally since it was the month that my most memorable submarine experience celebrates an anniversary. The USS San Francisco SSN 711 was commissioned in April 1981 which was forty years ago. She has now been reborn […]

January 2020 – the crowds were everywhere

It’s been a strange year. But I can’t think of a person on the planet that probably hasn’t already said that. The end of December of 2019 was an awesome time. I just now realized how awesome it was as I sit here writing these thoughts. People still traveled freely all over the world, there […]

Warshot Loaded – Why Every Submariner is a Warrior

I know I have been MIA for a while. Sorry about that. Lots of personal stuff going on which I will share later. I recently rejoined the Veterans of Foreign Wars. My service on board two Boomers allowed me to be eligible to join. I have always thought that the organization was missing the boat […]

2020 Virtual 120th Annual Submarine Birthday Ball – 1900 Hours

You are invited to the 2020 Submarine Ball https://www.facebook.com/2020-Virtual-120th-Submarine-Birthday-Ball-107783274227633/ We are separated by distance and forbidden to gather because of the Covid 19 But we are Submariners. We adapt, we overcome, and nothing gets between us and a party I invite you to join us here at theleansubmariner or on our Facebook page tonight at […]

These are mine

These are mine. I share them with all who have gone through the same crucible. They (like us) were forged in pressure. They were quenched in the waters of the darkest parts of the ocean. They symbolize a tradition that is shared by only a few. Fire, flooding and the crashing of the waves above […]

Veteran’s Day 2019 – Neptune’s Cadillac Redux

Veteran’s Day is about remembering the men and women who sacrificed so much for the country. If you asked most of us, and we were honest. We would simply say that we did our jobs This article came from the Honolulu Advertiser and was written about the USS San Francisco shortly after we made the […]

USS Woodrow Wilson (SSBN-624) “The world must be made safe for democracy.”

I was assigned to the USS Halibut (SSN 587) in late 1975. The boat had just returned from her last mission and was about to undergo decommissioning. My previous assignment had been at Pearl Harbor on the USS George Washington but I did not want to extend to take the boat into the shipyard at […]

Submarine Base Centennial 1968

A submarine friend sent me a package a few days ago and I have been having so much enjoyment going through the material. Today’s entry is a visit to 1968 when the Submarine Base at New London was celebrating its 100th Birthday. With no further introduction, here is the booklet in its entirety: