Can I get an Amen? {Warning… not a blog on submarines or Lean Manufacturing}

Warning: this post is not about submarines or lean manufacturing. While there is some historical information buried in it, that is not the sole focus of the post. If talking about faith and beliefs triggers you, please return to your other favorite spots for the day. Can I get an Amen? Quiet day today. Debbie […]

A sign of the times… Got Shelters?

Sunday March 4, 1962 was a cool and cloudy day in Washington DC. The front page of the paper had several stories about Marine Colonel John Glenn, Jr., recent space traveler visiting his hometown in Ohio to happy throngs of people. Other front-page stories talked about government corruption, unrest overseas, and of course, across the […]

Once to Every Man and Nation

As I watch the chaos unfold across the ocean, I can’t help but think that history is repeating itself again. A maniacal despot seeking power, territory and personal gain pits his army against a weaker nation. But this time, the weaker nation is pushing back. Putin has just joined the scourges of the ages. He […]

Keep on Trucking… or else

Note: this is one of those rare posts I make that is not military or submarine related. It is about Lean Systems, however. We are potentially on the precipice of a national disaster, and I fear that the people in charge do not have a clue of its magnitude. When I was growing up, […]

The Patriot Act… a bad idea for a Republic

When the terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, the country was shocked to see the depth of our vulnerability. It is the hallmark of any society steeped in personal liberty and freedom that a certain amount of risk will exist. People who have bad motives and evil intent will find the loopholes […]

A Rock and a Hard Place

A rock and a hard place. I remember the first time I took the oath of enlistment. I was seventeen and very wet behind the ears. I knew about service because of my Dad and both grandfather’s experience in the World Wars. But as we repeated the words (inserting our own names at the appropriate […]

August 12 1941 – Today I wish to save you from yourselves

Grab yourself a coffee and get comfortable. This is a bit of a long read, but one that has historical significance. August 12, 1941 was a very meaningful day in the path to World War 2. In the United States, loud voices were calling for isolation from the storms of Europe and the Far East. […]

The Most Important Letter I have Ever Written – Winston Churchill

March 11, 1941 – Roosevelt Signs the Lend-Lease Act Between 1935 and 1937 Congress passed three “Neutrality Acts” that tried to keep the United States out of war, by making it illegal for Americans to sell or transport arms, or other war materials to belligerent nations. Supporters of neutrality, called “isolationists” by their critics, argued […]

Happy Birthday to the Only National Anthem of the Republic

I don’t know if they actually teach American history in schools anymore. I am sure there are cultural studies and social studies that talk about the diversity of the world. But I remember that most of the “history” we learned as children in the sixties was about the founding of this nation and the struggles […]

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 […]