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 […]

1985: On the Brink and the Year of the Spies

I don’t think most people realized how much the year 1985 changed the course of naval history. In April of 1985, I was a First-Class Machinist Mate petty officer stationed on board the mighty warship USS Ohio SSBN 726. It was the height of the Cold War, and we were engaged in Strategic Deterrent Patrols […]

The Innovation of a Capitalist Society Still Matters

Cold War Stories – Periscopes off our Coasts: 1954

Did you ever get that feeling like someone is watching you? No, I’m not talking about that natural paranoia some people feel in this modern age of electronic snooping. Although we do have some reason for concern. After all, if you have a smart phone, how many times has something you have been discussing with […]

Cold War Stories – Torpedo in the water

From the beginning of the Cold War, the idea of using nuclear power for propulsion was something discussed on both sides of the conflict. But just as important was the idea that having weapons delivery systems tied to submarines would be a game changer in any future hot conflict. The devastating effect of unrestricted submarine […]

Cold War Stories – “The atomic age is here to stay. The question is: Are we?”

General Omar Bradley is known for saying, “Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than about peace, more about killing than we know about living.” Bradley would go on to become the head of the joint chiefs before retiring from the Army. The turbulent times after the […]

Cold War Stories – The next war will be fought on our own soil

Cold War Stories – The next war will be fought on our own soil In 1984, there was a fictional movie called Red Dawn that portrayed an invasion of the United States. It was a very interesting look at what would happen in the country if an enemy was successfully able to bypass all of […]