Promises made, promises kept – The Polaris Story 1967

Promises made, promises kept – The Polaris Story 1967 There have only been a few times that I have posted stories from shipmates. Each had value all by themselves but their content certainly made them worth sharing. The story of the installation of the AFDB 7 USS Los Alamos floating dry dock in Scotland, https://theleansubmariner.com/2014/04/04/afdb-7-los-alamos-holy-loch-scotland-in-the-beginning/ […]

USS George Bancroft SSBN 643 – Pax Per Scientiam

Looking back over the US Navy’s history, there are many moments that define greatness or the aspiration for greatness. John Paul Jones heroic deeds certainly set the tone for what the future Navy would look like. The words “I have not yet begun to fight” will always stand out as the benchmark of bravery in […]

How do you stop a submarine? Sometimes the greatest threat is just down the hall from your office.

Sometimes the greatest threat is just down the hall from your office. I have to admit that I am Navy through and through. My DNA has a lot of US Navy intermingled with my Scots-Irish-English-Welsh background. The hair on my arms stands up when I hear the Navy Hymn, nearly half of my wardrobe is […]

The Dawn of the Polaris Age – Pittsburgh and Bettis in 1960

The Dawn of the Polaris Age “Those of us here today may not live to write this history, but we must be determined to shape it.” Every once in a while, you find yourself in a historic spot and feel a little like there isn’t enough time to really understand the surroundings. Well, at […]

Make no wild claims about Polaris – Burke (CNO PERSONAL NO. 35 SECRET – Personal For Official Use Only)

During his time as Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Arleigh Burke communicated with his top leadership team using Secret Memos. Many of those memos are now declassified. CNO Personal Number 35 was issued to discuss the increase of Soviet submarine activity in the Atlantic region as well as to discuss the coming Polaris Missile system. […]

The Destroyer man that helped launch the 41 for Freedom Fleet – 31 Knot Burke

You can’t talk about the 41 for Freedom boats without talking about one of the most important men in their development: A former destroyer-man named Arleigh Burke A Sailor if there ever was one: Forty two years in the Navy is a long time by any measure. When that forty two years includes service in […]

USS George Washington Carver SSBN 656 Strength Through Knowledge

“Events of October 1962 indicated, as they had all through history, that control of the sea means security. Control of the seas can mean peace. Control of the seas can mean victory. The United States must control the seas if it is to protect your security…” President John F. Kennedy, 6 June 1963, on […]

USS Thomas A. Edison SSBN 610 “Potentia Tenebras Repellendi” (Power to Repel the Darkness)

USS Thomas A. Edison SSBN 610 When I was a young boy going through grade school, I was fascinated with the heroes of the day. There were very few superheroes (Superman and Batman) and I didn’t follow sports as closely as others did. Nope. My heroes were the men who were American Inventors. We […]

Mariano G. Vallejo SSBN 658 – Seagoing Cadillac with a hell of a kick

There has been a long standing difference of opinion on the merits of serving on various types of submarines. Go to any Sub Vets meeting and you will find the purists that wear their DBF pin and scoff at anyone who never served on a diesel boat. For the record, despite serving on five boats, […]

Nuclear Submersible Aircraft Carriers – USS Permit and USS Halibut

In the time before Polaris Quick disclaimer: I am sure that the purists will be jumping up and down in their retractable arm chairs yelling at Mister Mac for misrepresenting the article and contents. But if you stick with the story long enough you will discover two things: It was someone in BUSHIPS in 1958 […]