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 […]

It is the one thing that brings us all together

Caution: Sensitive subject matter with some salty language. If you are easily offended, turn in your dolphins and stop reading this right now. Submariners are a unique brand of people. In my lifetime, I have seen the Navy go from conventional powered diesel boats to the most modern form of nuclear powered boats imaginable. Its […]

Rig for Dive

Rig for Dive What an unusual year this has been. The Wuhan Virus has certainly taken its toll in so many direct and indirect ways. In my lifetime, I don’t think I can remember any other health emergency that received this much attention or caused so much angst. But I do see the human cost […]

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 […]

Happy Birthday Submarine Family – 120 Years of Excellence

Happy birthday family. It feels a little odd saying that. For most of the years I was an active duty Submariner, you could just say “Happy Birthday Brothers” on April 11 and that would be accurate. After all, we were “Brothers of the Phin” by the shared connection of having completed submarine qualifications. My actual […]

The Mid Watch Revisited

The Mid Watch What does it feel like to be alone? I am sure that many people are starting to feel alone with the current condition of social distancing. In the interest of slowing down the spread of the Corona Virus, whole cities are being asked to isolate themselves from others. Since close proximity seems […]

1987 – The Counterpunch for a growing Soviet threat

1987 – The Counterpunch for a growing Soviet threat When I became a Machinist Mate Chief Petty Officer in August of 1987, I celebrated having served on a fair representation of Cold War submarines and stations. The journey took me from New London to Charleston to Pearl Harbor to Mare Island. Then the trip continued […]

Who’s sail it is anyway?

Warning: Some salty language mixed with the metaphors and memories… you have been warned One of my favorite submarine memorials has a personal connection. I qualified in 1974 on board the USS George Washington somewhere in the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean. My joy at the time was that the grueling journey was over […]

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 […]

Coming Home – Saying Goodbye to the USS Pittsburgh SSN 720

Coming Home It’s been over 25 years since I retired from the Navy. We have traveled and lived all over the country since then but Western Pennsylvania has been “where I live” for the past six plus years. I had never intended to come back here even though it was where I grew up. Eighteen […]