A Letter No Submariner’s Father Ever Wants – Lieut. Tsutoma Sakuma and Japanese Submarine No. 6

Submarines have always been dangerous. The early submarines were even more so because of the emerging technologies that had not yet evolved. The men who rode the early boats were a different breed. This story is about one of them who was a national hero in Japan and left a legacy that would have implications […]

Post Number 637 – Commemorating the USS Sturgeon SSN 637

Workhorses of the Cold War Over forty years ago when I first volunteered for submarine duty, one of the hottest boats in the fleet was the boats of the 637 Class. These workhorses were responsible for so many missions during the Cold War that it would be impossible to catalog them all on a single […]

Submarines: “from a boy to a giant”

One of my favorite pastimes is discovering unique stories about the United States Submarine force and the development through the ages. There is no better witness to the phenomenal growth than that of one of the most profound influences on submarine operation and development: Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. The most fascinating thing about this man […]

USS George Washington SSBN 598 – First and Finest (December 30, 1959)

A short history of the first ballistic missile submarine. USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (SSBN 598) THIS SHIP has been given the most illustrious name in America. Rarely does history conﬁrm contemporary judgment in pronouncing a man “indispensable” to his country. But there is general agreement that on three occasions, when the fate of our Nation hung in […]

Post Number 633 – USS Casimir Pulaski SSBN 633

A salute to one of the many unsung heroes of the Cold War: The USS Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633) This post was started in September of 2018 but I am updating and including it as part of the 41 for Freedom Series. Of all the boomers I have researched to date, the information about the man […]

Forged by the Sea, Tempered by the Steel City – Birth of the Nuclear Navy

Birth of the Nuclear Navy Forged by the Sea, Tempered in the Steel City There are many paths that led to the development of the new power source that would give the American Navy a way to counter any force on earth. The excerpts in this post come from one of the best sources […]

August 28, 1973 The Journey Begins

I joined the Navy in April of 1972 by raising my right hand for the very first time. The Navy used the Delayed Entry Program to pre-sign willing young volunteers and at the age of seventeen, I was anxious to leave home and see the world. I remember my girlfriend at the time crying a […]

Hallmark doesn’t make a card for Sea Daddys. (But maybe they should)

Warning: Some salty language may have snuck past the censors There was a Navy training film many years ago called “The Lost Sailor”. The idea behind the film was for Navy leaders to recognize all the things that could go wrong with a young sailor when they first report on board a ship or submarine. The […]

Adversity is a refining fire.

I achieved a minor but important breakthrough this morning at around 4:50 AM when Angus the dog decided he needed to get up and go outside. I have been struggling for months to properly title the book project I have been working on now for about five years. The last three chapters have been the […]

Cassin Young, Captain, United States Navy MOH Recipient, Information request

Good morning. For the past few years, I have been searching through Naval Records, newspaper articles, period books and a number of other sources to help complete the picture of one of the greatest heroes the Navy has ever produced, Captain Cassin Young. The journey has had a lot of twists and turns but I am […]