Telegraphic News Flash: Explosion Kills Three on Submarine S-37

Life on submarines has always been risky. Whether it’s defying the physics of overcoming the sea’s depths or the nature of the machinery required to do so, every submariner undestands that the unexpected can be managed to a certain extent, but the uexpected cab still arrive with dire results. One hundred years ago today (October […]

Navy Day 1923 – Illusions of Peace

Editorial from the DAILY KENNEBEC JOURNAL Wednesday, October 10, 1923 “I knew by the smoke that so gracefully curled Above the green elms, that a cottage was near, And I said, ‘If there’s peace to be found in the world, A heart that was humble might hope for it here.’” NAVY DAY It is become […]

Remembering the Marby – The Story of the USS Marblehead and her Brave Crew

Watching the types of ships being built for the past few years reminds me of the ideology of the 1920’s. There was a desire for peaceful relations between the global community mixed with theunderstanding that peace was an illusion as long as resources were desired by the same forces around the world. Battleships were limited […]

The Submarine Recognition Manual NAVPERS 10011

A new era In 1959, the United States was about to fast forward its submarine program. The nuclear program was well under way and the ballistic missile submarine program called Polaris was in full swing. Congressional reports at the time talked about the mounting Soviet threat. The Soviets had also developed a number of shipyards […]

At the heart of it all – August 15

August 15, 2002 was just another ordinary day. Well at least it started out that way. I was ending up one work project working at a new factory that I helped develop. The Hummer project was pretty challenging for many reasons. I was the third project manager brought in by Raytheon to try and close […]

Aloha Spirit and Maui – Forty Years of Memories

Watching the television and on-line reports of damage to Maui has been difficult. The loss of life and property damage is heart wrenching. My memories of that paradise are fading now with age but I can still see some images in my head. The first time I went there was at the end of a […]

The SHIP’S DECK LOG SHEET NAVPERS 3100/2 (Rev 5-73) – Every Entry Tells a Story

The SHIP’S DECK LOG SHEET NAVPERS 3100/2 (Rev 5-73) I have been working on my application for PACT act benefits for a number of months now. One of the most frustrating things is trying to prove that we were where we were. Submarines are notorious for secrecy (which they should be) but in order to […]

Purple Heart Day July 7 2023 – Leadership Matters

Leadership I have studied leadership for most of my adult life. Watching the ultimate example of my own Father and the men of his generation was my first exposure to what it should look like. Honesty, even when it hurts. Integrity, even when it costs you. Dependability, even in the face of extreme challenges. My […]

Retirement 3.0 Let’s try this again

I think I am a bit of a hoarder. Well, that’s not quite true. I know I am a hoarder. For instance, I have an old file resistant box that has every piece of paper the Navy ever gave me. Everything from my DD-214’s to the evaluations and fitness reports that were in my service jacket […]

500,000 Visitors as of July 28

Its been over twelve years since I began the blog and I’ve posted over 1150 times. Some have been well received and others have not been as well received. But the growth has been steady over the years. so its been fun watching the number of visitors grow. A half a million. That is really […]