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 […]

You need air, but its more complicated than that

First an apology I have been absent without leave for a month or so. We have been doing a lot of doctor visits on our way to becoming VA rated as a service connected disability veteran. That has involved many trips and examinations and frankly getting a lot of others things in order while we […]

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 […]

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 […]

USS Pittsburgh and the First Pandemic

USS Pittsburgh and the First Pandemic Over a hundred years ago, the world experienced a devastating pandemic called the Spanish Flu. It traveled the world with incredible ease killing untold millions of people. The US Navy was not exempt in this tragedy. In 1918, the country was at war and heavily reliant on the Navy […]

Crush Depth is theoretical… until it isn’t

Note: I collected much of the technical information for this story from open source documentation. As always, I do not reveal information from my actual submarine experience. I love and respect my fellow submariners still on patrol and only publish these generic submarine statistics to make a point. So you were a submariner? What […]

The Pact Act

I have been going through a personal journey for the past few months. Without oversharing, I have had a number of health issues for over twenty years related to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Thank goodness for modern medicine since I live a typically active life and still work in a job that is […]