The Skipjack Class – Unleashing a New Kind of Sea Monster

There she blows!–there she blows! A hump like a snow-hill! It is Moby Dick! “Some of the subtlest secrets of the seas seemed divulged to us in this enchanted pond. We saw young Leviathan amours in the deep. And thus, though surrounded by circle upon circle of consternations and affrights, did these inscrutable creatures [mother […]

Admiral Rickover’s Rules

Admiral Rickover’s Rules “Since the end of World War II, the number of high-grade civilians in relation to the total (federal) government workforce has steadily increased to the point where we have more managers and checkers than we have doers. Our senior employees have been schooled in this “new” philosophy which holds that, as long […]

March 8 1945 – John C. MacPherson goes off to fight the war

Excerpt from my first book “Love, Your Son Butch” March 8th on the Seventy Fifth Anniversary of my Dad’s entry into the Navy John Charles MacPherson, Jr. was inducted into the Navy on March 8, 1945 (more than a month before he turned 18). He did not have a great time in school and was […]

Building the next generation of boats – Nuclear power in 1955

Building the next generation of boats – Nuclear power in 1955 The power and possibility revealed in the USS Nautilus was enough to inspire the Navy’s leadership to want to move more quickly into this bold new age. The challenge was to find a way to build the new boats using existing resources blended with […]

Lost Boats – An occupational hazard in 1920

Lord, your sea is so great and my boat is so small A hundred years ago, the relatively young US Navy Submarine service was still experiencing a lot of growing pains. Technology had already evolved enough to provide a better means of propulsion (diesel engines) and recent upgrades in battery technology were certainly great […]

USS Pittsburgh SSN 720 Closing Remarks from Admiral Douglas Perry

As part of the chronicling of the activities related to the Inactivation of the USS Pittsburgh, I reached out to the major participants of the event. This is the last installment and contains remarks made by the guest speaker RDML Doug Perry, Commander Submarine Group Nine. The Admiral was kind to have the reception in […]

Fast Attack Submarines in 1958 – Refining the Concept

In 1958, the race to build better and faster submarines had already been underway for a few years. Admiral Rickover had previously stated that the Nautilus design was only the beginning of the evolution. By 1958, the world of underwater warfare was rapidly taking shape IMPORTANCE OF NUCLEAR PROPULSION – 1958 ALL HANDS MAGAZINE Nuclear […]

Ship’s Sponsor Remarks – USS Pittsburgh SSN 720 Inactivation January 17, 2020

The following information comes from the Naval Heritage and Historic command concerning ship naming convention and ship’s sponsor assignment: As with many other things, the procedures and practices involved in Navy ship naming are as much, if not more, products of evolution and tradition than of legislation. The Secretary can rely on many sources […]

USS Pittsburgh SSN 720 Inactivation Program from January 17, 2020

It was an honor to help with the day. For those who were not able to make it, here is the Booklet that was distributed Mister Mac

The Heart of Steel will live Forever

A Time for Everything There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time […]