December 12, 1942 Report of the Sinking of the SS President Coolidge

During the war, detailed records were kept that later were transcribed for review by historians. Today’s story comes from that report. Imagine how different Christmas of 1942 would have been for the families of over five thousand soldiers if the Captain of this ship had not taken the actions he did. http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/comms/1942-12.html S. S. PRESIDENT […]

FBM Blue and Gold – The Beginning

Thanks to shipmate Tim Lutes STS2(SS) USS George Washington SSBN 598 for finding this little gem and posting it on FB. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HGrDJSHmXZU#! I sailed on the GW when she was about twelve years old and had clear memories about how old she was (at least every time something broke). At different points in my four […]

Man Battle Stations

All day long today I have enjoyed seeing the pictures of men and women in uniform being saluted by so many people. Their service is precious and appreciated by so many. That’s probably why I was so angry when I saw this letter tonight in the McKeesport Daily News. No, angry might be too calm […]

Shared Sacrifices

On the eve of Thanksgiving, please take a moment to think of all the men and women who will not be able to sit around a table with their families this year. Some are sitting in ready rooms on aircraft carriers waiting for an order to launch in support of ongoing operations in far lands. […]

All or Nothing

Radical and Revolutionary Those were words used to describe one of the greatest Battleships ever to sail the seas in defense of freedom. The USS Nevada (BB-36) was the second IS Navy ship to be named after the 36th state and was the lead ship of the two Nevada-class battleships. Her sister ship was the […]

Navy Proud: It’s in the blood

On the sixth of April 1917, the United States Congress declared war on Germany. The declaration came after the German government increased its belligerent actions against the United States. President Wilson who had campaigned on the strength that he had kept the US out of war from 1914 until that very moment had relented after […]

They Never Lost Their Will to Win–The Battle of Cape Esperance

The Battle of Cape Esperance, also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the Sea Battle of Savo Island, took place on 11–12 October 1942, and was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and United States Navy. The battle […]

AWOL

One of my recurring nightmares from many years in the service was missing ship’s movement. It was drilled into us from the very early days as boots that missing a ship’s movement was one of the worst sins you could do as a sailor. The cost was high. In times of war, you could even […]

A Highland Festival of Note

The sky was exactly what would be expected for a festival that claims to celebrate the highlands of Scotland. Sunny one moment and dark grey and foreboding the next. The weather didn’t deter the faithful though as people from all over Western PA and anyplace within reasonable driving distance headed out to the Ligonier […]

The hardest work you will ever love should not cost you your vote.

In the short time I have spent on this planet, I have had a number of jobs. All of them have had their challenges and rewards and I feel blest for having had the experiences I have had. Beyond any shadow of a doubt though, my time in the service was probably the roughest and […]