Angles and Dangles

I think every sub guy has his favorite boat and as I have indicated before, my favorite was the USS San Francisco (SSN 711). Maybe it was because I was on the pre-com crew and saw her come to life. Maybe it was just the combination of characters that served on her (many of us […]

Caught in the Crossfire

Its 3:00 AM and everyone in the control room party has managed to find a comfortable enough position to hide the fact that they are half snoozing. The room is rigged for red and the boat is plugging along at 4 knots at 150 feet. Even the Auxiliaryman of the Watch has laid his clipboard […]

How did this thing get so far out of alignment?

Like many submariners, I spent a few weeks in one shipyard or another helping to fix wear and tear issues. As an Auxiliaryman (A-Ganger) I quickly found that there is a special kind of hell reserved for us in a shipyard. Since our equipment and systems run the length of the boat, our work could […]

Target Rich Environment

Google the phrase “Target Rich Environment” and you will get about 5 million hits. One of my favorite quotes comes from a feel good movie released in 1986 Warning: PG 13 applies, if you are easily offended, skip past the quoted area “Top Gun” Maverick: This is what I call a target-rich environment. Goose: You […]

Taffy 3 – Courage Beyond Measure

In the annals of US Naval history, there are a number of instances that demonstrate the courage and determination of a committed group of dedicated officers and men. The one that stands out most in many people’s opinions is the battle which occurred on October 25th 1944. On this day, a small group of […]

Bullies Redux

There were three kinds of boys in Junior High School. First were the bullies. This group had probably grown up quicker than their peers and normally came from homes where toughness was considered not only a virtue but a valued commodity. Second were the “hangers on”. These boys weren’t quite as big or strong as […]

My Trusty Old .45 First Posted in 2011 (with Updates on the 2018 CMP Sales)

As a kid growing up, one of my favorite shows was a realistic World War 2 action series called “Combat!”. Sergeant Saunders (Vic Morrow) was my hero and his adventures with Kirby, Little John, Cage and Lieutenant Hanley and Doc. The series ran form 1962 to 1967 which is pretty remarkable since the actual American […]

Freedom of the Seas

On this 236th birthday of the United States Navy, we should never forget the reason why the Navy was formed and why it will remain a part of our Freedom as long as there is a United States of America. The free flow of commerce is one way of guaranteeing a free nation. The oceans still […]

The Old Navy

This Post was from October 2011 Compared to some Navies around the world, I suppose the US navy is still in its infant stage. From my perspective, it has certainly seen its days of glory interspersed with rumors of demise. Those rumors of its premature death normally come with change. Sails to steam. Capital ships […]

The Anchor’s Missing Sir

Anchors Aweigh is described as the response to the order to weigh anchor when the anchor has been tripped and is no longer attached to the bottom. I am unaware of there is an official response if the anchor is no longer attached to the ship. A number of four letter expletives come to mind, […]