We Regret to Inform You… January 1942 and the aftermath of Pearl Harbor

We regret to inform you. The attack on Pearl Harbor was so swift and deadly that the military was not prepared to deal with the consequences of not being prepared for war: Identifying the souls lost and notifying the families about their loss. Considering the number of dead and wounded, it should not be a […]

Remembering Pearl Harbor – The Story of Gunners Mate Second Class John C. Pensyl

Their voices cry out from the past. 2403 Americans died from the attack on Pearl Harbor. Of that figure, 2,008 of them were enlisted with the Navy, 218 were members of the US Army, 109 were Marines, and 68 were civilians. While much is written about the event, we need to never lose focus on […]

Christmas in Manila – 1945

Merry Christmas. Simple words of greeting that have been shared all over the world in so many languages. But often the greeting is sent from far away from home. In December 1945, my Dad was working as part of the post war draw down in Manila. He had entered the war on March 8th, 1945 […]

The Pearl Harbor Attack at Eighty Years

On December 7, 2021, it will be eighty years since the “surprise” attack on Pearl Harbor. In all of those years, many books have been written about the attack and its significance. In the aftermath of the attack, there were also a lot of congressional hearings to discover why such a devastating attack could have […]

700,000 Views

Sometime yesterday, the Blog went over 700,000 views. Thanks to all who have visited and continue to support theleansubmariner. There are roughly 1000 posts currently in my searchable files. I hope to increase that number as the year ahead rolls out. It has been a difficult year personally for a number of reasons but my […]

August 12 1941 – Today I wish to save you from yourselves

Grab yourself a coffee and get comfortable. This is a bit of a long read, but one that has historical significance. August 12, 1941 was a very meaningful day in the path to World War 2. In the United States, loud voices were calling for isolation from the storms of Europe and the Far East. […]

Every Moment Mattered Update (April 2021)

I have been working on a book project now for about five years. My first go at publishing was put on hold when the publisher asked me to include some stories and ideas that were in line with the publishers needs. Last November, I was doing a web based presentation for the McKeesport Heritage and […]

The Most Important Letter I have Ever Written – Winston Churchill

March 11, 1941 – Roosevelt Signs the Lend-Lease Act Between 1935 and 1937 Congress passed three “Neutrality Acts” that tried to keep the United States out of war, by making it illegal for Americans to sell or transport arms, or other war materials to belligerent nations. Supporters of neutrality, called “isolationists” by their critics, argued […]

March 2, 1941… Japan will be a pushover

March of 1941 was a month of great significance in the march to global war. I don’t know anything about the writer of this article in the Washington Evening Star. But I do know that his column was probably being used as a way to telegraph the activities to the world at a time when […]

In Plain Sight (Part 2)

This is a much more detailed account about the man who provided the information to the Japanese Navy about Oahu: UNDER COVER On March 27, 1941, a 27-year-old junior diplomat named Tadashi Morimura arrived in Honolulu to take his post as vice-consul at the Japanese consulate. But that was just a cover- “Morimura” was really […]