THE BACKBONE OF THE FLEET – The United States Navy in 1940

THE BACKBONE OF THE FLEET – The United States Navy in 1940 Navy Day is a holiday that is no longer really celebrated in the United States. While President Truman surely helped to bring about its demise, the American public was probably ready for a break from too much emphasis on the military by the […]

We might as well stop daydreaming about defeating Japan – February 1940

WE MIGHT AS WELL STOP DAYDREAMING ABOUT DEFEATING JAPAN In February of 1940, the world was already at war. Germany had launched its offensive against Czechoslovakia and Poland and Hitler was in the process of approving the Mannstein Plan which would lead to the invasion and subjugation of France in the summer of 1940. In America, […]

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 […]

2020 – An Epic New Year (In Retrospect, using the word epic might have been a mistake)

2020 – The year of the Fast Attack Coming Soon Well, that was the plan last December. I was thinking that a good follow-up to my 2019 year of highlighting the 41 for Freedom Boats would be a logical way to spend the year. To be honest, I spent a lot of time helping to […]

After the parades are over…

The Day After Veteran’s Day Proud… standing straight and erect with shoulders held back and eyes focused forward with a steel and resiliency that is unquestionable. Months of practice have made sure that even a sudden noise won’t change that. Crisp uniforms, flawless creases, perfect lines and hands glued in place at their sides. Chiseled […]

USS George C. Marshall SSBN 654 – Patience not weakness

Sixty years ago today, America lost one of its greatest citizens. He would not live to see the submarine that would later bear his name. But the work that he did for the nation ensured that freedom and liberty for many people would be assured. From his day as a cadet at the Virginia […]

USS Henry L. Stimson SSBN 655 “to keep peace you must be strong to resist aggression”

In a world where politics has become more toxic than a bucket full of radioactive waste mixed with every known chemical harmful to mankind, the example that Henry L. Stimson provided is the one shining light that still stands out like a beacon. Stimson was a war veteran, a statesman, a leader, and a man […]

The Destroyer man that helped launch the 41 for Freedom Fleet – 31 Knot Burke

You can’t talk about the 41 for Freedom boats without talking about one of the most important men in their development: A former destroyer-man named Arleigh Burke A Sailor if there ever was one: Forty two years in the Navy is a long time by any measure. When that forty two years includes service in […]

You volunteered for submarines? Are you crazy?

You volunteered for submarines? Are you crazy? The sacrifices made by American submariners in the Second World War are well documented. 52 boats lost. The Submarine Service represented only 1.6% of all Navy personnel during the war but they accounted for over 55% of all Japanese ships sunk, including one-third of the Imperial Japanese Navy. […]

The Vision of a Man Named Nimitz – The American Submarine Story in the 20th Century

Arguably one of the most influential American Submariners that ever lived was Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. As a young man, he was significantly influenced by his German-born paternal grandfather, Charles Henry Nimitz, a former seaman in the German Merchant Marine, who taught him, “The Sea – like life itself – is a stern taskmaster. The […]