Diamond Anniversary – The First Battle of Savo Island (Part 2 Attack on The Southern Group )

August 8-9 Battle of Savo Island: ATTACK ON OUR SOUTHERN GROUP No more than half an hour elapsed from the time enemy ships appeared without warning around the southern corner of Savo Island till they ceased fire and passed back out to sea. In that short interval they crossed ahead of our southern cruiser group, […]

Diamond Anniversary – The First Battle of Savo Island (Part 1)

The following information comes from the Official US Navy Records: “The Battle of Savo Island and the Battle of the Eastern Solomons comprise one of a series of twenty-one published and thirteen unpublished Combat Narratives of specific naval campaigns produced by the Publications Branch of the Office of Naval Intelligence during World War II. Selected […]

What are you willing to risk to celebrate Independence Day?

Happy Independence Day Like most people, I think of Independence Day as a wonderful way to celebrate all things America and have some great food. Fireworks and festivities crowd out the fact that over the years, many Americans have been unable to actually celebrate the day. Those are the men and women of the armed […]

The Galloping Ghost

I’M THE GALLOPING GHOST OF THE JAPANESE COAST By Constantine Guiness, MOMM 1/C, USN I’m the galloping ghost of the Japanese coast. You don’t hear of me and my crew But just ask any man off the coast of Japan. If he knows of the Trigger Maru. I look sleek and slender alongside my tender. […]

USS TRIGGER SS 237 – The First Patrol June 26, 1942 (75 Years ago)

USS Trigger SS 237 Departed on her first war patrol on June 26, 1942. The United States Navy had not planned on using the submarines at its disposal in the way they found themselves forced to in the spring of 1942. The Japanese Navy had crushed the battle fleet in a surprise attack at Pearl […]

Summer 2017 USNL Pittsburgh President’s Letter – The Home Front

The Home Front Greetings to all of the Navy League Members and those who have yet to join. I am always grateful for the membership we have and a bit curious why there aren’t more of us. The Pittsburgh Council of the Navy League of the United States is an active group that supports the […]

Obituary: McKeesport PA (1795 – ????)

I am an American. I was born in an all American town that was vital and full of hope for the future. Sadly, now that town is a shell of its former glory. It is a perfect example of what happens when poor leadership and a collective inability to adapt to change run rampant. My […]

“These are the times that try men’s souls”

“In time of crisis when the future is in the balance, we come to understand, with full recognition and devotion, what this Nation is, and what we owe to it.” 75 Years ago the nation found itself in a very bad state. This is a copy of President Roosevelt’s Address over the radio in celebration […]

Gunfighters on the Java Sea – May 28 1945

I have been chronicling the actions of the US Forces in the Pacific fleet for a number of months and in doing so have found some really great stories with a lot of detail about how the war was progressing in mid 1945. One of those stories started with a small footnote about a wolf […]

Silent Service: Submarine Warfare in WW2

As Memorial Day 2015 approaches, I am once again reminded that submarine sailors paid a heavy price during the second World War in a way that is vastly more expensive that nearly any other type of war fighting based on a per capita measurement. This video certainly captures many of the issues they faced.