Steel Boats, Iron Men and their stories (plus a bit more)
Its been a week since the tragedy caused by a man who by every account had some serious mental issues. The obvious attacks against personal gun ownership have been unrelenting every single day since. I have forced myself to listen to NPR on my daily commute and whenever it was convenient to do so. As […]
Read More Air warsDecember 17, 1942 was a monumental day in world history. Rumors of the “Jewish” problem and its possible solution had been leaking out for many months. Civilized governments including our own in the United States must have found it hard to believe that an entire race was being systematically targeted for destruction. How was this […]
Read More …then, they came for the JewsJust when it seems like society can’t throw you a curve worse than the last senseless tragedy, something inexplicable happens to show how wrong you can be. I was born after the Second World War so all of the horrors I write about in my stories are nothing more than what I imagine they would […]
Read More Words seem so inadequate todayDuring 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 […]
Read More December 12, 1942 Report of the Sinking of the SS President CoolidgeMy first patrol on the USS George Washington was a blur in many ways. Being a new guy, I spent most of it completing my non-qual duty of mess cooking. I distinctly remember the hatches being shut for the last time, the diving alarm and the feeling of helplessness as the boat dove beneath the […]
Read More Mind your helm…Grabbing obscure stories from the past has become a bit of a hobby. Most of the people who follow my blog know that I have been focusing on historical events from seventy years ago. Most of my writing has been about war fighting and technical details. The greatest generation was supported by an equally great […]
Read More Why We Fight… December 5, 1942 versus December 5, 2012Compton: The Italian navigator has landed in the New World. Conant: How were the natives? Compton: Very friendly. December 2nd 1942 was the day the world changed forever. The title of this story is the coded telephone message confirming first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction on that day. On that afternoon, the Atomic Age began inside […]
Read More "…the Italian Navigator has just landed in the New World…"Originally posted on theleansubmariner:
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…
One of the most daring episodes of World War 2 submarining took place on November 27, 1942. That story comes from the French Navy in the port of Toulon in a most unexpected fashion. On that day, the officers and men of the Casabianca disobeyed the orders of the Vichy French and managed to pull […]
Read More Escape of the CasabiancaThanks 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 […]
Read More FBM Blue and Gold – The Beginning
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