Originally posted on theleansubmariner:
In January 2005, an event happened on the USS San Francisco (SSN 711) that serves as a reminder that even in this day of modern technology and science, the ocean is still mightier in its capability to test man’s limitations. On January 8th 2005 at 0243 GMY, she collided with…

Something so powerful, people were willing to die for it.

Kings and potentates. Dictators and tyrants. Savage bands of lawless men and unruly mobs. They all have one thing in common. Throughout history, they would all rob you of your natural born right to freedom. Mankind has a poor track record when it comes to guaranteeing freedom. I think the spark has always been […]

April 24th, 1972: The Oath

April 24th, 1972 is a day that I first raised my hand. Like most kids, I was cocky, self centered, in too much of a hurry to be grown up and not as disciplined as I should have been. But everything began to change on that day. Up until that point, my recruiter had been […]

Apollo 16: Losing the Dream

I was an astronaut in the 1960’s. Our launch facility in Western Pennsylvania was incredibly busy from 1963 to April 1972. We were cutting edge at the time. Not only did we have unlimited supplies of oxygen and “space” food, we journeyed well beyond the moon to find planets that even NASA had not discovered […]

How much is that doggie in the window?

Its only spring but it already seems like the dog days are upon us. Recent stories from both the right and left have made me doggone mad. I don’t mean to dog one side or another, but truthfully both sides need to remember that there are more dog lovers in this country that vote than […]

In war, truth is the first casualty. AESCHYLUS

Like many baby boomers, I was born in the shadow of the Greatest Generation and the last good war. I am not sure how anything that caused so much destruction could remotely be considered a “good” war other than the fact that hundreds of millions of people were temporarily freed from one set of tyrants, […]

Intolerable Acts

April 19 is a day which has so much meaning to Americans for reasons both good and tragically horrible. It is a lightning rod day all the things that represent the best and worst of our country. In the dark past of our colonial beginnings, it was the day that marked the first “Shot […]

3800 of the best and brightest

Yesterday was Pennsylvania’s annual FBLA conference. The three training sessions were great! The young people who attended were very engaged and challenged me on some very good points. The subject was leadership but covered three areas that I feel from my education and experience are important to developing yourself and others. Those three things are […]

FBLA: A brighter future for America

In about two hours, I will be leading the first of three training sessions for part of a group of 3800 students in Hershey PA. We are going to focus on communications and leadership. The title: “Leading is easy… getting them to follow you is the tough part.” Needless to say, even thought I served […]

One of the greatest men I ever knew… Uncle Jack

I am a traditionalist and still believe in the idea that you respect your elders. The elders I am referring to came from a different time (in my case most were of the World War 2 generation). Jack Stuart Patrick was no exception. Like all men, he had parts of his life that he lived […]