Who Owns History?

I know, I know. It’s been a while. I have been very busy with my new job as Chief of Staff for County Commissioner Doug Chew in Westmoreland County PA since May and that has been pretty time consuming. Doug was a friend for a number of years and when his previous Chief decided to […]

For the defense of our own… USS Nathanael Greene SSBN 636

Originally posted on theleansubmariner:
We are soldiers who devote ourselves to arms not for the invasion of other countries, but for the defense of our own, not for the gratification of our private interests but for public security Nathanael Greene I belong to MOAA and have for a few decades since I retired from the…

USS Pittsburgh – An Honored Name for Ships that Have Defended their Nation

Originally posted on theleansubmariner:
The Pittsburgh Name has an Honored Place in Naval History The City of Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania is geographically located far from the open oceans. Despite the busy Three Rivers that offer pathways for shipping and recreation, no ocean going US Navy ships can easily navigate their way to the Point…

I didn’t march today. But I did remember

Fifty years ago today I marched in the Elizabeth Pennsylvania Memorial Day Parade. It was a family tradition for a number of years and in 1972 it would be my last one as a civilian. I had already joined the Navy in the delayed entry program and would leave a few weeks later. I remember […]

Diesel men are like connoisseurs of old hams or juleps

This story from the Washington Star Newspaper from May 18, 1942, brought back a lot of memories for me. The first part certainly takes me back to all of the training I received as a young man in the Navy. Over the course of my career, I attended over 60 Navy schools related to […]

Can I get an Amen? {Warning… not a blog on submarines or Lean Manufacturing}

Warning: this post is not about submarines or lean manufacturing. While there is some historical information buried in it, that is not the sole focus of the post. If talking about faith and beliefs triggers you, please return to your other favorite spots for the day. Can I get an Amen? Quiet day today. Debbie […]

I don’t need communications lessons… everyone always understands everything I say

I have been teaching leadership classes for at least 35 years. That includes formal and informal classes in the Navy and in the civilian community. Whether it was for a large or small companies, the importance of purposefully developing skills and competencies has always been one of my passions. Leadership involves more than just telling […]

Conflict? We don’t need no stinking conflict!

Conflict Management Put two people in a room and at some point, there will be conflict. The story is as old as Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel were the first and second sons of Adam and Eve. While Cain was a farmer, Abel was a skilled shepherd who took care of the family’s animals. […]

Need to improve? You need PDCA

The name of the blog is theleansubmariner. While much of my writing is based on submarines and their history, every once in a while, I fall back on my other passion which is the “lean” part of the title. Lean is a process that leads to the elimination of waste (among other outcomes), but it […]

1930 – the last chance to eliminate the rattlesnakes of the seas is over

The London Naval Conference of 1930 This conference was the third in a series of conferences meant to slow, limit or eliminate large combat shipbuilding efforts among a group of nations that were seen as potential adversaries. From the State Department’s Historian: “The purpose of the meetings was to promote disarmament in the wake of […]