Who planned this anyway???

No excuses The campaigns are all over. The last vote was cast. Falling nine votes short of victory means you go home and think about what happened and what you could have done differently. But second place in a two person race is still first loser. There are no real excuses. There are some reasons […]

Elections… the good, the bad and the ugly

This will be my last pre-election post. Its been a fun and interesting (and slightly stressful) nine months. Tomorrow the public will decide. The amazing thing is this: there will be an election. People will have a chance to influence the way their communities are run. What passes for democracy will be on display all […]

Courage? I could never describe myself that way could you?

Recently, I made the decision to run for a local office. I figured after a lot of time of scrubbing shitters and shooting garbage out of the TDU, I would be a perfect candidate. Bilge diving seemed to also fit the bill so I filled out my paperwork to compete for a Township Supervisor. Not […]

The Last Navy Day – October 27, 1949

October 27, 2019. Its been seventy years since the Last Navy Day. The Navy has continued to grown and shrink with the whims of the politicians in Washington DC. But the ever present dangers of the world have never disappeared. Having a capable fleet that can defend our nation and in many cases freedom around […]

Where is Mister Mac? (Give Bob the Job)

Disclaimer: This post has been approved by the Candidate Good morning to all of you who regularly follow the blog. Its October 25th, the World Series is in progress and we are getting ready for winter in Western Pennsylvania. I completed the series on the 41 for Freedom boats last week and decided to focus […]

USS Sam Rayburn SSBN 635 – Mr. Sam

USS Sam Rayburn SSBN 635 This is the last of the 41 for Freedom Boats that was memorialized in Admiral Rickover’s book the Eminent Americans. It’s been a fascinating year learning more about each of the boats but more importantly, it’s been an enlightening year to learn much more about the men that the boats […]

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 Will Rogers SSBN 659 – Protecting the big honest majority

Why name a submarine “Will Rogers”? I have been reading a lot of background material on Will Rogers in an attempt to understand why his name was included in the list of Eminent Americans (as Admiral Rickover famously named the men from the 41 for Freedom boats). Many of the men who were chosen for […]

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 […]

October 4, 1957 – The event that pushed America to Polaris

Rather than being a sign of achievement, Sputnik created a universal atmosphere of fear in the Western nations. The fear was that if the Soviets could launch a satellite that high into the atmosphere and sustain an orbit, what would stop them from launching nuclear weapons. That fear most certainly helped to spark the drive […]