How to Observe Memorial Day

Sometimes I weep for my country… then I vow to fight on

Like many others, I spend a lot of personal time and resources preparing for the Memorial Day observance in my home town. It is not a celebration since the day was designed to decorate the graves of the fallen soldiers and sailors of the Civil War. It is not a party because the honorees made […]

Armed Forces Day 2014 Honoring America’s Real Heroes

Too often, the press focuses on sports stars and entertainers for their contributions. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good touchdown just as much as any man (assuming its my team and not the other guy’s team) and I am glad certain entertainers have made enough money to adopt underprivileged kids from third world […]

Another milestone for theleansubmariner

I had anticipated going over one of my goals by Memorial Day weekend but thanks to a couple of greatly received posts in the past few months, the blog went past 150,000 views early this morning. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support and the many repeat visitors. I will continue […]

WE ARE SUBMARINERS – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Throughout the generation where men have gone to sea on submarines, a bond has formed that crosses all of those generations. This anonymous quote comes from one of the web sites I frequent. I can’t identify the author so I have taken it directly from the posting but will gladly give credit if the […]

Robert J. Ritchie, the son of a Gold Star Mother

Originally posted on Our Ancestors:
Sometimes when you look for relatives while doing your family tree, you come across obituaries… Like the one I posted yesterday on this blog. Sometimes an obituary has to get to the point. The obituary quickly mentions that Edna or Odna lost two boys in WWII, William and Robert. Both…

What will you tell your grandchildren?

Originally posted on theleansubmariner:
All of us will leave a legacy when we pass to the next world. Some will be lengthy and some will be rather modest. I am at the age where I read the obituaries in the local paper. Its kind of ghoulish in a way since I am not from here…

G’day Mate, mind the dingos

Originally posted on theleansubmariner:
I can’t possibly imagine two places on earth that are more opposite then Diego Garcia and Perth Australia. Finishing up a quick run somewhere in the Indian Ocean and pulling up next to a destroyer tender was welcome after all the excitement, but you quickly come to realize that if there…

A little respect… 42 years later, its still not that big of a deal

Recently I was following a post on one of my submarine Facebook pages. The original guy had posted about a lack of recognition. To be fair, he had a lot of supporters and frankly I can’t give him a hard time since I have seen some of this through the years myself. “Okay I have […]

The “Georgia Swamp Fox” that Fathered the Two Ocean Navy – Carl Vinson

This is a story published in the Port of Pittsburgh, Official Publication of the Navy League of the United States, Pittsburgh Council Jan-March 2014 Volume 18 No.1 edited by Katherine Kersten, written by Bob MacPherson (aka theleansubmariner) “The most expensive thing in the world is a cheap Army and Navy,” Congressman Carl Vinson On March […]