The final watch.

The final watch. All of us who ever served on submarines experienced the first watch. The training we received mostly prepared us for that watch. Technical details, readings and normal operations were the expected results. But in the back of our minds, we were trained for the unexpected. What if a system failed. What if […]

THE TRIP TO THE SUBMARINE – Key West 1960

Field Trips are Fun I remember as a kid we used to go to businesses on field trips to get a glimpse into what our parents and others did for a living. One year it was a bakery with all of the delicious smells you might expect. Another trip brought us to Menzie Dairy where […]

“Every man seen was at his station” – The tragic loss of the S-51

Every man seen was at his station – The tragic lass of the S-51 Caution – The descriptions are pretty graphic. I have written about the sinking of the S-51 before but today is the hundredth anniversary of the beginning of her recovery and restoration. In their day, the U. S. submarines S-50 and S-51 were the latest and […]

What is there to be proud of?

What is there to be proud of? I have traveled all around the country in a good part of the rest of the world. Frankly, I have been absolutely blessed to see some of the most beautiful and historical sites across the globe. From historic capitals in Europe, Asia and Australia, those blessings have accumulated […]

Memorial Day 2026 – How do you define freedom?

I was honored to be able to provide the keynote talk at our community Memorial Day Service. Memorial Day in my family has traditionally been one of the most important days of the year. Growing up, I can remember watching my Dad prepare for the day. His leadership was inspirational and helped me to understand […]

Marx? I thought that guy was dead.

Typically, I avoid political articles since the country is so divided now. Years ago, I indulged in printing a series about the potential change that might come under a new administration in 2020. I archived those articles but go back from time to time to see how accurate they were. Being completely transparent, they were […]

Rembert James War Correspondent- The first part of the story ended way too soon

Blessed are the storytellers… for they shall inherit eternity. Okay, so that isn’t really a beatitude. But it could be. Recently, I discovered a series of articles written by a war correspondent named Rembert F. James. Cold War Stories – Periscopes off our Coasts: 1954 Never heard of him before? Can’t say that I blame […]

Cold War Stories – Periscopes off our Coasts: 1954

Did you ever get that feeling like someone is watching you? No, I’m not talking about that natural paranoia some people feel in this modern age of electronic snooping. Although we do have some reason for concern. After all, if you have a smart phone, how many times has something you have been discussing with […]

Cold War Stories: Navy Believes Destroyers Our Best Defense Against Soviet Submarine Threat (1961)

Before I joined the navy in 1972, my high school band was invited to participate in a parade in Norfolk Virginia. Part of the trip included a trip to the Norfolk naval base. I will readily admit that most of the trip was focused on social events and spending time with the girl I was […]

Cold War Stories: Submarines: Past, Present And Future Of Silent Service (1962)

In April of 1962, I had not even turned ten years old. But I already had a fascination with submarines But I was conscious of many of the things that were going on in the world. I read every book I cold find in the library about the wars that came earlier in the century. […]