41 For Freedom – SSBN Memories 41 Years Later

Its funny how an old picture can bring back so many memories. Whether a boomer sailor sailed out of Scotland, Guam, Rota or Charleston many of the events they experienced were similar. I don’t know how many hundreds of ballistic missile patrols were made. I am sure there were a lot. Since the 1960s, strategic deterrence has […]

Memorandum Number 68: FUTURE SUBMARINE WARFARE – 1923 (How America almost lost World War II before it even started)

In the final days of the Great War, Naval planners had seen first hand the devastation and destruction caused by the modern machines of war. The submarine was an example of one of the most destructive. As plans were being made for the peace, decisions about the methods for maintaining that peace would have to […]

The Cost of Freedom – Letter to the Editor Pittsburgh Post Gazette

The Cost of Freedom To the Editor Pittsburgh has long been a source of the materials and equipment necessary for our national defense. The propulsion equipment for submarines and aircraft carriers comes from manufacturers in the Steel Valley as it has for generations. A strong fleet ensures freedom of the seas and guarantees the level […]

It was never easy

It was never easy On the day I retired from the Navy, my crew presented me with a shadow box. That box sits on my desk and I look at it from time to time when I am not typing stories or checking out the latest on the Internet. It’s a nice box with beveled […]

Scorpion Lives Mattered

On May 22, 1968, the USS Scorpion SSN 589 was lost at sea with all hands. http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-scorpion-589.htm This is a constant reminder to all submariners that there truly are no routine days at sea. God rest their souls Mister Mac

America as a leader – Truman’s April 16 1945 Address to the Nation

On April 16, 1945, Harry S. Truman, newly appointed President of the United States gave an address to a Joint session of Congress and to the American people via a radio address at 1PM. The speech was designed to let the people of this country and the world know that the legacy of leadership that evolved […]

Sub Pay

SUBMARINE PAY Teddy Roosevelt was the first American president to go aboard a submarine and participate in a dive. The USS Plunger dove beneath the surface of Long Island Sound on August 25th 1905 with the President on board. President Roosevelt not only achieved this historical first but was the man directly responsible for […]

Remembering the Missing … Until they all come home

How we remember our fallen says a lot about us. The same can be said about how we never forget those left behind. No matter where you are this Memorial Day, at 3:00 PM, stop what you are doing and pray for those who never made it home. Then pray for peace for the families […]

Remembering those who waited at home – Gold Star Mothers

The joy of giving birth to a brand new life has been described as one of the most significant moments in a woman’s life. For the following months and years, she feeds and clothes and nurtures that child until one day comes and the child becomes a man or a woman and goes off […]

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 […]