Steel Boats, Iron Men and their stories (plus a bit more)
You can’t talk about the 41 for Freedom boats without talking about one of the most important men in their development: A former destroyer-man named Arleigh Burke A Sailor if there ever was one: Forty two years in the Navy is a long time by any measure. When that forty two years includes service in […]
Read More The Destroyer man that helped launch the 41 for Freedom Fleet – 31 Knot Burke“Events of October 1962 indicated, as they had all through history, that control of the sea means security. Control of the seas can mean peace. Control of the seas can mean victory. The United States must control the seas if it is to protect your security…” President John F. Kennedy, 6 June 1963, on […]
Read More USS George Washington Carver SSBN 656 Strength Through KnowledgeUSS Thomas A. Edison SSBN 610 When I was a young boy going through grade school, I was fascinated with the heroes of the day. There were very few superheroes (Superman and Batman) and I didn’t follow sports as closely as others did. Nope. My heroes were the men who were American Inventors. We […]
Read More USS Thomas A. Edison SSBN 610 “Potentia Tenebras Repellendi” (Power to Repel the Darkness)There has been a long standing difference of opinion on the merits of serving on various types of submarines. Go to any Sub Vets meeting and you will find the purists that wear their DBF pin and scoff at anyone who never served on a diesel boat. For the record, despite serving on five boats, […]
Read More Mariano G. Vallejo SSBN 658 – Seagoing Cadillac with a hell of a kickThe phoenix is a mythical bird that derives from Greek mythology. It was described as a feathered creature of enormous size with talons and wings. The plumage was radiant and beautiful. The story goes that the phoenix lived for many years before it built its own funeral pyre, burst into flame, and died, consumed in […]
Read More Like a phoenix rising from the waves – the sail rises once moreIn the time before Polaris Quick disclaimer: I am sure that the purists will be jumping up and down in their retractable arm chairs yelling at Mister Mac for misrepresenting the article and contents. But if you stick with the story long enough you will discover two things: It was someone in BUSHIPS in 1958 […]
Read More Nuclear Submersible Aircraft Carriers – USS Permit and USS HalibutJuly 4, 2019. This is the 776th Post on theleansubmariner blog. Sometime in the early morning hours of this day, the blog counter for number of “visits” went over 500,000. A half million visits to the site since its founding in 2011. The number of followers on the web site, Facebook and Twitter has really […]
Read More July 4th 2019 Post Number 776 – USS Ulysses S. Grant SSBN 631USS Robert E. Lee SSBN 601 Of all of the leaders in American Military History, very few reach the standard set by Robert E. Lee. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Lee was one of the most sought after men on both sides of the coming conflict. It is to his credit that he […]
Read More USS Robert E. Lee SSBN 601 PAX DETERRENDOUSS STONEWALL JACKSON (SSBN 634) Today is July 2nd. In 1863, a great battle in and around a small town called Gettysburg was in its second day. This is not meant to be a story about the battle but the second day was a day when Robert E. Lee surely could have used the talents […]
Read More USS Stonewall Jackson SSBN 634 – Unwavering CourageUSS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (SSBN 602) I am writing this on July 1, 2019 which is the anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. It’s interesting that the next four days will be dedicated to members of the 41 for Freedom Family who all had a direct connection to the Civil War […]
Read More USS Abraham Lincoln SSBN 602 – Pax Per Tridentum