Blemishes and all … The Country and the Navy in 1973

I am incredibly proud of being a Navy Veteran The US Navy has been a part of my family DNA for more than a hundred years. We have answered the nation’s call since the Great War and served as part of the greatest navy that has ever sailed the seas. Having said that, even the […]

1917 – Submarines have many adventures (and so do Submariners)

1917 “We need a bigger fleet” “You’re going to need a lot more sailors.” The war that had started in Europe in 1914 had ended up being a stalemate on land. The Germans were never able to get past their early gains without being pushed back. The Allies were also kept to minimal gains with […]

Letters from Home – Lifelines in a Sea of Loneliness

Mail Call Anyone from my generation and before who has ever served in the military is aware of how important letters are when you are away from home. They are truly the connection you have to a place where “normal” lives despite the chaos of your current situation. With the internet, my nephews told me […]

There is no “Accident” in Team

There is no “Accident” in Team Okay, I can hear the groans. It should be “There is no i in Team”. At least until some smarty pants shows up with the poster that shows exactly where the “i” is. In this case, the word accident and team cannot stand together. Teams must be intentional or […]

The Mid Watch Revisited

The Mid Watch What does it feel like to be alone? I am sure that many people are starting to feel alone with the current condition of social distancing. In the interest of slowing down the spread of the Corona Virus, whole cities are being asked to isolate themselves from others. Since close proximity seems […]

March 8 1945 – John C. MacPherson goes off to fight the war

Excerpt from my first book “Love, Your Son Butch” March 8th on the Seventy Fifth Anniversary of my Dad’s entry into the Navy John Charles MacPherson, Jr. was inducted into the Navy on March 8, 1945 (more than a month before he turned 18). He did not have a great time in school and was […]

The Leadership Conundrum – Dealing with People

The Leadership Conundrum A conundrum is described as a problem that is difficult to deal with. The Navy spends a lot of time in the education and development of its leadership. The organization has evolved over the centuries from a very autocratic structure that involved corporal punishment to a more nuanced organization that recognizes the […]

Leadership Lessons from a Mop

It has been nearly forty eight years since I learned my first lesson on leadership. In June of 1972, I headed off to boot camp to join the thousands of other young men about to become part of the US Navy. Boot Camp is the testing period where you are physically challenged, mentally strengthened […]

“The submarines could lick us” … 1950 – The submarine missile threat emerges

THE SUBS COULD LICK US With the Second World War less than five years in the past, Naval Authorities were sounding the alarm that technology was about to let the Soviets take a leap forward in the ever expanding chess game called the Cold War. As this article relates, the Soviets were already beginning […]

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 […]