1925 – Cold Shivers Run Down The Spines From the Undersea Monsters

1925 Cold Shivers Run Down The Spines From the Undersea Monsters The year did not start out well for the United States submarine services. Two incidents in January were reminders that the role of submariner remained a dangerous job. January 13. The S-19 boat grounded during a storm. In the early hours of 13 January […]

“Every Moment Mattered” Book Update

Very fast update on my upcoming book. I got an update from my editor and the first big round of edits will be back to me by Monday. Kind of interesting since that is fifty years to the day after I joined the Navy and started my journey as a submariner. The note was really […]

1919 – Setting a new standard for submarine training

1919 – Setting a new standard for submarine training The post for today is an excerpt from my upcoming book about Captain Cassin Young. The book captures his journey based on historical records and research into how the US Navy grew and developed its submarine force during the early years. This excerpt comes from Chapter […]

Book progress – Tell the Whole Story

One of my goals for the past few years was to tell the story of Cassin Young, Captain, US Navy. Cassin was a thirty-year man in the Navy that saw some of his most significant moments during two of the most pivotal battles of the Second World War. At Pearl Harbor, he was stationed on […]

The Short Life of the USS Juneau – February 14 to November 13 1942

A fast ship for a new kind of war As the Japanese were crushing their opponents all across the western Pacific Ocean, the USS Juneau was commissioned on February 14, 1942, with great fanfare. Captain Lyman K. Swenson was her first commanding officer. Little could anyone have predicted that less than 9 months later, the […]

Prepare to launch

“Take a chance. All life is a chance. The man who goes furthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The “sure thing” boat never gets far from the shore.” From the writings of Dale Carnegie Today is one of those days where you stand on the edge of the cliff […]

Holiday Routine – U.S.S. Vestal Daily Employment Schedule for Sunday, 7 December 1941

Holiday Routine – U.S.S. Vestal Daily Employment Schedule for Sunday, 7 December 1941 The document I discovered during my research on Cassin Young was yellowed and tattered with age. Some sailor had the presence of mind to keep a copy of it in his personal possession as a reminder of the day that would live […]

November 11, 2020 Zoom Presentation: Every Moment Mattered

Tonight at 7:00 PM EST, I will be giving a Zoom Presentation on the life of Captain Cassin Young, USN, Medal of Honor Awardee. This presentation is based on my upcoming book, “Every Moment Mattered, the Remarkable Story of Navy Captain Cassin Young” You must check in before that time to get access to the […]

Two Cultures Collide and Heroes Emerge from the Sea

The United States in 1941 was tense and filled with anticipation about the war in Europe. But nothing could prepare the nation for the events that were about to transpire. The nation and the Japanese had long been on a collision course because of the nature of their two cultures. But the population at large had […]

By God’s Help and Teamwork – The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal November 1942

Thanksgiving Weekend 1942 – Washington DC The headlines on the front page of the Washington Evening Star on November 28th, 1942 were focused on the recent events in the Battle of Tunis in Northern Africa. Thanksgiving was just completed and the Navy football Team was lauded for a surprise win over Army in the annual […]