Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Sixteen: “When the World is at Peace, a gentleman keeps his Sword by his side.” – Wu Tsu

Chapter Sixteen (1929-1933) “When the World is at Peace, a gentleman keeps his Sword by his side.” – Wu Tsu The Young’s would once more find themselves facing another cross-country transfer when Cassin was assigned to the Naval Academy for duty as an instructor. From August of 1928 until May of 1931, the family would […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Nineteen: Into the Battle. Every Man a Hero

Chapter Nineteen Into the battle. Every man a hero The Marines that landed on Guadalcanal were about to write a page into history that would be written with blood. This tiny island in the Pacific should not have been the place where the allies would start their long drive to Tokyo. But observation planes had […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Seventeen: Sometimes course changes have unintended consequences

Chapter Seventeen: Sometimes course changes have unintended consequences On January 31, 1938, Admiral Leahy would report to the Congress on the preparedness of the Navy in anticipation of increased funding requests. HEARINGS ON H. R. 9218 TO ESTABLISH THE COMPOSITION OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, TO AUTHORIZE THE CONSTRUC TION OF CERTAIN NAVAL VESSELS, AND FOR […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Twelve: Pig Boats at the Panama Canal

Chapter Twelve Pig Boats at the Panama Canal From the Annual Report of the Navy Department (1921/22), an accurate description of life on board any of the submarines of the day: “Submarines, from their size and peculiarities of construction and operation, are far less habitable than the usual types of surface craft. They do not […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Thirteen: While one Navy shrinks an enemy secretly grows

Chapter Thirteen: While one Navy shrinks an enemy secretly grows Between the years of 1920-1921, the United States was shedding the weight of the forces it had mustered to answer the call to action in the Great War. After the Wilsonian years and massive growth and investment, the Republican leadership clung to the new idea that […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Eleven: Mosquitos, sand flies and ants shall inherit the earth

Chapter 11: Mosquitos, sand flies and ants shall inherit the earth “Information on living conditions in the Canal Zone. Atlantic Side. Any officer ordered to the Canal Zone should, if possible, leave his family in the States until he has investigated the situation described above” These words of caution were written in a pamphlet published by […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Ten: She married a Submariner

Chapter Ten: She married a Submariner There was a custom that existed when ships were at sea to drink a toast at dinner on Saturday night to officer’s wives and sweethearts. The second stanza to one of those toasts (that dated back to the Royal Navy) said: Sweethearts and wives, those precious names That make […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Nine: “A cowardly, underhanded weapon”

Chapter Nine: “A cowardly, underhanded weapon” As Cassin Young and his classmates were being trained in the art and science of submarine warfare in the summer of 1919, forces across the Atlantic Ocean were gaining strength to try and cut short his and many other’s careers on submarines. The British had been particularly hard hit […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Seven: One fights a war where one is sent. (1916 – 1918)

Chapter Seven: One fights a war where one is sent. (1916 – 1918) “So, cheer up my son. Play the game. Take your medicine. Don’t squeal. Watch your step. After all, it is a splendid profession and an honorable career.” (Naval Institute Proceedings, XLI, No. 157 “Letters of a Retired Rear Admiral to his son” […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Six: The End and The Beginning

Chapter Six: The End and The Beginning Josephus Daniels became the Secretary of the Navy after the election of Woodrow Wilson. He was a reformer in every sense of the word and brought with him very little understanding of the naval traditions that shaped the modern organization he inherited. He was determined to build the navy […]