December 6, 1942 – The Navy Reveals the True Damage at Pearl Harbor

Within hours of the attack on Pearl Harbor, news started filtering back to anxious families on the mainland that something horrible had happened to the country. The banner headlines from the eighth of December would forever be changed with news of the encroachment of the Empire of Japan across the vast reaches of the Pacific […]

Has anyone seen the anchor?

Adrift The definition of the word adrift is often this: so as to float without being either moored or steered: “a cargo ship went adrift”. Unless you are a submariner by trade, you are probably not familiar with the fact that some submarines have anchors. My first boat was the USS George Washington and she […]

A Navy Day to Remember – but not everyone was on board

When the Navy League first advocated for a special day to bring focus to the US Navy, there were many who joined along with them in their enthusiasm. After all, the idea of a strong navy was something that many believed would hep protect the nation in future conflicts. Despite all of the treaties that […]

October 16, 1962 – The Day the World Found Itself on the Brink

I was eight years old on October 16, 1962. It was a Tuesday and I was in grade school probably day-dreaming about anything but the world coming to an abrupt end. But on that day, President Kennedy was shown some pictures of Soviet Missiles being assembled in a place called Cuba. It may has well […]

Navy Day 1922 – Opportunities for Young Men

In 1922, the United States Navy was in a quandary. The civilian leadership had recently completed its goal of limiting the growth of the civilized world’s naval forces. This dream of lasting peace was certainly an admirable one by the Harding administration. Diplomacy seemed to be an answer to the endless wars that had plagued […]

I didn’t march today. But I did remember

Fifty years ago today I marched in the Elizabeth Pennsylvania Memorial Day Parade. It was a family tradition for a number of years and in 1972 it would be my last one as a civilian. I had already joined the Navy in the delayed entry program and would leave a few weeks later. I remember […]

1930 – the last chance to eliminate the rattlesnakes of the seas is over

The London Naval Conference of 1930 This conference was the third in a series of conferences meant to slow, limit or eliminate large combat shipbuilding efforts among a group of nations that were seen as potential adversaries. From the State Department’s Historian: “The purpose of the meetings was to promote disarmament in the wake of […]

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 […]

1923 – Someday all submarines will carry airplanes

You sunk my battleship! Growing up, we had a game called battleship. It was definitely old school and involved two plastic boards with a lid and an “ocean” that was punctuated by many small holes. Two players would sit across from each other and arrange their plastic ships and submarine at random places on their […]

1922 – A Thoroughly Modern Submarine

1922 A holiday from building With the signing of the Naval Arms Limitation Treaty, the American navy had a number of logistical problems to be met with in order to meet the terms of the treaty. Not the least of those issues was what to do with the ships that were now considered excess and […]