The Crew

The Crew As I look back over the past forty five years, I keep wondering what it was about serving on submarines was the part of my life that had the most impact on my life. As I look around social media, it’s not too hard to see that I am not alone in that […]

41 For Freedom – SSBN Memories 41 Years Later

Its funny how an old picture can bring back so many memories. Whether a boomer sailor sailed out of Scotland, Guam, Rota or Charleston many of the events they experienced were similar. I don’t know how many hundreds of ballistic missile patrols were made. I am sure there were a lot. Since the 1960s, strategic deterrence has […]

Boom

Originally posted on theleansubmariner:
Submarines operate for extended periods of time under the ocean. This ability gives them the advantage of stealth in performing her missions. Since even the most modern submarine requires people to operate it, providing the basics of life while submerged has always been a challenge. Think about those World War 2…

90 Days to nowhere… Submarine Documentary 1977

Another great video from a bygone era. The 41 for Freedom Boats were still in their glory and the USS Ohio was going through its growing pains at the shipyard at Electric Boat. While the patrol cycle is sometimes given short shrift by non-boomer sailors, it had a unique purpose and involved a large number […]

Happy 115th Birthday to the United States Navy Submarine Force

Of the things I have done in my life, being privileged to be a Submariner is the one thing that stands out the most. Looking back in the mirror of over forty years, what made being a submariner so special was a combination of men, machines, methods and materials (as well as the environment we […]

Polaris to Poseidon – 1966 United States Navy Submarine & Missile Documentary

As theleansubmariner approaches 500 posts, I thought it fitting to post another great video of the boats that made up much of my career as well as others in the early days of nuclear Cold War submarines. The 41 for Freedom boats represented a large part of a concerted effort to offer a countermeasure to […]

Did it matter? Undersea Patrols on Christmas Day

Did it matter? A few weeks ago on one of the Holy Loch themed Facebook pages, a few of us were reminiscing about the old days and all of the patrols that were made during the Cold War. Someone reflected how successful the system was but a member of the site (who self-identified as an […]

The World of Polaris

One of the best weekends of my life was our Perfect Scottish Weekend. We travelled the Highlands in August of 1991 and visited Newtonmore for a visit with Clan MacPherson. Then we went to Edinburgh for the world famous Tattoo. I hope you get a chance to visit it someday, it is breathtaking. Recommend that […]

The First Dive – Looking Through a Prism

I have always been fascinated by prisms. As a kid, I loved looking through them at various objects to see what would happen. Without going into the science of it, what you saw as you looked through it was different depending on the angle you looked through it. Another sailor posted a picture on Facebook […]

Something completely different for me

I recently did an interview on Bill Nowicki’s Blog (episode 29) Pretty interesting stuff… if you have a few minutes, check it out http://www.nowickimedia.com/ep29-the-lean-submariner-and-coach-bob-macpherson/ Thanks Bill Mister Mac