Steel Boats, Iron Men and their stories (plus a bit more)
A Navy at war on two fronts: The Cold War and the War against unification The fall of 1949 was a tumultuous time for the United States Navy. Harry Truman and his Defense Secretary were focused on the unification of all of the Armed Services in a move to contain costs and gain efficiencies. On […]
Read More October 27, 1949: The Day Comdr. John S. McCain, Jr., Let The Cat Out Of The Bag… Or Did He?Simon Lake was by any measure a Master Submariner. A prolific inventor, he held over two hundred patents at the time of his death in June of 1945 (just a few months short of the end of the war that was largely shaped by submarine warfare). Lake was a dreamer and had many ideas about […]
Read More Blockades and Submarines – An Opinion From a Master Submariner in 1939The rest of the story This will hopefully be the final segment in my saga of how the Submarine Dolphin insignia came to be. Each stage along the way has been a lot of fun as I have sifted through magazines, articles on line, historical societies, the Library of Congress and a source which contains […]
Read More The Origin of Submarine Dolphins – The Fourth (and I think) Final ChapterIt must be true, I saw it on the Internet The great thing about living in the age we do is the incredible access to resources on the internet. I have a number of historical reference sites that I use to build my stories and enjoy finding nuggets form time to time. I take it […]
Read More Submarine Dolphins Part Three – The Artists that created the InsigniaSubmarine Warfare Insignia One way to distinguish a United States Navy Submariner from any other sailor is to see the dolphins predominantly displayed on his or her uniform. Officers wear a gold version and enlisted wear a silver version. I have seen many stories over the years about the origin of the insigne but this article […]
Read More The Origin of Submarine Dolphins – All Hands Magazine January 1961Submarines have always been dangerous. The early submarines were even more so because of the emerging technologies that had not yet evolved. The men who rode the early boats were a different breed. This story is about one of them who was a national hero in Japan and left a legacy that would have implications […]
Read More A Letter No Submariner’s Father Ever Wants – Lieut. Tsutoma Sakuma and Japanese Submarine No. 6One of my favorite pastimes is discovering unique stories about the United States Submarine force and the development through the ages. There is no better witness to the phenomenal growth than that of one of the most profound influences on submarine operation and development: Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. The most fascinating thing about this man […]
Read More Submarines: “from a boy to a giant”A short history of the first ballistic missile submarine. USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (SSBN 598) THIS SHIP has been given the most illustrious name in America. Rarely does history confirm contemporary judgment in pronouncing a man “indispensable” to his country. But there is general agreement that on three occasions, when the fate of our Nation hung in […]
Read More USS George Washington SSBN 598 – First and Finest (December 30, 1959)A salute to one of the many unsung heroes of the Cold War: The USS Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633) This post was started in September of 2018 but I am updating and including it as part of the 41 for Freedom Series. Of all the boomers I have researched to date, the information about the man […]
Read More Post Number 633 – USS Casimir Pulaski SSBN 633I joined the Navy in April of 1972 by raising my right hand for the very first time. The Navy used the Delayed Entry Program to pre-sign willing young volunteers and at the age of seventeen, I was anxious to leave home and see the world. I remember my girlfriend at the time crying a […]
Read More August 28, 1973 The Journey Begins
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