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 […]

Observations on Japanese character, with special reference to Japan’s ambition and her relation in this connection with the United States. A confidential report from Admiral Greaves (1920)

I debated trying to shorten this post up a bit then decided that the story had so much significance, cutting pieces out would be difficult and would not be fair to the purpose I intended. I have been featuring some articles recently about Japan and its navy. One of the characters that came into view […]

Mr. Roosevelt’s Views – Japan through Teddy’s eyes

I see there is another book out about Theodore Roosvelt. To Rescue the American Spirit: Teddy Roosevelt and the Birth of a Superpower (The Presidential Series) Hardcover – October 21, 2025 by Bret Baier (Author) I am a huge fan of Theodore Roosevelt. One of my favorite books from recent times is “Theodore Rex” by Edmund Morris which […]

Do we need a Navy League?

For many years after my dad died, I kept a few mementos of his on my desk. Mom had given me his wallet among other things and in the wallet was his driver’s license, a card from his days as a Red Cross volunteer, a veteran’s card from his discharge as a navy man and […]

Happy Navy Day 2024 – The 75th Anniversary of one of the worst bureaucratical decisions in history

I’ve written a lot about the history of Navy Day in the past including this article from 2019 The Last Navy Day – How Truman almost killed the US Navy This is the 75th anniversary of that last Navy Day and the criticality of having a strong navy is becoming clearer with every passing day. […]

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 […]

Speak Softly but carry a big stick – USS Theodore Roosevelt SSBN 600

More than one hundred years ago, as a new century was about to break, Theodore Roosevelt remarked that, “In a crisis, the man worth his salt is the man who meets the needs of the situation in whatever way is necessary.” I can’t imagine a man more suited for the role as President for his […]

August 21, 1905 – Plunger to Oyster Bay today

I was working on the next 41 for Freedom article which is the USS Theodore Roosevelt SSBN 600 when I stumbled on some interesting items related to the early days of submarining. I had earlier posted the story about Teddy’s Excellent Adventure on the Plunger in 1905 but had not included any of the newspaper […]