Sudden Impact… Forever Impacted

Sudden Impact… Forever Impacted It was a cold and freezing night. (I’ve always wanted to use that line ever since Snoopy used something similar in one of his attempts to be a novelist. Cartoonist Charles Schulz made Snoopy use this phrase because “it was a cliché and had been one for a very long time”. […]

The Cost of Freedom 2024

Another article published in the Port of Pittsburgh Navy League Newsletter: 2024 Navy Budget Request – Outlining the Priorities Bob MacPherson, Past President The following information was gathered from the Secretary of the Navy’s 2024 Budget submission. The original intent for the Navy League was to make sure that the US Navy had the correct […]

Nautilus to Columbia by James C. Goodall

Happy December. This is the time of year when we get presents in the mail and for me that includes the latest project by my friend James. C. Goodall. Jim is a former Air Force guy (Retired) who combines his photographic skills with his passion for submarines and other technical platforms to create valuable resources […]

Navy Day 1943 – Threats from Within and Warnings about the Future

In October 1943, the country had been at war for nearly two years. The strength and power of our industrial base was at nearly full speed and in every corner of the land, the equipment and supplies needed to fight a global war were being produced at a furious pace. Patriotism and nationalism were used […]

“if a submarine is hit, the crew will never hear the explosion”

October 1943 was a very busy time for an expanding fleet in every corner of the world. The trials for the leadership of the Navy and Army that had been in charge during the attacks on Hawaii and elsewhere were finally getting under way. Less than two years after that disastrous day, many people were […]

Nuclear Power: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963-2023)

(NOTE: This post is a big longer than my usual post, but hopefully it will be worth your time to read.) Nuclear Power: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow I was reading about the two nuclear powered aircraft carriers and their battle groups gathering in the eastern Mediterranean this week and got to thinking about when I […]

Happy Birthday United States Navy – 2023

The United States Navy turns 248 years old this year. Ships and aircraft of the fleet are sailing around the world today in defense of freedom, just as they have for most of her rich history. At this time, despite pressure from many quarters to change her focus, she remains the single most powerful and […]

Telegraphic News Flash: Explosion Kills Three on Submarine S-37

Life on submarines has always been risky. Whether it’s defying the physics of overcoming the sea’s depths or the nature of the machinery required to do so, every submariner undestands that the unexpected can be managed to a certain extent, but the uexpected cab still arrive with dire results. One hundred years ago today (October […]

Navy Day 1923 – Illusions of Peace

Editorial from the DAILY KENNEBEC JOURNAL Wednesday, October 10, 1923 “I knew by the smoke that so gracefully curled Above the green elms, that a cottage was near, And I said, ‘If there’s peace to be found in the world, A heart that was humble might hope for it here.’” NAVY DAY It is become […]

The Submarine Recognition Manual NAVPERS 10011

A new era In 1959, the United States was about to fast forward its submarine program. The nuclear program was well under way and the ballistic missile submarine program called Polaris was in full swing. Congressional reports at the time talked about the mounting Soviet threat. The Soviets had also developed a number of shipyards […]