“The Flight Is Doomed” … until the submarine shows up to the rescue

“The Flight Is Doomed” Of all the submarine stories from history that have been forgotten over time, very few are as interesting as the one about a submarine rescuing an airplane in the Pacific Ocean which then then towed it to safety. Nearly 100 years ago, flying between the continental US and Hawaii was still […]

In the beginning… building a submarine despite the odds (1900)

In the beginning… building a submarine despite the odds (1900) The 125th Anniversary of the United States Submarine force will occur in April of 2025. This is one of a number of articles related to that celebration. I spend a lot of time researching history and my favorite source material comes from the National Archives. […]

125 Years ago – Does Tesla’s Telautomaton Predict the Future of Submarines?

This is the 125th year since the United States Navy adopted her first modern submarine. Of course, the country had seen other submarine warfare devices before (Turtle and Hunley among others), but the use of a machine with the ability to surface and dive as well as operate using motive powers was a great leap […]

Some “Very Cool navy traditions” as a civilian would view them

As the year 2024 comes to an end, we are finally settling down in our new home in South Carolina. One of the things that drew me to living here is the plethora of historical and veteran’s activities. We haven’t had much time to visit too many places yet, but a number of previous visits […]

Part time sailors? There is no such thing

I’m still going through boxes of old paperwork and stuff I have saved over the years. Some of the items include pictures and mementoes from my years in the navy. One item that was in an old album was a faded copy of a Welcome Aboard letter from Charleston’s FBMSTC (Fleet Ballistic Missile Training Center). […]

The Value of Shipmates

A while back, I was on Facebook and called someone a shipmate. Well, to me, the name shipmate is one of honor. But to the person who I was communicating with, it seemed to have had a less than positive meaning. Almost to the point where the name had become an insult. I’m not sure […]

April 11 2024 – Holland Club

I was honored to have my wife and my Submariner Brothers present last night at the USSVI Charleston Base to see my induction into the Holland Club. I actually wasn’t sure I would ever make it. A special thanks to RADM Mike Sharp and the men from the USS San Francisco SSN 711 that were […]

What’s that hissing sound?

Looking at the launch and commissioning of the Nautilus the last few days, it seemed odd to me that the sea trials were somehow out of whack with what I was used to. The experience of building a submarine in the eighties was that you had the launch, fitting out, sea trials, then commissioning. Looking […]

A lot has changed in 70 years

Seventy years doesn’t seem like such a long time ago now. Looking back over my life, I would have to say that I am amazed at how quickly those years have come and gone. Well not quite. I don’t actually turn seventy until May 20th. But I am reminded often that there has never been […]

Another New Adventure; Supporting the USS Pennsylvania

I belong to a number of organizations that promote the support of our navy and veterans. Those include the Navy League, the American Legion, the VFW, the Naval Institute and the Naval Submarine League (NSL). I recently became a life member of the NSL. The great thing about becoming older is that the cost of […]