Category Archives: Sea Stories

Why classified information is a big deal

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Jim

It’s been amusing to watch the news coverage of Hillary Clinton’s email woes and apparent lack of understanding of government rules for handling classified information. Especially when politicians and media pundits say it’s not a big deal. Classified information was … Continue reading →

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The rubber raft tactic

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Jim

Another story from my Navy days that is still mostly true. “We got a message from Saigon to use ship’s boats for boarding junks that have fish nets out,” the captain said. “We don’t have boats,” the executive officer pointed … Continue reading →

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Bring back the draft?

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Jim

The idea of reinstating the military draft keeps popping up. Sometimes it’s anti-war reverse psychology: Politicians won’t start wars if their kids have to fight them. Others think it’s unfair that fewer than one percent of us actually fight America’s … Continue reading →

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Veterans Day and Chicken Marengo

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Jim

On this Veterans Day, I bypassed the free meals many restaurants offer to veterans and instead made my favorite Veterans’ Day feast: Chicken Marengo. Chicken Marengo illustrates one of the best qualities of servicemen everywhere: the ability to improvise, adapt … Continue reading →

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Of wooden ships and swordfish

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Jim

My sea duty in the Navy was aboard a minesweeper: a class of ships designed to clear mines from harbors and shipping lanes. In a fleet of steel hulls and armor plate, minesweepers were an oddity because they were made … Continue reading →

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SHOUTING BETWEEN SHIPS IN ALL CAPS

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Jim

The news that the Navy has abandoned its tradition of typing messages in all capital letters reminded me of the quirky communications I experienced in my seagoing days. The all-caps format had its origins in the limitations of teletype technology. … Continue reading →

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Adventures of a Pentagon warrior

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Jim

My career in the Navy probably included more time at the Pentagon than at sea. The Pentagon, legendary nerve center of the world’s largest military establishment, is known by such nicknames as the “puzzle palace.” As a reserve public affairs … Continue reading →

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Best music I ever heard

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Jim

Another story from my Navy days… The hour before dawn usually is a quiet time aboard ship. On this morning all hands are on deck for underway replenishment, the regular delivery of fuel and supplies that sustains our tiny minesweeper … Continue reading →

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It doesn’t have to make sense

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Jim

When I was young and figuring out how to use my brain, I became fascinated with logic and was intensely frustrated when I encountered things that did not make sense. Then I joined the Navy and learned that reason and … Continue reading →

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How I learned to love the bomb

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Jim

I grew up in the nuclear age. My grade school had duck-and-cover air raid drills, and as the Cold War intensified nuclear weapons had a pervasive impact on popular culture with films such as Seven Days in May and the … Continue reading →

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