Blog

Your ticket to high adventure.

For those who still enjoy reading a good book, John Barell has once again met his mark by telling an engaging story of one man's inner self doubt, resolve and redemption for decisions made during the worst of situations. One need not be active or former military to appreciate the perspective of making decisions that could define your life or change the course of history for many lives.

The weight of responsibility is great when lives hang on decisions one junior Navy officer makes, only to live forever with the burden and consequences that prove costly to his career.  This could be the story of many who have been forced by circumstance to make those decisions and only through strength of character and moral bearing can withstand the trials of such weight, to carry on another day. 

Leaders are those entrusted to make critical decisions when the stakes are highest. This story provides insight to that which defines the "Absolute Bearing" required for leadership.

Available on Amazon, Kindle and may other online sources:

http://www.amazon.com/Absolute-Bearing-John-Barell/dp/1490505962

Dale Jacobs

Citizen of Antarctica

It is for sailors who transit the Strait of Gibraltar.  Why isn't it included on this site?

How do you avoid collision at sea?

You’re steaming alone on a ship of the line through a violent storm at midnight, plowing into fifty foot waves that crash over the bow onto the navigation bridge.  Winds whip the ship port to starboard and everything in the pilot house becomes a dangerous missile.

Then, all of sudden, radar spots Skunk Alpha approaching from beyond five thousand yards.  You follow her track, constant bearing decreasing range, until radar dies and one man goes missing from CIC.

You’re in charge as ships draw dangerously closer. What do you do?  How do you avoid being in extremis, the situation everybody at sea wants to avoid.

This is the opening of ABSOLUTE BEARING,  a searing story of fatality at sea, tense court room drama and the search for redemption for the young officer-of-the-deck Lt. Stephen Wheatley.

The Caine Mutiny meets The Poseidon Adventure.

How would you have lived with the consequences of not calling the Captain when his Night Orders so dictated? How do you redeem your honor and good bearing?

This is the story of Absolute Bearing--growing beyond the arrogance that resulted in tragedy.

Available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Absolute+Bearing  

Free download to Kindle for Mac or Windows 8: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sv_kstore_3?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771 

FREE on Kindle:  4 and 5 December, 2013

Read Chapter one at "Look Inside"

Was stationed there from 1964 through 1966

Does any ML's know of a ML by the name of Blevins or a  Edward Presley who was on USS Bushnell AS15 foundry  around 1960-62 if so e mail me norman243@yahoo.com  i am looking for a ML1 from my home town in Binghamton NY .

9)  We'll hang a chantey on any island -

A round of cheer for the ironies, please.

It's yo-heave-ho to the men on dry land,

Pass the beer at the bar, mates. At ease.

So, here's to starry's tar in the darbies,

The martialed sailor gone to the locker -

Ah, a-stammering among the fishies.

Aye, his soul's at rest by Neptune's clocker -

Bound up by seaweedery in the deep rocker!

8) The Chantey of Whidbey Island -

A tree - ole' - a silver bough.

Song of the wave, yarn of the sea -

The Chantey of Whidbey Island.

Ship's gray spun yarn, light by the lee -

Light chanteyman sings triolet.

The Chantey of Whidbey Island -

A tree - ole' - a silver bough.

7)  Whidbey Island -

Yo!  It's rope yarn sunday at sea.

Whidbey Island -

We'll scrim the shaw of that gray ship.

We'll spin rope yarn, chant to the lee.

We'll work on darn, sing for the glee.

Whidbey Island -

6)  O to sea doggerel on deck -

Of a sea horse, by wit and bones -

Poop of spun yarn to kelp and heck -

Wave, lay wit's end for Davy Jones!

Full fathom brine, at Neptune's beck.

Deep-six the nine, so seaweed moans.

5)  Yo!  To be a rhymer e,

Jack spins rope yarn to the lee:

Aye, sailor sew it;

Tar's a wag, poet.

Hail, rhymery of the sea!

4)  Captain Thomas B. -

Skipper of the sea.

His parrot of late -

Ben Worley, First Mate.

3)  O to be a rhymer e -

A rhymery of the sea -

Chant a chantey to the lee!

2)  I was the captain's scribe at sea.

So, write me, sir.  Who's wag are ye?

1)  Sea lawyers, try crime in a rhyme.

Hope everyone is doing ok!!

its a fine Navy day where in my world, everday is "Ropeyarn"

'Looking for those that were in the DaNang area stationed at Camp Tien Sha from 1970-1971, particularly in ACTOV.

Jack @ jmoore8@woh.rr.com

Give me an email. Paul Walker RPO1 Co. O67, San Diego

Best regards,

Pauo

Where in Hell Did They Go?
by: Garland Davis
They were famous throughout the Navy.

The Gut in Barcelona

East Main Street in Norfolk

Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn

The Combat Zone in Boston

The Pike in Long Beach

Market Street in San Francisco

Broadway Street in San Diego

Hotel (Shit) Street in Honolulu

Thieves Alley (later the ) the Honcho in Yokosuka

China Town and Sakuragi-cho in Yokohama

Wanchai in Hong Kong

Buggis Street in Singapore

Magsaysay in Olongapo

.......and all the other places where fleet sailors congregated.

People ask, Where did they go?

Well shipmate, they didn't go anywhere. You are asking the wrong question.

You should ask. Where did all the fleet sailors go?

Long ago, on payday night and in the nights following, these streets were a paradise to the North American Blue Jacket. A person could look down the street and see neon signs advertising beer and bars and a sea of white hats bobbing up and down as sailors made their way from bar to bar. At liberty call these became a shopping center for intoxicating beverages and sex. And in some places a PO2 could get that new First Class crow sewn on or that old Third Class crow sewn back on. No need for crows these days. It is all collar and hat devices. Hell, I don't see much need for dress canvas these days.

The only time I see it worn is when a ship is leaving or returning from a deployment.

With all the straight sailors and females, the gays and lesbians and don't knows aboard these days, I figure sailors are shopping for sex closer to home.

The smoking lamp is cold and probably over the side or being saved for recycling or Mary Soo (forget her, CumShaw is Fraud, Waste, Abuse and misappropriation of government property. I'l tell a story about the consequences of CumShaw some time.)

Instead of trading useless gear to Mary Soo for painting the ship, the Navy now recycles and lets a multi-thousand dollar contract to get the job done. Smoking is now frowned upon. Surface ships limit smoking to a tiny, uncomfortable topside space. My shipmates in the Bubble Head world can no longer smoke anyplace aboard the boat. Municipalities and states have also jumped on the bandwagon and banned smoking in bars and restaurants. Drive past any bar or lounge and you will see a group standing on the corner smoking and no, they cannot bring their drinks outside. It is against the law to drink in public.
Drinkers are now pariahs in our modern Navy. The clubs are closed. They no longer exist or have been converted to MWR game rooms where the strongest drink available is a f**king Red Bull. Quarterdecks of ships, in addition to a podium, log books, long glass, and weapon are now equipped with a Breathalyzer and probably a watch stander to operate it. Many commands are requiring that sailors refrain from drinking the day prior to a duty day.
Back in the day, a sailor ashore knew that his shipmates had his back. Whether in a confrontation with a sailor from another ship, marines, or Limeys, he knew his shipmates would stand with him. Too much to drink? A shipmate would help you back aboard and even help you to your rack. You would do the same for him. These days, you are assigned a Liberty Buddy. You are to stay together and, I guess, keep each other from drinking or smoking. With the repeal of Don't Ask,
Don't Tell, I guess a dalliance with a Rump Ranger would be okay. But, before you go ashore, you have to formulate a Liberty Plan and get it approved by your Department/Division Liberty Coordinator. If during your liberty, you or your Liberty Buddy change your plan, you must contact your Liberty Coordinator and get the change approved. I surmise that, I'l be in the Barrio some place getting f**ked up, blown and laid. Would not be an acceptable liberty plan. Always worked for me!
They were more than streets and bars. First and foremost, they were the repositories of small bits and pieces of the history of America's forces afloat. They were the unofficial clubhouses of those of us who went to sea on old gray steel under the flag of the United States. They were places where a thirsty bluejacket could go and park his ass where sailors of earlier fleets had parked theirs. They were the poor man's Valhalla, where lads who plowed deep salt water, could go and share fellowship and sea stories with fellow practitioners of the nautical arts… A place where welll-intentioned exaggeration and bullshit-gilded flawed recollection were readily forgiven and accepted.
They were places where lonely strays could tie up alongside a warm feminine fanny on a cold night… For a few bucks, and sometimes love.
Where did the streets and the bars go you ask? Where the did the real sailors go?

If any one knows were I could find and anchor year book for RTC NTC San Diego co 77-006  could you give a lead? This was my company.. Respectfully Yours, Gregory Hunt

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/10/23/forrestal-1st-navy-supercarrier-disaster-site-sold-for-1-cent.html?ESRC=eb.nl

Anybody know these names ? MLC Chappel, MLC Dan McDonald, Darrel Bohnert, Brad Blanchard, Bob McField, Owen Jones, Jim Goodwin, Keith Clark, PM2 Larry Walker. Most of these guys were Dixon sailers.

All right everyone … Here is your chance to contribute and have your stories published in an upcoming book.

I have been asked by one of our veteran’s organizations here in my community to help write a book consisting of stories from crew members of various ships and commands.

The stories can be true events or they can be those famous “sea stories” we all know and love so well. What they want is for sailors from the past to contribute their versions of stories “as they remember them”. I have been asked me to remind everyone that the stories can be a bit “salty” but there may not be any vulgarity or profanity used. Credit will be given to those who submit stories that are chosen for use in the book.

If you have some great tales or sea stories, please try to write them up and send them to me. If possible, provide the command or ship name and hull number, approximate date, location, what occurred, who was involved, and what the result of the event or incident was. You may use rates/ranks instead of names if you prefer, or you may use false names or nicknames.  To use actual names requires getting a signed release authorizing publication of their name by every individual named and that is simply too much paperwork and effort.

I’m looking forward to seeing what I can offer to assist with this publication. Thank you to everyone in advance.

For privacy reasons you may send them to my personal email rather than use Facebook. Use gmickle49@gmail.com

On September 28th the Military Writer's Society of America honored several Navy veterans, Navy military spouses, and parents with top honors in their annual book awards.   Here is a partial list of winners with Navy affiliations.   Just a tremendous honor to have been nominated, much less designated as medal awards winners.   All finalists' books were judged by a panel of military judges and professional editors.  

The ceremony was held in Dayton, Ohio near the Wright-Patterson Airforce base.  The national museum of Air Force Aviation contains five hangers of US military planes, as well as the history of Dayton hometown boys Orville and Wilbur Wright.

A full list of winners can be found at   Military Writer's Society of America

Here are some of the honorees:

Silver Medal for historical fiction SOLO VIETNAM  Jeanette Vaughan, USN mom of two pilots 

Silver Medal for young adult  BELIEVING IN HORSES Captain Valerie Ormond,  USN (Ret.) 

Silver Medal for historical fiction FOR GOD AND COUNTRY  Commander Mark Bowlin, USN (Ret.)

Gold Medal for poetry and prose  AFGHAN PROVERBS  Captain Edward Zellem, USN (Ret.)

Check out these awesome books as well as an patriotic anthology of military stories, verse, short stories OUR VOICES published by the Military Writer's Society of America.