Short Takes – First Crossing

NEW VIDEO!! Take a Short Takes break and travel back to 1919 to soar across the Atlantic with the first aircraft to successfully cross ANY ocean—the giant NC-4 flying boat! Largely lost in the shadow of later aerial conquests, the NC-4 is the aircraft that proved the viability of transoceanic flight!! https://youtu.be/z8HRxdnwlFo #nathanelmiller, #sparks1524, #shorttakes, … Continue reading Short Takes – First Crossing

Short Takes – The Last Veteran

NEW VIDEO! Take a Short Takes break with me and learn the history of one of the most valuable and rare artifacts from all of World War II—the only known surviving aircraft, Japanese or American, that fought in the 1942 Battle of Midway! https://youtu.be/q8exf6ySKjs #nathanaelmiller, #sparks1524, #shorttakes, #navalaviationmuseum, #WorldWarII, #Navy, #USMC, #MarineCorps, #warplane, #warbird, #Dauntless, … Continue reading Short Takes – The Last Veteran

New Short Takes Video – The National Museum of the Pacific War!

New Short Takes video!! The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, preserves the boyhood home of naval hero and victorious World War II Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, as well as provides a comprehensive look into the many facets of the Pacific Theatre. Join me for a brief visit to this remarkable treasure … Continue reading New Short Takes Video – The National Museum of the Pacific War!

On the Waterfront – Sailing into History: Meeting the Proud Lion

(Pensacola, Florida; April 7, 2022,) – There are moments when disparate threads of unrelated events are woven into a brand new cloth upon which the tapestry of our stories will forever be embroidered. USS Ponce (LPD 15) was one such moment for me. Many unrelated threads from my childhood, my college days, and my early … Continue reading On the Waterfront – Sailing into History: Meeting the Proud Lion

Veteran Talk – Twenty Years Later

(Niceville, Florida; 11 September 2021) – Twenty years ago today I was standing on the flight deck of USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) as we spun up the Tomcats of VF-213 for a routine day of flying over the Arabian Sea. One of our civilian tech reps had a small camera and waved to me, … Continue reading Veteran Talk – Twenty Years Later

Travel Log: Wings of Gold, Part 3

(Niceville, Florida; June 19, 2021) – The United States Navy answered the beckoning call of Florida’s mild, warm weather and generally sunny skies early in the 20th century, establishing its hub for naval aviation training in Pensacola. Today, Naval Air Station Pensacola hosts the National Naval Aviation Museum, one of the largest aviation museums in … Continue reading Travel Log: Wings of Gold, Part 3

Travel Log: Wings of Gold, Part 2

(Niceville, Florida; June 19, 2021) – The United States Navy is attracted by the same warm, sun-washed weather and smooth beaches of Florida that lures tourists to the Sunshine State every year. These environmental conditions led Naval Air Station Pensacola to become the center of naval aviation training, boasting not only a first-rate facility for … Continue reading Travel Log: Wings of Gold, Part 2

Travel Log: Wings of Gold, Part 1

(Niceville, Florida; June 19, 2021) – The United States Navy loves the warm, sun-washed weather and smooth beaches of Florida just as much as the tourists who flock to the Sunshine State every year. Today known as a vacation destination for nearly any season, Florida’s panhandle attracted the Navy’s attention due to the deep waters … Continue reading Travel Log: Wings of Gold, Part 1

On the Waterfront – Talk About Attempted Sabotage!

(Silverdale, Washington; Jan. 14, 2021) – Welcome back to my regular Thursday column! My original intent had been to open 2021 with a column on the meaning of freedom. To prepare, I did an informal poll of my Facebook friends, asking them to submit a one or two-sentence definition of what freedom means to them. … Continue reading On the Waterfront – Talk About Attempted Sabotage!

On the Waterfront – A Tale of a Great Enterprise

(Silverdale, Washington; Oct. 15, 2020) – The retired aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) had a profound affect on my time at sea, and her deactivation in 2012 foretold my own retirement from the Navy in 2017. Pretty heavy stuff, especially considering I never once set foot aboard her! I joined the Navy to go … Continue reading On the Waterfront – A Tale of a Great Enterprise