Short Takes: Unexpected Ships – The Unexpectedly Longest Ship

A Naval Academy riddle sends us across the vast, tractless oceans in search of The Longest Ship in Navy History. Explore a mystery spanning nearly 700 miles from the Mid-Atlantic region up to New England in order to discover the unexpectedly longest ship the Navy ever (sort of) put to sea! https://youtu.be/1xShmPl5Qkw #nathanaelmiller, #sparks1524, #ShortTakes, … Continue reading Short Takes: Unexpected Ships – The Unexpectedly Longest Ship

Short Takes – Unexpected Ships: The Unexpected Mast

Fort Knox is famous as home to the United States’ gold depository and the General George Patton Museum, but a quiet corner presents a most unexpected site for an Army post—the mast of a bygone battleship. Discover the unexpected mast of USS Kentucky’s (BB 6) aboard Fort Knox! https://youtu.be/QzxeNwureDQ #nathanaelmiller, #sparks1524, #Kentucky, #battleship, #FortKnox, #shorttakes, … Continue reading Short Takes – Unexpected Ships: The Unexpected Mast

Pierside – Holidays in Uniform, Part 2

The holiday shenanigans continue as we travel Part 2 of our journey through stories of the Holidays in Uniform! Join me relaxing on a tropical beach for two memorable Christmases, and then a very busy holiday season at sea in 2010. Sharing this episode’s journey is an old shipmate of mine, the son of an … Continue reading Pierside – Holidays in Uniform, Part 2

Short Takes’ Unexpected Ships – The Unexpected Bell

Today, July 30, 2024, marks 79 years since one of the greatest Navy tragedies of World War II darkened our nation’s maritime skies. Robert Shaw’s mesmerizing performance in 1975’s “Jaws” introduced a new generation to the tragedy of the USS Indianapolis, a ship that sank in 18,000 feet of water and has never been salvaged. … Continue reading Short Takes’ Unexpected Ships – The Unexpected Bell

Pierside – Shipshape in Bristol Fashion!

Celebrate this Independence Day with the crew of USS Ponce (LPD 15)! Take a voyage back to the year 2011 and the Proud Lion’s participation in the historic Patriotic Exercises put on by Bristol, Rhode Island. Bristol’s date all the way back to 1777, and the town still knows how to party! Stay tuned after … Continue reading Pierside – Shipshape in Bristol Fashion!

Short Takes: Unexpected Ships — USS Memphis

Another Unexpected Ships here on Short Takes! Strolling about Nashville’s scenic Centennial Park can reveal the bronze scrollwork from the bow of the cruiser USS Memphis (CA 10), a ship that started life as USS Tennessee! Join me for the story of USS Memphis—the USS Tennessee before the USS Tennessee! https://youtu.be/EbnGh-4CaRg #nathanaelmiller, #sparks1524, #shorttakes, #tennessee, … Continue reading Short Takes: Unexpected Ships — USS Memphis

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

Travel Log: Under the Guns, Part 2

(Niceville, Florida; June 9, 2021) – Some of the biggest guns ever to go to sea will have you in their range once you’re within 20 miles of Mobile, Alabama, and USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. Commissioned in August 1942, the ‘Bama’ had her genesis long before the war began. Owing to stipulations in the … Continue reading Travel Log: Under the Guns, Part 2

Travel Log: I’m not Kidding Around!

(Niceville, Florida; May 28, 2021) – Spending a day aboard the USS Kidd (DD 661) will transport you back to the hot, sweltering days when our sailors fought and won World War II with hard steel, heavy munitions, and zero air conditioning. World War II is receding further into our collective rear-view mirror. Although my … Continue reading Travel Log: I’m not Kidding Around!

Photo Finish – Unusual Views

Museum ships are popular attractions in the United States. Few artifacts are as impressive, imposing, and imminently capable of transporting a visitor back in time as is a ship from a bygone age. Panoramic photos of such vessels are always favorite souvenirs, but what happens if you take a closer look? What facets of the … Continue reading Photo Finish – Unusual Views