The Cleveland, Ohio, Lake Erie waterfront in the early 1840s, particularly just east of the settlement was a hazard to shipping because of its shallow, rocky nature. Ships leaving Cleveland harbor heading that direction needed to stay at least a couple miles offshore. Because of the shallow conditions, winds of even modest force whipped the […]

Formality in the military varies from service to service and from outfit to outfit. Submarine crews wore civilian sweaters and shoes, but that would not be tolerated on an aircraft carrier with an Admiral aboard. Aviators were regarded by sea-going Navy men as rather cavalier and casual in their speech and manner. The difference between […]

   T-34 Mentor My first experience controlling an aircraft occurred on December 5, 1962. It was in the Navy’s basic trainer, the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor. I was introduced to basic manuvers, stall recovery, spins, and I flew my first solo in the T-34. Flight hours in the T-34 were 34.6.   T-28 Trojan The North […]

My high school football team was undefeated my senior year and named State Champions by the Connecticut Sport Writers. Football scholarships to major universities were offered to several of my football teammates. Two of us were recruited by the University of Pennsylvania. My dad was thrilled. Wow, a Wharton School student in the family would […]

Sixty Years ago in October, 1962, the U.S. came about as close to World War III as any other time in the following 60-years. It was known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Following President Kennedy’s failed Bay of Pigs invasion, Nikita Khrushchev installed cruise missile sites on the Cuban island just 90-miles from United States […]