A Beginning and End

I served twelve years in the U.S. Navy, most of it on submarines. I served on both fast attacks and ballistic missile submarines, and on both coasts as well as Hawaii.

At some point, I started drawing. I think it was a way of relieving the stress of submarine life. I started posting cartoons outside the space where I worked. It was a good way to poke fun of the absurdity of some of the things we went through without getting in too much trouble with the brass.

I did have a couple printed in the Pearl Harbor base newspaper in 1989. Other than that, I just made them for the crew. At the end of my third patrol on the USS Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657) in 1992, I put some together a booklet. I think I sold them for a buck or two. And that was the end.

So, here they are, twenty years later, on the web. They give a good glimpse of life as a cold-war submariner in the late '80s / early '90s. I assume that most the humor is lost on other than bubble heads, so I will include some background information to help those who just stumble in.

Life on board subs was a crazy experience. I'm glad I did it, but sure wouldn't want to do it again. This blog is dedicated to all the amazing guys I served with that made it almost bearable. Hopefully they can fill in some of the lost memories, or at least the good ones.