Petty Officer Donn Nemchick, Naval Communications Station, Guam, 1971. (Donn Nemchick) by Donn Nemchick I completed my U.S. Navy enlistment on board the attack aircraft carrier USS Constellation. After completing our final deployment in the Tonkin Gulf off the coast of North Vietnam, we were finally under way and headed to our home
Written by Todd DePastino Retired Navy Captain Bill Dempsey recently recalled to me a horrific fire on September 24, 1965 at a US Navy signals collection site in Kamiseya, Japan, that killed twelve Americans. I'd not heard of the tragedy, but Bill's story and the 60th anniversary of it prompted me to learn more and
Written by Todd DePastino In a special livestream with the Explorer Vessel Nautilus crew of the Ocean Exploration Trust, we heard about the crew's recent deep-sea discovery of the long-lost bow of the USS New Orleans (CA-32) in the waters of Iron Bottom Sound off Guadalcanal. This remarkable find sheds new light on a dramatic
The Veterans Breakfast Club remembers with honor and gratitude Julian Moses, who passed away on May 31, 2025, at the age of 100. A Navy veteran of World War II, Julian served aboard the USS Bushnell (AS-15), a submarine tender that operated in the Pacific Theater in support of America’s “Silent Service.” Born in
WWII Navy veteran Windsong Blake turned 100 years old on June 1. Windsong joined the Navy at age sixteen during the height of the war. Assigned as a steward’s mate aboard the USS Muscoma, an oiler in Admiral Halsey’s Fifth Fleet, Windsong witnessed firsthand the devastating Kaiten suicide torpedo attack on the USS Mississinewa
Written by Bob Morabito This weekend, The Wall That Heals—a traveling, 3/4-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.—is coming to Shaler Township, Pennsylvania. Whether you served, lost someone who did, or just lived through the Vietnam years, visiting this wall is a powerful, sobering experience. Below are reflections of VBC Member
