Written by Todd DePastino I'm convinced that Navy jargon exists mainly to befuddle the rest of us. But our main seafaring branch of service can't be blamed for creating its strange unit of speed measurement, the "Knot." That word, it turns out, came from previous generations of mariners. To be honest, I was never
written by Todd DePastino Happy 95th Birthday to Popeye, one of the few Americans to serve in four branches of service (Merchant Marine, Coast Guard, Navy, and, yes, Army--more on that below). He was also at once the toughest and most tender-hearted of cartoon characters. He overcame a one-eye disability, a serious
written by Chuck Myers Back in 2021, we welcomed Navy veteran Chuck Myers to our VBC Greatest Generation Live to give a virtual tour of the USS Hornet (CV-12). Chuck served as a junior officer on USS Yorktown (CVS-10) in the 1960s. Today, he volunteers as a docent with the USS Hornet Sea, Air,
written by Bob Miller 99-year-old Bob Miller came on VBC Happy Hour back in April and shared his story about joining the Navy before Pearl Harbor and spending the next six years serving on 11 different ships. From the Jr. Naval Reserve, which he joined at age 13, Bob then entered the real Navy
written by Frank Santucci Frank Santucci is an Army veteran who has been attending VBC events and sharing stories for many years, along with his brother, Ralph Santucci. Frank is a one-person repository of stories especially about his beloved hometown of Verona, PA. Tiny Verona sits 13 miles up the Allegheny River from downtown
written by Todd DePastino On October 10, 1845, the United States Naval Academy opened its doors at an old abandoned Army post, Fort Severn, in Annapolis, Maryland. There were 56 midshipman students and seven professors. Its mission to train and educate future naval officers by giving them a modern scientific training in the art
