My love of Naval History. and Rabbits, why are they associated with Easter they don’t lay eggs?

So rabbits and Easter? Ok first let me start by saying I am not talking about a rodent as a Rabbit is a Lagomorphs. (Sounds like a B movie “The attack of the Lagomorphs).

Rabbits and Easter, the only thing I can think of is that rabbits hide in bushes leaving round little presents. Not Easter Eggs and you wouldn’t want to eat them even though they look like cocoa puffs. That is all I got on that subject.

Well now where do I start? Why do I like Naval History? Can I get by with the simple answer that I find it interesting? Probably not, so let’s start with some background.

Well I am the youngest son of a 20 year retired Air Force veteran; that would make you think I would be interested in the Air Force and enlist in that branch but I did not. I joined the Navy, one reason is because I am afraid of heights, and the other is because I wanted to serve in the submarine force. I love submarines, it is the closest you can come to being on a spaceship without leaving the earth, at least that is what I thought as a kid.

My love of Naval history did not start when I joined the Navy, but later after I reported to my first boat (that is what we call subs, boats) the USS Daniel Boone SSBN 629 as a third class electronics technician. At the time I was thinking about applying to the Naval Academy or ROTC and I figured it would not hurt to learn a little naval history. I was lucky that Capt Edward L. Beach USN (retired) published a book called ‘A 200 year History of the United States Navy’ an excellent book which I purchased and read front to back numerous times. (I bought this book in the late 80’s and I still have it)

I eventually lost my interest in becoming a Naval Officer (for various reasons. A shout out to my Friend Jose Rivera he is currently serving as one of those guys) but I did not lose interest in the History of the Navy.

I read biographies on John Paul Jones, David Farragut, Halsey, Nimitz, and many other Naval figures. I found I loved the early history the best, with heroes like Stephen Decatur, James Lawrence, William Bainbridge, Isaac Hull, and many others from the war of 1812. These officers and men were tough and they manned some fine ships like the USS Constitution, USS President, USS Congress, USS Constellation, and the USS Chesapeake. These ships showed the British navy, the most powerful navy at the time, that the US Navy was a force to be reckoned with and so did the Barbary States.

Our Navy was also one of the main reasons the Union came out on top in the Civil War. The Union Navy set up a marvelous blockade that strangled the south, nothing could be shipped in or out. (A few blockade runners managed to succeed in running the blockade, but not enough made it to be of significant help.)

I found the Spanish American war quite interesting. I know many people think of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders charge up San Juan hill when they talk of the Spanish American War, but I think of two Naval Action: The Battle of Manila bay, and the Battle of Santiago, battles where the US navy demolished the Spanish Navy.

World War I, was mainly a British and German Naval war since the United States entered late but when we did it was our Destroyers that kept the German submarines from strangling the British isles.

World War II saw the United States Navy become the largest and greatest Navy the world has ever scene. Today we still have the Largest and Greatest navy. I find it interesting how a small Navy, brand new, built of wood with a inherited naval tradition (from Britain) would become the technologically advanced force it is today. That is 200 years of people fighting for change, people fighting against it, and events that forced change. I love it, it is something worth learning, it is something worth teaching.