In the last century, I had a subscription to Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute. Much of it was highly technical, but some articles were fascinating and the letter columns were filled with anecdotes by US Navy personnel, active duty and retired. One letter from an WWII Naval officer who served on a mine-sweeper out of Pearl Harbor I’ll never forget.

He wrote his ship was detailed to tow gunnery targets for Navy ships right out of the west coast shipyards and the first time they towed a target for the gun qualification of a Ohio class battleship. It was also the first time they towed and spotted for a ship equipped with radar targeting. When the Battleship radioed, “One round, incoming”, they could not see or hear any sign of the signaling ship. Until the thunderous sound of an incoming round simultaneous with the eruption of a waterspout wider and taller than their own vessel appeared.  The ships captain quickly ordered more tow line to be let out.

Because of my subscription to Proceedings, I was offered a opportunity to receive the first printing of an unusual book from the Institute Press, a work of fiction.  “The Hunt for Red October”  (1984)”.   I have no idea what a first edition of that book would be worth now, please don’t tell me (lost in a house fire in 2004).

For many years thereafter I bought and read every book Tom Clancy wrote.  I value my authors based on how much of their work I can remember, almost verbatim, years afterwards. There are sections of Clancy’s stories, mostly detailing his characters that I still remember vividly. The (close to retirement) Bosuns Mate in Clear and Present Danger, the Secret Service man in Executive Orders standing at the narrow place protecting the Presidents children and dying in place.  The description in Red Storm Rising of a artillery duel between the USS Ohio’s 16″ main guns and a Soviet battery of field artillery.

After his divorce from his first wife, his Ex got half the rights to any new works using the character of Jack Ryan. His following books didn’t have it anymore, he started using ghost and Co-writers. I stopped buying and reading them. After the house fire wiped out our library, I re-purchased most of the old paperback copies of his earlier books. I read them still.

Thanks Tom.

Damn, only three years older than me!