A collection of Sea Stories that have washed ashore during a forty-year career in the United States Navy.
Any veteran of the United States Navy knows about “sea stories”. If you served in the Navy, it is almost a 100% certainty that you’ve heard one (probably many more than just one). And maybe you even told “one or two” yourself.
In a sense, “sea stories” and the tellers of them have all the finest attributes of oral historians and cultures that preserve through Stories the tradition and lore specific to their society. From old to young, handed down in rich detail shared by telling stories—much that we learn in life comes from this medium—and in the service (all branches) older more experienced personnel share much of their knowledge in just such a way. In their finest sense, a Navy sea story carries with it a lesson learned—a small slice of experience and specific circumstance talked about. Often leavened with humor, sometimes touching on the tragic—the cold hard facts of the risks involved—stories of experience help us to connect with our own contextual existence and adjust our thinking based on what we learn from what we hear.
At this writing, the statistic is that only 5% of the U.S. population has served in the military. So the vast majority of citizens of the United States do not know what it means to serve as a member of our armed forces. Service is voluntary—so it become a decision and many choose not to serve. Nothing wrong with that but I think it is important for those who have not served—to gain a better understanding of life inside the military. Hank McKinney’s book provides us a glimpse not often seen, into a life and career that shares some of the humor and tragedy you experience in a 40-year military career. If you had a friend or family member who served in the Navy—you can understand a bit more about their service by reading this book. If they were in the submarine service—you will gain an even stronger understanding.
Story tellers usually have a single intent. To touch the listener – some way and some how. Hank McKinney does that with his stories. For those who have served you’ll see bits of your own service in these stories. And I would be surprised if some of them don’t bring a smile in remembrance. You will also feel the pang of separation from family, an unavoidable price paid by those who serve and their families
As Admiral Frank Kelso so colorfully commented on in his endorsement of this book “The book is a great read and does a wonderful job of telling others what goes on in the steel tube beneath the sea. … It is a delightful chronicle of the professional life of a remarkable naval officer imbued with exceptional intellect and wit.”
You’ll find stories that cover the gamut of experience and responsibility, from midshipman to admiral, told in a refreshing conversational tone. You have permission to come onboard and spend some time with Hank McKinney. You’ll come away with a better understanding and appreciation for the “Silent Service” and the men and women who serve and I guarantee you will learn things that you never knew about what was essentially a critical component of our front line defense during the Cold War.
Any veteran of the United States Navy knows about “sea stories”. If you served in the Navy, it is almost a 100% certainty that you’ve heard one (probably many more than just one). And maybe you even told “one or two” yourself.
In a sense, “sea stories” and the tellers of them have all the finest attributes of oral historians and cultures that preserve through Stories the tradition and lore specific to their society. From old to young, handed down in rich detail shared by telling stories—much that we learn in life comes from this medium—and in the service (all branches) older more experienced personnel share much of their knowledge in just such a way. In their finest sense, a Navy sea story carries with it a lesson learned—a small slice of experience and specific circumstance talked about. Often leavened with humor, sometimes touching on the tragic—the cold hard facts of the risks involved—stories of experience help us to connect with our own contextual existence and adjust our thinking based on what we learn from what we hear.
At this writing, the statistic is that only 5% of the U.S. population has served in the military. So the vast majority of citizens of the United States do not know what it means to serve as a member of our armed forces. Service is voluntary—so it become a decision and many choose not to serve. Nothing wrong with that but I think it is important for those who have not served—to gain a better understanding of life inside the military. Hank McKinney’s book provides us a glimpse not often seen, into a life and career that shares some of the humor and tragedy you experience in a 40-year military career. If you had a friend or family member who served in the Navy—you can understand a bit more about their service by reading this book. If they were in the submarine service—you will gain an even stronger understanding.
Story tellers usually have a single intent. To touch the listener – some way and some how. Hank McKinney does that with his stories. For those who have served you’ll see bits of your own service in these stories. And I would be surprised if some of them don’t bring a smile in remembrance. You will also feel the pang of separation from family, an unavoidable price paid by those who serve and their families
As Admiral Frank Kelso so colorfully commented on in his endorsement of this book “The book is a great read and does a wonderful job of telling others what goes on in the steel tube beneath the sea. … It is a delightful chronicle of the professional life of a remarkable naval officer imbued with exceptional intellect and wit.”
You’ll find stories that cover the gamut of experience and responsibility, from midshipman to admiral, told in a refreshing conversational tone. You have permission to come onboard and spend some time with Hank McKinney. You’ll come away with a better understanding and appreciation for the “Silent Service” and the men and women who serve and I guarantee you will learn things that you never knew about what was essentially a critical component of our front line defense during the Cold War.
