May 1919 Proceedings—In “Mission of Aircraft with the Fleet,” Lieutenant Commander H. T. Bartlett, U.S. Navy, writes, “A great many officers who are far-seeing and progressive believe in the future of aviation, but they have only the haziest ideas as to what aircraft should and can do. The following duties, in order of importance, are those which should be performed by naval aircraft: Bombing enemy’s men-of-war and bases; protection of own fleet from hostile aircraft; scouting; reporting on movements of enemy over smoke screens; detecting minefields, torpedoes, and submarines; spotting; and escort.”
May 1969 Proceedings—In his essay on the merchant marine, “The Emancipated, Aggravated, Indispensable American Seaman,” Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander John W. McCurdy writes, “No discussion of merchant seamen can avoid the sensitive relations between the seaman and the military. The friction is most prevalent in time of war. Even in peacetime unfortunate situations are aggravated by the absence of anyone with jurisdiction over, or knowledge of, the seamen. There exists an opportunity for better liaison between the military and the seamen by assignment of officers with intimate knowledge of the maritime industry to work with union representatives.”
May 1994 Proceedings—In the General Prize Essay Contest winner “Staying the Course,” Commander James A. Winnefeld Jr., U.S. Navy, future Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, writes, “The great naval debate of the 1990s will decide the future course of ‘. . . From the Sea’ and will focus on whether naval forces are recapitalized and trained exclusively for littoral warfare or whether a more balanced, flexible approach will continue to prevail. Taking into account geopolitical trends, the long-term view will require the naval services to maintain a robust blue-water warfare capability, while at the same time exploiting the progress made in modern littoral, expeditionary warfare capability.”
A. Denis Clift
Golden Life Member
