Mark Spaniol, former Navy officer
Captain Rockwell (Rock) Torrey from the film In Harm’s Way, played by John Wayne. His ability to lead, motivate, and leverage limited resources to the fullest extent make the character one that any sailor, soldier, airmen, or Marine would be honored to follow into battle.
Commander N. J. Hall, Royal Navy, Life Member
Commander George Ericson in Nicholas Monsarrat’s The Cruel Sea. A true leader, totally professional, not afraid to make hard decisions, compassionate but not distracted, dedicated to the mission, and an example to his ship’s company. Despite overwhelming odds, he fought the convoys through and succeeded in sinking three German U-boats in the process.
Tim Mason, veterinarian and amateur historian
Commander Bart Mancuso, commanding officer of the USS Dallas (SSN-700) in The Hunt for Red October. He is smart, relies on his subordinates, and—most important—trusts them. Signature line, “The hard part about playing chicken is knowing when to flinch.”
Tom Hone, former professor, U.S. Naval War College
Commander George Krause, captain of a fictional destroyer and escort commander of an Atlantic convoy in C. S. Forester’s The Good Shepherd. Krause had been passed over in peacetime. His wife had left him. But he was a dedicated and skilled professional who got the convoy through.
Marc C. DeLamater, member since 1974
Admiral Harriman Nelson, the character played by actor Richard Basehart in the 1964–68 television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He quoted Shakespeare, Melville, and the Bible while taking us on that weekly voyage.
Amy Byrne, USNA ‘87
Horatio Hornblower, of course. But only if I was brave and quick-thinking, which I might not be in battle.
Captain Glen A. Fletcher, U.S. Navy Special Operations (Retired)
Without question, Captain Nemo from Jules Verne’s novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He personified a brilliant, courageous, concerned citizen of the world who wanted to make a huge difference in world harmony. He had been a victim of tyranny and rose to become the ultimate environmental warrior.
Petty Officer Anthony Och, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Since I am a former boiler technician, it would be Machinist Mate First Class Jake Holman in the The Sand Pebbles. I would love running those reciprocating engines and the back alleys of China with him!
Commander J. R. Coelho, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Odysseus as portrayed in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. Odysseus is a warrior and a skilled sailor whose intelligence is constantly tested, which he uses in cunning and versatile ways to achieve victory and personal success. He is a man of deep integrity and bound to both family and polis.
Stephen N. Sanfilippo, PhD., Assistant Professor of Maritime History (Retired), Maine Maritime Academy
Early in Moby-Dick, Herman Melville introduces Bulkington. Instead of becoming the protagonist, he disappears. Bulkington is “the handsome sailor” all seamen look up to. I would have urged him to stand up against Ahab. The crew would have followed, Starbuck would have taken command. All would be saved.
Captain Steven E. Maffeo, U.S. Naval Reserve (Retired)
Lieutenant Philip Carney, executive officer and then commanding officer of the World War II U.S. submarine Shark in the excellent 1956 novel Up Periscope by Robb White. A mustang, Carney is determined, mission-focused, proficient, and unflappable. At the same time he is open-minded, leads by example, and is unfailingly considerate of all hands.
Commander Earl Higgins, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Dr. Stephen Maturin, the Royal Navy Physician, Irish nationalist, polyglot, scientist, spy, loyal friend and confidant of Captain Jack Aubrey in Patrick O'Brian’s series of novels set in the Napoleonic era. During long days at sea in the age of sail, conversations with Maturin would have been fascinating, stimulating, and uplifting.
First Sergeant Mark Flowers, U.S. Army (Retired)
Master Technical Sergeant Mac from Leon Uris’ World War II novel Battle Cry. Mac was a great example of leadership and he understood how to inspire, coach, and mentor both career Marines, wartime enlistees, and draftees. He was a great Marine.
Commander Lawrence P. Chicchelly, Jr., U.S. Navy Reserve (Retired); Master, ATB Lincoln Sea/DBL140
“Pug” Henry from Herman Wouk’s The Winds of War and War and Remembrance. As the author explained, his character was an homage to the admiral’s staff officers he met who committed completely (to the point of ruining their health and sacrificing beneficial career moves) to save our country in World War II.
Michael Romero, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
C.S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower was in desperate need of a foil when he ascended to command. Whether I served as a proven subordinate or some form of civilian consultant, hopefully I would have been able to prevent Hornblower from stressing himself into a heart attack.
Chief Petty Officer Tom Carver, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Captain Peter Blood from Rafael Sabatini’s 1922 novel, Captain Blood: His Odyssey, treated his men fairly and the crew’s welfare was important. The mission predominated and he led well. His men were trained to fight well. He earned loyalty few commanders receive. The crew’s liberty remains traditional in all aspects.
John White, Life Member
Lieutenant Commander George Ericson, commanding officer of HMS Compass Rose and, later, HMS Saltash in Nicholas Monsarrat’s novel The Cruel Sea.
R. J. Hanson, former torpedoman second class (submarine service)
Lieutenant (junior grade) Nick Holden from the 1959 World War II comedy film, Operation Petticoat. He got the job done anyway it had to be done and did it with finesse. Any sailor that has ever spent time in the yards knows of what I speak. Supply forms are quickly replaced with shiny tins of coffee, bags of sugar, canned hams, midnight runs, and an exchange of many seldom-used or obsolete items found somewhere on board. With the boat’s deployment date looming and the commanding officer’s reputation on the line, it just “gotta get done!”
Chief Warrant Officer Five (CWO5) John M. Harris, U.S. Army (Retired), Life Member
Lieutenant (junior grade) Doug Roberts (“Mr. Roberts”) from the film of the same name. As portrayed by Henry Fonda, Mr. Roberts displayed outstanding leadership qualities, always placing the welfare of his subordinates above his own. Subjected to abuse by a tyrannical commanding officer, Roberts provided needed moral support to his crew. During my 44-year military career, I often reflected on what the Mr. Roberts character would do when confronted with a difficult leadership issue, and that inspiration never failed me.
Commander Youssef Aboul-Enein, Medical Service Corps, U.S. Navy
Captain First Rank Marko Ramius of the fictional Soviet ballistic missile submarine Red October, as played on screen by Sean Connery. He exudes competence, grit, determination, and command. He enjoys tea and is well read, even underlining passages in the Bhagavad Gita. I first saw the 1990 movie in theaters and that’s when the possibility of a naval career entered my subconscious.
Robert A. Mattson, USNI Member and Civil War author
Lieutenant Peter Wake during the American Civil War, from the award-winning “Honor” series by Robert N. Macomber. He was a tough commander, emphasizing discipline and training, but was fair and recognized hard work and initiative—and he liked his sailors.
Captain Fillmore McPherson, U.S. Navy Reserve (Retired)
Horatio Hornblower! I have said many times that everything I know about leadership I learned in the Navy, and Hornblower was the best teacher.
Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Doyle, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
Sonar Technician First Class Ronald “Jonesy” Jones from The Hunt for Red October. I believe I could learn a lot from his expertise on sonar operations and his innovative approaches. He appeared to be a true naval professional.
Captain M. W. Newman, U.S. Navy (Retired), USNA ’71
My answer was formed the night before I left home for plebe summer when I watched In Harm’s Way. John Wayne’s character, Captain Rockwell W. Torrey, remains my ultimate naval hero.
D. Sharkey Chartier, U.S. Navy veteran
Lucky Jack Aubrey from Patrick O’Brian’s novels. I served as a submariner on board the USS Tusk (SS-426) in the 1960s. I saw many scary and stimulating things, and I think we all brought to bear some of Aubrey’s bravado, charisma, and guts. Jack Aubrey would have been an excellent submarine driver because he instilled respect and admiration from crews and friends alike.
Commander James Nugent, U.S. Navy (Retired), Life Member
Richard McKenna’s Steve Hodos (The Left-Handed Monkey Wrench) or Jake Holman (The Sand Pebbles—Holman is based on Hodos.) Both engineers, they believed in the ultimate value of education and teaching anyone who was willing to learn, and in doing what’s right at any cost.
Captain Hugh A. Merrill, U.S. Navy (Retired)
For the naval aviator, the obvious choice would be Robert Osborn’s cartoon curmudgeon, Grampaw Pettibone. His periodic commentaries in the Bureau of Aeronautics newsletter on circumstances and human failures behind aircraft accidents kept us on our toes in avoiding poor choices and past mistakes. In my time (1962–92), the aircraft accident rate was cut by a factor of 100. Thanks, Grampaw!
James W. Grace, U.S. Army Reserve and Naval Institute Author
I have been a fan of Captain Jack Aubrey (“Goldilocks”) since I first read Patrick O’Brian’s The Mauritius Command. Aubrey represents all that is admirable in a leader—professional competence, inspiring personality, a sense of humor, and real concern for those with whom he serves.
Robert Harmon, former lieutenant, U.S. Navy
As a former destroyerman, I am torn by two choices. Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower, the protagonist in C. S. Forester’s Lieutenant Hornblower, set during the Napoleonic Wars. Or Lieutenant Commander George Ericson, commanding officer of HMS Compass Rose, a Flower-class frigate in Nicholas Monsarrat’s The Cruel Sea.
Ronald Suciu
C.S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower, without question, is by far the most illustrative of seafaring command skills. He is realistically focused and humane. He is diplomatically astute, navigates with precision, and fights his ship with a cunning daring. I would ship with Hornblower, not Melville’s Ahab or Schute’s Dwight Towers.
Captain George W. Runkle IV, U.S. Army
I would have most enjoyed serving as a junior sonar operator under Petty Officer Ronald Jones, from the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan-series of books (Hunt For Red October, Cardinal and the Kremlin, etc). His passion for his job makes him an excellent mentor to any sailor or officer.
Theodore Kuhlmeier, former captain, U.S. Marine Corps
Horatio Hornblower. A superb seaman, he also was a leader able to turn his often press-ganged or shanghaied crews into loyal sailors who followed him through many a fight. Though he was a fictional creation of C. S. Forester, he had his real-life counterparts in Horatio Nelson, Thomas Cochrane, and the little-known Murray Maxwell.
Griffin T. Murphey, D.D.S.
I would have liked to have served with Major Kenneth R. “Killer” McCoy from W. E. B. Griffin’s Corps series of novels. We would both have been marksmen and he was always a stand-up guy who figured a way to get things done.
Captain Raymond J. Brown, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired)
Lieutenant (junior grade) Doug Roberts in Thomas Heggen’s novel, Mister Roberts. He was an affable man who got the job done, both as the first lieutenant and cargo officer. He was also a deep thinker and good conversationalist—right for coffee in the wardroom or a quiet watch underway.
Petty Officer Craig Shadday, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Admiral James Greer and Commander Bart Mancuso in Tom Clancy’s Hunt for Red October.
Jonathan Yuengling, Navy veteran, served on board the USS Hammerhead (SSN-663)
Marko Ramius, captain of the fictional Soviet submarine Red October. He was a skilled tactician who cared for his entire crew and was trying to ensure they would stay out of harm’s way.
John Lisa, retired engineer and survey technician
Captain John Murrell played by Robert Mitchum in The Enemy Below.
Ken Brown, New York
The character that brought me to naval fiction is, of course, Horatio Hornblower. I prefer him as a junior officer or midshipman. The runner up would be Jim Bledsoe from Edward L. Beach’s Run Silent, Run Deep.
