BRIEF BIO:

My name is Rick. I have been retired from the United States Navy since July 31, 1989. During my 20 year Navy career, I served as a field Hospital Corpsman with a recon unit within the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade from 1970 – 1973. From there, I trained and served as a radiologic technologist, an Independent Duty Hospital Corpsman aboard both surface ships and submarines, and an INSERV inspector for medical readiness.

My last duty station was as the Assistant Department Head for Patient Administration, Naval Hospital, Newport, RI. My favorite duty was serving aboard U.S.S. Richard B. RUSSELL (SSN-687) , a cold war nuclear fast attack submarine that served from homeports on the both coasts of the continental United States. This warship appears in the book, “Blind Man’s Bluff”; a book about spy boats during the cold war. She was a well decorated veteran of the cold war and was involved in missions that are still classified to this day, even though she has been scrapped and is no longer in service.  My service with the U.S. Marines was the most rewarding experience of my career.  It was there that I learned about growing up, holding my own and the importance of loyalty, fidelity and honor.

I currently work as an MRI manager and technologist at a prestigious company with a reputation for superior quality and outstanding, compassionate service to the sick and injured.  It is a highly rewarding experience to participate in training young technologists to become replacement for the old guard which seem to be retiring faster than I blink.  At last check, retirement is not even in my dictionary; so, I suspect I’ll be working here until I’m either carried out or forced to leave.

As a result of my service, I now operate the official website for U.S.S. Richard B. Russell (SSN-687) and a long neglected political blog linked from that site. I also manage a couple other websites and blogs in my spare time (what little there is), and I’m a life member of the Navy League of the United States and the Naval Submarine League.

I am also a contributor and member of the U.S. Navy Memorial. My main interest in life beyond my family, are members of the United States Armed Forces; particularly the men and women of the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy. Politics is a tertiary interest, but one that I find fascinating the older and more experienced I get.

In that vein, this blog will have posts that reflect upon the issues facing the town of Billerica, MA as they unfold. I hope that by publishing this blog, I will attract readers who will examine my points of view and take them at face value to either challange or accept my thinking and viewpoint. My goal is not to win arguments or debates, but to use dialogue to inspire others to think and ultimately to act for the betterment of themselves, their families and their community.

I am neither Democrat nor Republican.  I am an Objectivist who votes as an Independent.  In a way, I am closer to the classical liberal viewpoints of Thomas Jefferson than the philosophy of anyone else outside of the objectivist community…a bit old fashioned, but proud to have benefited from the Age of Enlightenment.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope to hear from you soon.