Not exactly a "happy" one ...

[edschweppe]

I can't really call this a "happy" birthday, given some of the rotten news I've commented about elsewhere, but today is the 107th Submarine Force Birthday:

On April 11, 1900, the U.S. Navy acquired its first submarine, a 53-foot craft designed by Irish immigrant John P. Holland. Propelled by gasoline while on the surface and by electricity when submerged, the Holland served as a blueprint for modern submarine design. By the eve of World War I, Holland and Holland-inspired vessels were a part of large naval fleets throughout the world.

(from the Library of Congress' American Memory page for April 11)

May the upcoming year be better for the Submarine Force - and for all the Armed Services - than the last one.