A letter writer

 Name: Mike

Age: 69
Job Title: Captain, United States Navy, Retired
Location: Warrenton, Virginia, USA

Tell us a little about yourself and how you became interested in letter writing?

We moved a great deal while I was growing up and I have continued to move every 2-3 years until about 8 years ago.  To stay in touch with my family and the friends I have made along the way, I wrote.  My longest running pen pal relationship is a friend from middle school in 1967 – 58 years is a good long time to sustain any correspondence.  Still, I am always happy to add a pen pal at any time and The London Letters paired me with several wonderful pen pals.  Last year I managed to write over 1500 cards, notes and letters.  I believe that I am personally responsible for keeping the United States Postal Service afloat.

What is it about letters that you think makes them special?

They are tangible and tactile.  I empty e-mail to the trash daily.  I find it terribly hard to let go of a letter.  I like the feel of the paper and I especially like the feel of a good pen making contact with a quality paper.  Through letters, you are sharing yourself with another person and hopefully brightening their day.

What type of things do you write in letters compared to digital communications?

I am the worst e-mailer in the world.  I can’t write more than a line or two in an e-mail. My texts are even worse.  I frustrate some people who e-mail or text me because I will tell them I am responding by post and I do.  In handwritten letters I usually give them a rundown of the week my wife Lynn and I have had on our hobby farm.  We have an 1899 farmhouse and 35 acres that we have been working on for 8 years. Many of my letters recount the progress we have made and the work ahead of us.  There is so much to tell people about – bears, coyotes, foxes, deer, raised bed gardens, wildflower fields, honeybee hives in Lynn’s apiary, the beauty of chickens, and so much more

Do you have a favourite letter, either famous or one you have received personally?

The U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld wrote me a short letter at the end of my time as his Staff Director for the Abu Ghraib Detainee Abuse Task Force.  It was the most miserable job I had in my 30-year Navy career.  The things that occurred in our detention facilities devastated him and he offered his resignation to President Bush twice.  In his letter to me, he simply acknowledged that we had worked hard together during that awful time and he appreciated my effort.  Most people would have wanted a medal.  Not me!  Nothing could have pleased me more than his letter.  21 years later it remains a treasure.  It was not a Secretary of Defense letterhead letter, it came from Donald H. Rumsfeld – the man.  He is a man I came to respect deeply.

Do you feel any positive benefits to your mental health when you write?

It’s something I do every day.  One of the people I write (Kiran Sidhu) said it’s in our DNA and I have to agree wholeheartedly.  I can’t not write.  I keep pen and paper with me at all times so that I can write when the mood strikes. Thankfully, it strikes often.  Before I leave for work each day, I write my wife Lynn a love note and place it by the coffee machine so it is the first thing she sees in the morning.   

Describe your letter writing set up. Do you have a favourite pen or paper? Where are you when you're writing?

My wife Lynn worked in a gift store that sold Mont Blanc pens.  I have about a dozen of them and a few Waterman pens.  Then, I have a $3.00 Pilot Preppy fine tip that I use for most of my fountain pen writing.  The Mont Blancs and the Waterman have been idle for years.  My favorite pens are the Pilot multi-color Colettos.  I give them as gifts to friends and strangers alike because I think everyone should know how a good pen writes.  They are as smooth as silk for gel pens.  Of course, I use The London Letters writing papers and notes, as well as Crane and Clairfontaine.

What made you sign up to our pen pal club and take a leap of faith by writing to a stranger?

I found that my pen pals Liz Kentish, Alison Hitchcock, The Liz Maguire, and Alan Cleaver had joined and I didn’t want to miss a thing.  And, I find that once you’ve written a stranger, you’ve likely made a new friend.  Such is the case with all of them.  I was so interested in joining The London Letters that I joined twice.  The first membership package went astray in the U.S. postal system, so I joined a second time.

Do you believe letters still have a place in modern society?

I can’t imagine letters ever not having a place in society.  Letters are like oxygen to me.  I must have it.  And I will provide oxygen to all who will accept it.

What role do you think letters will play in the future?

As long as there are people like us, letters will be around for some time.  I have written to many strangers and am delighted to hear from them that their response to me might be their first letter in quite some time. 

What would you say to someone to encourage them to give letter writing a try?

Give it a try.  It’s not for everyone.  I will tell you that every letter writer I have met is a kind person.  I have been described as a “weird and obsession handwritten letter writing fanatic” and added that to my profile on “X”.  The act of writing requires a little bit of selflessness because you are giving of your personal time and your thoughts.  These two things are exclusively yours.  To share your time and your thoughts is a very kind gesture.  My personal motto is “Kindness Always, in all ways.” 

Dan Shanower - 9-11-01 - Gone, Not Forgotten - 9-11-2025

President John F. Kennedy said we have a duty to remember.  Please keep the Shanower family in your thoughts and prayers.

CDR Dan F. Shanower was born on February 7, 1961 in Naperville, Illinois. He was a member of Naperville Central High School’s varsity soccer team and graduated in 1979. He attended Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin, graduating in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. While a student at Carroll, he participated in the Washington Semester at American University, interning in the office of Illinois Senator Charles Percy, then Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. 

CDR Shanower attended Aviation Officer School in Pensacola, Florida and received his commission as an Ensign, U.S. Navy in June 1985. After attending the Armed Forces Air Intelligence Training Course at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, he reported to VAQ-136 onboard U.S.S. Midway in March 1986 as Squadron Intelligence Officer. In September 1988, he was assigned as Officer-in-Charge of the Pacific Fleet Area Support Team Detachment, Subic Bay, Philippines. Following this tour, he transitioned to the Naval Reserve, serving from August 1990 to October 1994 as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department in the Philippines. 

CDR Shanower was recalled to active duty in November 1994 and reported to the Navy & Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center as a student. He was assigned to the Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific Detachment Japan in December 1994 as Operations Support Department Head. He served aboard USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19) which was the Flagship for the Commander, SEVENTH Fleet. In May 1997, he received orders to the staff of the Commander, U.S. Third Fleet in San Diego, California aboard the USS CORONADO as the Assistant Intelligence Officer. 

In June 1999, CDR Shanower reported to the Office of Naval Intelligence in Washington, DC as Fleet Support Department Head. He began graduate work in the Naval War College. In August 2000, he was selected as the Officer-in-Charge of the Chief of Naval Operations Intelligence Plot. There he was responsible for the provision of current intelligence support to the Navy Secretariat, Chief of Naval Operations staff, and the Director of Naval Intelligence. In December 2000, he was promoted to his final rank of Commander. 

CDR Shanower’s personal and professional commendations include the Defense Meritorious Service Award, two Navy Commendation Medals, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Purple Heart, and numerous campaign and service awards. Carroll College awarded him its first Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to Country in February 2002. Naperville Central High School recognized his contributions to his country by presenting him an Outstanding Alumni Award in May 2002. 

Dan was known for his ready smile, terrific sense of humor, love of conversation, ability to tell a story, love of politics, and his intellectual and cultural curiosity about the world. He loved the sea, sailing, scuba diving, water skiing, and above all else, his family, friends and the Navy. He enjoyed writing both fiction and non-fiction, and many of his opinion essays and articles were published in the United States Naval Institute Proceedings, including the poignant May 1997 one entitled, “Freedom Isn’t Free.” His article reflected on the loss of his shipmates in 1987, and he wrote: 

“Those of us in the military are expected to make the ultimate sacrifice when called. The military loses scores of personnel each year. Each one risked and lost his or her life in something they believed in, leaving behind family and shipmates to bear the burden and celebrate their devotion to our country… They knew the risks they were taking and gave their lives for something bigger than themselves.” 

CDR Shanower’s survivors include his parents, Dr. Donald (now deceased), WWII veteran and college professor, and Patricia, retired public school teacher; brothers, Thomas and Jonathan; sisters, Victoria and Paula; and eight nephews and nieces. 

He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on October 1, 2001.

The diversity we were looking for (circa 2009)

 

CNO’s Sailing Directions describe a vision of the contribution and characteristics of the Navy over the next 10-15 years. Today and in the next decade, ready Sailors and Civilians will remain the centerpiece of Navy’s warfighting capability. 

To maintain our warfighting edge, it is essential that our people be diverse in experience, background and ideas; personally and professionally ready; and proficient in the operation of their weapons and systems. 

Diversity is not founded on statistics, percentages, or quotas.  

Diversity is about achieving peak performance. 

Our force will draw upon the widest possible set of talents and backgrounds to maximize our warfighting capability, adapt to address new threats and challenges, and take advantage of new opportunities. 

The unique personal characteristics and skills of each Sailor and Civilian will continue to add value to our Navy.  Our efforts to attain and sustain a force of diverse talent and experience will be an intrinsic part of recruiting, developing, retaining and employing our people. We will continue to be united by our shared commitment to the Nation and each other as part of one Navy team. Every Sailor and Civilian will adhere to a professional culture of fairness and respect, and value the contributions each one makes to the Navy’s warfighting capability, forward operations and readiness

Accountability

 

"Men will not trust leaders who feel themselves beyond accountability for what they do."

Admiral Kinnaird R. McKee

Director, Navy Nuclear Propulsion (1982-1989)

National Handwriting Day

 

John Hancock's birthday is today.  In honor of that day, the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA) sponsors National Handwriting Day.

Once thought to be a lost art, handwriting is one of the few ways we can uniquely express ourselves. There’s something poetic about grasping a writing instrument and feeling it hit the paper as your thoughts flow through your fingers and pour into words. So, the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA) suggests you take advantage of National Handwriting Day on January 23 and use a pen or a pencil to rekindle that creative feeling through a handwritten note, poem, letter or journal entry.

Handwriting allows us to be artists and individuals during a time when we often use computers, faxes and e-mail to communicate. Fonts are the same no matter what computer you use or how you use it. Fonts lack a personal touch. Handwriting can add intimacy to a letter and reveal details about the writer’s personality. Throughout history, handwritten documents have sparked love affairs, started wars, established peace, freed slaves, created movements and declared independence.

"Though computers and e-mail play an important role in our lives, nothing will ever replace the sincerity and individualism expressed through the handwritten word." 

David H. Baker 

WIMA Executive Director.

From The Green Notebook

 

Joe Byerly

Many professionals do not want to write because they feel by doing so they are telling people how to think or that no one will even care what the author, regardless of rank, thinks about a subject. What I have learned over the years is that published ideas, both good and bad, serve as a fuel for workplace conversations. And these conversations, which are a form of professional development, can have positive second and third order effects that the author never intended. 

For example, an article about improving performance counseling could lead to leaders reassessing and eventually changing their counseling programs in a unit on the other side of the globe. The changes may not be exactly in line with the article, but it was the article that got that commander or first sergeant thinking and talking about counseling in the first place.

Much more is available HERE.

Handwritten letter

 

"A good handwritten letter is a creative act, and not just because it is a visual and tactile pleasure. It is a deliberate act of exposure, a form of vulnerability, because handwriting opens a window on the soul in a way that cyber communication can never do. You savor their arrival and later take care to place them in a box for safe keeping."

Catherine Field - The New York Times

Handwritten Letters

 

A couple of years ago I did a random survey of 100 people on my Socials about who the number 1 handwritten letter influencer in the United Kingdom was.

The results are not surprising to me.

Dinah Johnson, founder of The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society in Swanage, Dorset, United Kingdom was easily #1.

You can find her here https://thehandwrittenletterappreciationsociety.org/

I was member #0005 and she now has over 1700 members.  I am not among that number.

Her manifesto is simple:

MANIFESTO:

• We believe that a handwritten letter is one of the loveliest, most personal things, anyone can receive.
• We feel people may be missing a handwritten letter or two in their lives.
• We pledge to keep handwritten letters alive by encouraging people to carry on writing them.
• We see a person’s handwriting as a thing of beauty.
• Along with handwriting we feel all stationery and the Postal Service are wondrous things and something to be used regularly.
• We want others to be the collectors of their loved-ones’, friends’, and sometimes (if they are lucky) famous people’s handwriting.
• We would say “Just go for it!” You don’t need to be Jane Austen or Thomas Hardy to write someone a letter.
• In a pledge to encourage intimacy through letter writing we would only urge caution regarding sharing whole letters on-line. Those with permission are a wonderful insight and inspiration but those without kind of puts a spanner in the works and defeats the object of writing personal letters.
• We would definitely love to see the places where people write letters, e.g., dining room table, study, library, on a bus, in the summerhouse/treehouse/shed, tearoom, train, up a mountain, on a boat, in a classroom, in fact, anywhere you like.  It doesn’t always have to be the same place – just send us a photo to inspire us. (See Gallery.)
• Finally, may your love of handwritten letters be forever ignited and rekindled.

My Heart is Heavy

 

Back in 1981, the Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Admiral Lando W. Zech Jr. made a very wise detailing decision.  He sent CWO3 Wallace Louis Exum to teach celestial navigation at Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.  I was one of hundreds of his students.  Both men influenced my Navy career greatly.  VADM Zech signed off on my first set of orders in June of 1982, sending me to Atsugi, Japan to fly with Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron ONE.  Thirty years later, both men are still in touch with me and we have developed into great friends.

Today in 2011, very sadly, Vice Admiral Zech passed away and is no longer with us.  I saw him the week before and he was in good spirits.  He was ill and weakened from his lengthy hospital stay - but his spirits were high.  He was very much an old school submariner and later a surface warfare officer.  My goodness, how he loved the Navy and his family.  After his retirement from the Navy, he was Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  He left behind a wonderful widow - Jo, 5 beautiful daughters and many grand children.  He also left behind a very sad Shipmate who grieves deeply and keeps his memory alive in all ways that he can.  

 

Farewell Admiral Zech.  

 

Those who knew you - loved and respected you greatly.  

 

Those who didn't - missed out on a great experience.