Santa Barbara Current

Santa Barbara Current

As I Was Saying...

The Day the Sky Emptied

By Bob Smith, Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Sep 11, 2026
∙ Paid

On September 14, 2001, the German destroyer FGS Lütjens asked permission to pull alongside the USS Winston S. Churchill in the English Channel. Her crew held a banner reading, “We Stand by You.”

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Santa Barbara Current to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2026 Santa Barbara Current · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture