Jan. 14, 2019

The Naval History of Hawaii

The prime location of the Aloha State has made Hawaii one of the U.S. Navy's most coveted assets. Although the Aloha State was one of the last to join the Union, Hawaii became one of the most important states in U.S. Navy history. Its prime location made Hawaii a coveted asset during World War II. We owe much of our Navy's current strength to the

Jan. 4, 2019

A Sticky Situation: The Navy and the Great Molasses Flood

"Sailors Do Heroic Work in Aiding Victims" declared the front page of The Boston Daily Globe on Jan. 16, 1919. On the previous day, these U.S. Navy Sailors witnessed and played a key role in the recovery efforts of one of America's most bizarre disasters: Boston's Great Molasses Flood. In 1915, the United States Industrial Alcohol Company (USIA)

Dec. 22, 2018

Refreshed U.S. Navy Design Promotes Pacific Engagement, Urgency

The Pacific Ocean is bristling with naval activity. Navies and Sailors are operating with narrowed focus and renewed sense of purpose. They are following in the long wake of those who have gone before them. The dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47), with the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Dec. 21.

Dec. 21, 2018

2018 Year in Review

History is made everyday - especially in the Navy! Once again the Navy made a ton of history in 2018. Read the following blog; click on some of the links for more information; and take a look at some of the moments and events that helped make this year another historic one for the Navy.January Navy and NASA Complete Underway Recovery Test: (Jan.

Dec. 7, 2018

World War I Sailors Recognized 100 Years Later

World War I saw technological advances that changed the face of warfare. Prominent among these was the use of submarines, or U-boats. Although they had been 'in use since the mid-1800's, submarines only became effective weapons during WWI and were Germany's answer to the powerful British Navy. Eventually, the U-boat "wolfpacks" became so effective

Nov. 15, 2018

Songs Out of Time: Rediscovering a Navy Surgeon's Life and Music

"His music fits right into the genre of salon music - I can see why it was so successful in its day." said Stephen Swanson, a freelance pianist and choir master based in St. Paul, Minn. Swanson is referring to Dr. Thomas Van Dyke Wiesenthal, a naval physician who more than dabbled as a composer of popular song before his death 185 years ago.

Nov. 13, 2018

What the Navy Learned from Guadalcanal

Editor's note: Learning from History is an initiative CNO Richardson has asked the Naval History and Heritage Command to shepherd. Each month, our historians will dissect a seminal moment in Navy's past and present today's Fleet with the lessons we learned. The purpose, as CNO likes to say is, if you want a new idea pick up an old book! The naval

Nov. 9, 2018

Baseball and the U. S. Navy: All Who Play Win

For centuries now, the world has benefited from two of America's greatest exports - baseball and the U.S. Navy. Baseball is a unique sport that rewards both individual accomplishment and dedicated teamwork. Its rules are intuitive and simple, and its play transcends borders. This American invention can in part thank the U.S. Navy for its global

Nov. 8, 2018

The Ship that Carried Him Home: The Naval Odyssey of the Unknown Soldier

On the afternoon of Oct. 24, 1921, U.S. Army Sgt. Edward F. Younger paced nervously inside the city hall of Chelons-sur-Marne, France. Before him lay four caskets draped with American flags- one casket pulled from each of the American war cemeteries in France: Aisne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, Somme, and St. Mihiel. Each casket contained the anonymous

Nov. 2, 2018

Legacy of USNS Comfort

For the sixth time in its history, U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) recently left its homeport of Norfolk, Va., en route for South America and Central America to conduct an 11-week medical assistance mission. At its first stop, in Ecuador, the ship's embarked medical personnel treated more than 4,000 patients over the course of five