Nov. 2, 2022

Radio over Radar: Night Fighting Chaos at Guadalcanal (12-13 November 1942)

The tropical evening sun fell beyond the horizon in the southern Solomon Islands, showering the area in brilliant hues of salmon and auburn. In this distance, cracks of lightning peeled across the sky as charcoal clouds billowed into the area. Early that evening, 12 November 1942, Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan received a report indicating that

Oct. 26, 2022

Navy and NOAA Search for U.S. Schooner Alligator near the 200th Anniversary of Its Loss

In early September 2022, Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) collaborated on a project to locate and study one of the U.S. Navy’s historic wrecks from the early 19th century, the schooner Alligator. The two week project, which took place in

Oct. 19, 2022

In Memoriam: Vice Admiral David M. Bennett, USN (Ret.)

It is with deep regret I inform you of the passing of Vice Admiral David Michael “Dave” Bennett, United States Navy (Retired), on 9 October 2022 at age 87. Vice Admiral Bennett enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve in October 1957 and served as a surface warfare officer until his retirement in September 1995 as Navy Department Inspector General. His

Oct. 13, 2022

In Memoriam: Rear Admiral Donald P. Harvey, USN (Ret.)

It is with deep regret I inform you of the passing of Rear Admiral Donald Phillips “Don” Harvey, U.S. Navy (Retired), on 25 September 2022 at age 98. Don Harvey enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve in March 1943 and served as a naval intelligence officer until his retirement in September 1978 as the Director of Naval Intelligence/Commander Naval

Oct. 12, 2022

USS Constitution Launches – “A Magnificent Spectacle!” – Part II

Editor’s Note: On May 10, 2022, Naval History and Heritage Command began commemorating the 225th anniversary of the launch of the first of the U.S. Navy’s six frigates (United States), which began the new United States Navy. The launch of the frigates is a significant moment in both U.S. Navy and American history, and the U.S. Navy’s earliest

Oct. 11, 2022

Racial Unrest Aboard Kitty Hawk

At approximately 1830 on 12 October 1972, Seaman Apprentice Terry Avinger waited in line to receive his evening meal while serving in the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk (CVA-63). When he approached the white cook serving food, Avinger, a black man, requested two sandwiches, but the cook sharply refused, offering only one. Frustrated by the rebuff,

Oct. 5, 2022

Variation on a Theme: Groping Blindly in the Dark at Savo Island and Cape Esperance

Low-hanging clouds drifted listlessly across a moonless sky on a tropical midsummer night. The occasional thunderclap stirred the silence and temporarily illuminated the otherwise calm seas that enveloped the Solomon Islands. In the months following the initial July 1942 occupation of Guadalcanal by Japanese forces, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)

Sept. 20, 2022

In Memoriam: Rear Admiral James Granville Storms III, USN (Ret.)

It is with deep regret I inform you of the passing of Rear Admiral James Granville Storms III, U.S. Navy (Retired), on 19 July 2022 at age 90. Rear Admiral Storms entered the Naval Reserve in September 1951 and served as a surface warfare officer until his retirement in September 1986 as Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Surface Warfare

Sept. 20, 2022

In Memoriam: Vice Admiral Albert Joseph Herberger, USN (Ret.)

It is with deep regret I inform you of the passing of Vice Admiral Albert Joseph Herberger, U.S. Navy (Retired), on 26 August 2022 at age 91. Vice Admiral Herberger was commissioned in the U.S. Naval Reserve in February 1955 and served as a surface warfare officer until his retirement in April 1990 as deputy commander-in-chief/chief of staff for

Sept. 19, 2022

“…she will be one of the finest vessels that ever floated” – The First Attempts to Launch USS Constitution – Part I

Editor’s Note: On May 10, 2022, Naval History and Heritage Command began commemorating the 225th anniversary of the launch of the first of the U.S. Navy’s six frigates (United States), which began the new United States Navy. The launch of the frigates is a significant moment in both U.S. Navy and American history, and the U.S. Navy’s earliest