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

Oct. 29, 2018

What's in the Seabee Museum Archive?

The U.S. Navy Seabee Museum's archival collection represents the history of the Seabees, Civil Engineer Corps, and naval shore establishment. We select, collect, preserve and display materials relevant to Seabee History. The archives primarily consist of: Newsletters  Ephemera Photographs Maps Deployment Completion Reports Monthly Reports Rosters

Oct. 25, 2018

Before you Donate to our Archives, Here's What You Need to Know

"I've got something you'll really be interested in!" "I've got photographs you've never seen before."As the Accessioning Archivist and Lead Photo Archivist, we are the point people for accepting textual and photographic donations into the Navy Archives. We hear the above statements quite frequently either through email messages, phone calls, or

Oct. 16, 2018

Journey's End - Finding Taylor's Flag

Throughout my long career at the Naval History and Heritage Command (and its predecessor organization, Naval Historical Center) I have had many memorable experiences, both good and bad. None resonates more with me than the saga of the historic flag from USS Taylor (DD 468). Outwardly, the flag is little different from the many other United States

Oct. 15, 2018

Finding Treasure in the Archives

Editor's note: The Navy Archives collects, preserves, protects, and makes available official records and donated personal collections that best embody the U.S. Navy's rich history and heritage for present and future generations. Collections often include a variety of materials, including letters, diaries, notebooks, speeches, scrapbooks,

Oct. 9, 2018

Perry's Revenge Revisited

Last week, the U.S. Navy returned to Rhode Island to continue the archaeological investigation of the site believed to be the remains of Oliver Hazard Perry's schooner Revenge. The 2018 fieldwork builds upon remote sensing surveys conducted in 2012 and 2015 and last year's diver documentation and cannon recovery. Research this year involved

Oct. 3, 2018

What is an Archivist?

I'm an Archivist. Every Archivist I know has received blank stares after making this statement. Archivists have grown accustomed to this look and will generally wait until cartoon question marks float above the head of the inquisitor as more familiar, similar-sounding professions are explored: Archaeologist? Activist? Anarchist?! But, more often

Sept. 12, 2018

Individual Learning, Institutional Learning and Institutional Memory

Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson, recently posted a note about attending the Surface Warfare Flag Officers Training Symposium in San Diego. The symposium discussed the period between the Battle of Savo Island in August 1942 and the Battle of Cape St. George in November 1943 during which the U.S. Navy learned, at great cost in

Sept. 5, 2018

Weapons of World War I: Commemorating the Navy Railway Gun

Editor's note: September 6, 2018 marks 100 years since the first firing of the Navy railway gun used in World War I. For the 100th anniversary, Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) will highlight the weapon system through blogs, videos and photographs. To provide additional details, NHHC Historian Dr. Gregory Bereiter discusses the railway gun

Aug. 29, 2018

USS Abner Read: Team Uncovers a Legacy of Perseverance and Valor

The waters off Alaska and in the Arctic have long been key strategic areas. In World War II (WWII) both the U.S. and Japan understood this and committed men and vessels to the area. Most people are aware of the historic Battle of Midway - but there was a complementary effort that took place in the Aleutians Islands at the same time between our

Aug. 16, 2018

The Navy on the Ground: The Naval Railway Batteries of WWI

The first detachment arrived in France June 10, 1918, but waiting for their equipment and preparing the trains meant that they did not leave for the front until Aug. 18. They served continuously from then until war's end on Nov. 11, 1918. They scored some notable successes, especially considering that "the great majority of shots were fired without

Aug. 2, 2018

U.S. Coast Guard - One Strong Fighting Force

As America's oldest continuous seagoing service, established to enforce the maritime laws of the newly founded nation, the U.S. Coast Guard celebrates its birthday every August 4th! You might think the U.S. Navy is the oldest, but we're actually not. Interesting fact: Although the Continental Navy was established before the Coast Guard, the Navy