March 25, 2020

Attack on Amphibious Assault Ship LSM(R)-188: A Lesson in Courage

On the night of March 28-29, 1945 (LOVE-Day minus three), amphibious assault ship LSM(R)-188 conducted an aggressive harassment patrol only eight miles off the town of Naha, Okinawa Jima. At 0557 on March 29, Japanese suicide dive-bombers appeared overhead, and the crew quickly went to battle stations, with the antiaircraft battery immediately

March 25, 2020

Passing of Rear Adm. Joseph Sansone, USN (Ret.)

It is with deep regret that I inform you of the passing of Rear Admiral Joseph Sarto Sansone, Jr., Supply Corps, U.S. Navy (Retired) on March 22, 2020 at age 89. Joe entered the Navy in 1953 and served for 32 years with his last tour as Deputy Chief of Naval Materiel for Contracts and Business Managements.Joseph Sansone attended Georgetown

March 17, 2020

Passing of Admiral Archie Clemins, USN (Ret.)

It is with deep regret that I inform you of the passing of Admiral Archie Ray Clemins, U.S. Navy (Retired) on March 14, 2020 at age 76. Admiral Clemins entered the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps in September 1962 and served as a submarine officer, retiring in 1999 as the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Feet. He served as the Executive

March 16, 2020

An Interview with Ima Black, a WWII-era WAVES Sailor

Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) hosted Mrs. Ima Black, widow of the Navy's first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Delbert Black, for a tour of the National Museum of the United States Navy (NMUSN) Sept. 20, 2019. The tour gave Black a chance to see pieces from NHHC's expansive collection, including uniforms and memorabilia from her

March 3, 2020

Passing of a Great American, CDR William Vogt, USNR (Ret.)

It is with deep regret that I inform you of the passing of a great American, Commander William "Bill" Vogt, U.S. Naval Reserve (Retired) on February 29, 2020 at age 107. Bill enlisted as a Yeoman in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1940, and served as an Intelligence Officer in World War II and the Cold War, retiring in 1969 as the Executive Officer of

Feb. 29, 2020

Passing of Rear Adm. Richard L. Thompson, USN (Ret.)

It is with deep regret I inform you of the passing of Rear Admiral Richard Lee 'Dick' Thompson, U.S. Navy (Retired) on February 26, 2020 at age 88. Dick and his wife Natalie tragically died when their house burned down. Dick entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1950 and served as a submarine officer until his retirement in 1986 as the Assistant Deputy

Feb. 21, 2020

Fair Winds, Donald Stratton, USS Arizona Hero

A note from the editor: Donald Stratton, who served in the Navy aboard USS Arizona (BB 39) during the attacks at Pearl Harbor, and later in the Western Pacific, passed away February 15, 2020 at the age of 97.It is with deep regret that I write of the passing of another Navy hero, Donald Stratton, on February 15, 2020, at the age of 97.Severely

Feb. 18, 2020

The Search for Seaman Joachim Pease

The Civil War saw the introduction of the Medal of Honor, an award that would come to represent the highest military honor in the United States. By the end of the war, 328 U.S. Navy Medals of Honor had been awarded. Of those, eight were awarded to U.S. Navy people of color. Seaman Joachim Pease, one of these recipients, is often overshadowed by

Feb. 11, 2020

Amidst the Timbers of a Storied Past: Nautical Archaeologists Visit Constitution

In early January 2020, I and many of my fellow archaeologists gathered in Boston, Massachusetts for the 2020 Society for Historical Archaeology meetings. For myself, and some of my fellow graduate students from Texas A&M University's Nautical Archaeology Program, this presented a potential opportunity to visit USS Constitution, one of the original

Feb. 11, 2020

The Sailors of Iwo Jima

The Battle of Iwo Jima began on February 19, 1945 as Sailors and Marines faced Imperial Japanese forces over the control of the island. The island was a critical point for the United States as it planned their attacks on the Japanese main islands.The 36 days of battle are considered some of the bloodiest and fiercest fights of the Pacific theater