Dec. 2, 2015

Medal of Honor recipients for Pearl Harbor attack, Dec. 7, 1941 - Part III

(Editors Note: This is the final part of a three part series blog featuring John Finn and other Medal of Honor recipients following the Dec. 7, 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor. Click here to read Part I and Part II of this blog series.)Listed below are images and the 15 citation for the Sailors who earned the Medal of Honor for actions taken during

Dec. 2, 2015

Pearl Harbor MOH Recipient Recalls "I Could See Their Faces" - Part II

(Editors Note: This is Part II of a three part series blog featuring John Finn and brief information of other Medal of Honor recipients following the Dec. 7, 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor. Click here to read Part I) On Sept. 15, 1942, Finn received the first Medal of Honor for World War II out of the 15 Medal recipients from the Pearl Harbor attack.

Dec. 2, 2015

Pearl Harbor MOH Recipient Recalls "I Could See Their Faces" - Part 1

(Editors Note: This is Part I of a three part series blog featuring John Finn and brief information of other Medal of Honor recipients following the Dec. 7, 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor.)December 7, 1941 started like any other Sunday morning for John Finn and his wife. They were at their apartment about a mile from the hangar where Finn, then 32,

Nov. 24, 2015

Sailors Give Thanks While Answering Their Nation's Call to Duty

Commander, Third Fleet (left center) Eats Thanksgiving dinner with the crew of his flagship, USS New Jersey (BB-62), 30 November 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National ArchivesAsk any Sailor and he or she will tell you that being in the Navy means you're deployable with sometimes little more than a moment's

Nov. 19, 2015

Does the Star Spangled Banner Still Wave on the Moon?

For this month's celebration of Flag Friday, what makes this particular flag stand out is not how old it is, but its location. Because a long time ago, in a dimension beyond earth-bound man, a flag waves boldly where only one other has gone before it - the moon.For most of you reading this blog, few may remember 46 years ago on Nov. 14, 1969, when

Nov. 14, 2015

U.S. Ships with Names Honoring America's First Ally

INDIAN OCEAN (Oct. 14, 2015) The guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) prepares to come along side for a fueling-at-sea with the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Anna...

Nov. 13, 2015

Navy Legend Vice Adm. Stockdale Led POW Resistance

It's been more than 50 years since then-Cmdr. Stockdale was shot down in Vietnam during his third tour. He had already flown nearly 200 combat missions during the three deployments, earned numerous awards and medals for his leadership and bravery. He led the first bombing mission over North Vietnam in August 1965, and after being shot down and

Nov. 9, 2015

The Navy and the Marine Corps: A Winning Team

As long as navies have taken to the sea, groups of specially trained, seafaring infantry have accompanied them and the United States Navy is no different.Since November 10, 1775, when the Continental Congress approved a resolution to establish two battalions of Marines "able to fight for independence at sea and on shore," the United States Marine

Nov. 6, 2015

The History of Veterans Day

Veterans Day is a special time of year for many Americans who, in some way, have formed a connection with a veteran or who are veterans themselves. It is a day that brings about a great sense of pride in our country, a day when we are especially thankful for the service and sacrifice of those who chose, and those who continue to choose, to wear the

Nov. 4, 2015

Building Bridges on Sunken Ships

I've just attended a series of meetings in Jakarta last week where government officials from Indonesia, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom all expressed their determination and resolve to protect and preserve the USS Houston and other sunken wrecks, many of which serve as war graves. "We've been working for some time now with

Nov. 2, 2015

Why We Strive to Learn from our Past

Editor's note: This is part of a larger blog series to inform readers about the important mission our nation's Historic Naval Ships serve. You can read about more about USS Iowa here, about USS Olympia here and USS Texas hereThere is another side to Iowa's history that should never be forgotten, and that is the 47 Sailors who died in an explosion

Oct. 27, 2015

Sub, Destroyer Celebrate Special November Anniversaries

Only two ships celebrate major commissioning anniversaries this month, 30-year-old USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720), and USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), moving into double-digits for her 10th anniversary since commissioning.30 Years of History Since Commissioning USS Pittsburgh was commissioned on Nov. 23, 1985 at Groton, Conn. The Los Angeles-class fast attack

Oct. 25, 2015

Why Historic Naval Ships are Critical to our Nation

As the sun set over San Pedro, California, homeport of U.S. battleships between WWI and WWII, I stood underneath the center barrel of the aft 16" gun turret of the museum ship USS Iowa. I had the honor to address the closing banquet of the annual Historic Naval Ships Association (HNSA) Conference on the fantail of a historic battleship in what was

Oct. 23, 2015

Recovering History - CSS Georgia Update

As a conservator for NHHC's Underwater Archaeology (UA) Branch, the majority of my work is focused on treatment of archaeological material recovered from U.S. Navy sunken military craft and primarily takes place in the UA Archaeology & Conservation Laboratory located on the Washington Navy Yard. However, I am occasionally afforded the chance to

Oct. 23, 2015

Return of USS Pirate's Flag Still a Mystery

For this month's celebration of Flag Friday, we'll revisit a time a little more than 65 years ago when a ship went down so quickly "nothing of value" could be salvaged, only to find out two years later the assessment was a bit premature.The sinking involved the minesweeper USS Pirate (AM 275) on Oct. 12, 1950, while clearing a channel in the area

Oct. 20, 2015

Navy's Strength Beneath the Sea - An Enduring Evolution

Submarines have lurked beneath the vast world waters for as long as the U.S. Navy's 240-year existence. Albeit a mystical notion to some in the beginning, submarines are now capable of conducting a wide variety of missions including anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, land attack, intelligence gathering, mine reconnaissance, supporting special

Oct. 12, 2015

Honoring Those Lost: Taking the Fight to the Enemy

Editor's note: While currently Navy's curator, at the time of attack on USS Cole, Retired Admiral Sam Cox was the U.S. 5th Fleet Intelligence Officer. He was a principal advisor to the commander on intelligence matters and remained in the position well after the attack and into Operation Enduring Freedom.Starboard side view of the US Navy (USN)

Oct. 9, 2015

Top Dates in Navy's History

In celebration of more than 240 years of Navy readiness, we ask our fans what they think our most important dates in history are. Every moment in Navy history from the birth of our Navy in 1775 all the way up to Navy's missile attacks against ISIL in September 2014 have played a pivotal role in shaping our Navy and our nation. Below are just a few

Oct. 5, 2015

Nautical Terms and Naval Expressions

Have you ever wondered what a "field day" is or why "side boys" are named as so? What exactly is a "ropeyarn Sunday?" How did the term "scuttlebutt" come to be used to refer to gossip? The language of the Navy can be just as interesting as its origins. In the first of this series of blogs and infographics, we'll explore some of the more common and

Sept. 24, 2015

The Secret Weapon of Navy Diving

The Navy has many unsung heroes; in fact, you could argue most of our Navy is made up of them. A central truth about unsung heroes, by the term's very definition, is that their contributions are significant yet under-recognized. September 25th, the Naval Undersea Museum opens a new exhibit that shines a spotlight on one of the subsurface