Oct. 31, 2018

The Naval History of Nebraska

Though Nebraska is landlocked, the "Cornhusker State" has made waves in U.S. naval history. Nebraska was admitted as the 37th state of the United States in 1867 and has at least 38 ships named for its cities, places, and people with 3 alone named for its largest city: Omaha. Quite a few notable Navy veterans hail from Nebraska. Joseph Rober "Bob"

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. 17, 2018

Flight of the Avenger

Exhilaration is what I felt, sitting in the gunner's turret as "Doris Mae's" powerful radial engine roared and vibrated on the take-off roll. Restored to flying condition by the Capital Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, the World War Two-vintage TBM Avenger torpedo bomber was the heaviest single-engine aircraft built by the U.S. during the

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