Dec. 21, 2016

Change: The Only Historic Constant in Rating Names

When it comes to Navy enlisted ratings the only constant is change. Take a look at the Naval History and Heritage Command's online Compilation of Enlisted Ratings and Apprenticeships, U.S. Navy, 1775 to 1969 (Prepared by Charles A. Malin in December 1969). It clearly bears out that notion, listing more than 300 different enlisted rating names over

Dec. 21, 2016

Commemorating The Holidays Through The Years

While most of us are home sharing dinner or opening gifts with friends and family this Holiday Season, it's important to remember our Sailors and service members are in harms way aboard ships and in places far away from home. Let us take a look back at how our Sailors have commemorated the Holidays through the years.Christmas lights decorate the

Dec. 16, 2016

Last Call: Honoring the USS Arizona Survivors

Smith's Union Bar, in a somewhat run-down area of Honolulu and described in tourist literature as a "dive bar", was not where I expected to be a couple nights before the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Reputed (and disputed) to be the oldest bar Honolulu, it existed at the time of the attack and was a favorite hangout of

Dec. 7, 2016

Why Commemorate Pearl Harbor?

Editor's note: Pearl Harbor Day is a day of remembrance during which we often hear from historians, veterans and Navy leadership about the importance of honoring our past and how this day of infamy inspires our future. But what do today's Sailors, the young women and men wearing the cloth of the nation, ready to go in harm's way, think? What does

Dec. 7, 2016

December 7th, 1941: a Submarine Force Perspective

"When I assumed command of the Pacific Fleet on 31 December 1941, our submarines were already operating against the enemy, the only units of the fleet that could come to grips with the Japanese for months to come. It was to the submarine force that I looked to carry the load. It is to the everlasting honor and glory of our submarine personnel that

Dec. 6, 2016

Pearl Harbor Diorama: More than 25 Years in the Making

More than 25 years ago, historian Reverend Todd Hammond decided to make a model display of the center of Pearl Harbor based in part on photos taken prior to the attack. The model has only been seen by personal invitation by a number of veterans and other interested persons over the years, but has not been on public display. An earlier, much smaller

Dec. 6, 2016

As Infamy Dawned in the Pacific, War Simmered in the Atlantic

Although Dec. 7, 1941 is marked as the entry of the U.S. into WWII, the fact is that the U.S. Navy was already in an undeclared shooting war with Nazi Germany at sea well before that. President Roosevelt and other senior U.S. and political leadership were convinced that England could not be allowed to fall. U.S. Navy leaders were particularly

Dec. 6, 2016

The Warrior of Kāne'ohe: Pearl Harbor's Only Medal of Honor Recipient for Combat Valor

More than seventy-five years ago, the tranquil wind-swept and sun-soaked skies over the then-U.S. territory of Hawaii were pierced by the whine of 353 Japanese aircraft, launched in a surprise attack from four Japanese aircraft carriers on the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet, based in Pearl Harbor, Oahu. On that day, December 7, 1941, thousands

Dec. 5, 2016

Pearl Harbor Toughness Takes Flight - Ensign Theodore W. Marshall

What does "toughness" mean to a U.S. Navy Sailor? Navy toughness means you take a hit and keep going, tapping all sources of strength and resilience. This is one such story; how, a young ensign embodied the fighting spirit of our U.S. Navy, put his toughness into action, and refused to stop - even as the bombs rained down.The first Japanese bombs

Dec. 5, 2016

Stories of Valor on a Day of Infamy

Although Pearl Harbor was a devastating tactical defeat resulting in 2,335 U.S. military deaths, the vast majority of U.S. Sailors responded immediately and in many cases with extraordinary acts of bravery, many of which were unrecorded due to the deaths of so many witnesses. Even so, Navy personnel were awarded 15 Medals of Honor, 51 Navy Crosses,