March 16, 2016

St. Patrick's Day: Irish-Americans in the U.S. Navy

Today we celebrate St. Patrick's day by taking a brief look at the contributions of Navy's well known Irish-Americans Sailors. We think you'll enjoy reading about the few we picked, but let us know about the Irish-American Sailors you think did a great job representing our Navy!  John BarryAs a young man, John Barry was active in the seagoing trade

March 16, 2016

Astronauts Rise to Meet the Gemini 8 Challenge

While Gemini 8 wasn't the mission that coined the phrase, "Houston, we have a problem" (that would be Apollo 13) it was the first emergency in space. Gemini 8 actually marked two firsts in human spaceflight?the first time one spacecraft docked to another, and the first time astronauts were forced to make an emergency landing from orbit. What

March 10, 2016

Operation Tomodachi: Partnerships, Presence, Readiness and Heritage

On Friday, March 11, 2011 at 2:46 p.m. Japan was rocked by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, centered 80 miles east of the coastal city of Sendai. The initial earthquake, the fourth most powerful earthquake recorded since 1900, was followed by a tsunami and a partial meltdown at a nuclear power plant, as well as multiple aftershocks in the ensuing weeks.

March 4, 2016

The U.S. Navy Seabees: Rates to Remember

 "We build, we fight." These four simple words could not describe the role of the U.S. Navy's Construction Battalion, or "Seabees," any better. Once the United States entered World War II, the Chief of the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks and Civil Engineer Corps Adm. Ben Moreell recognized the need for a militarized construction force of

March 1, 2016

Storm Front: The Threat of Mina al-Ahmadi - Part Four

Editor's Note: At the time Desert Storm began, NHHC Director Sam Cox was an active duty Lieutenant Commander, serving as an assistant intelligence officer on the staff of Vice Adm. Stan Arthur who commanded the U.S. Seventh Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command embarked on the command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) operating in the Arabian

March 1, 2016

Honoring the Proud Women Who Serve in the U.S. Navy

Today, we join the nation in celebration of "Women's Equality Day" to commemorate the proud and dedicated service in the U.S. Navy. In 1908, women officially began serving as nurses in the Navy. Yeomanettes or yeomen were added during WWI. During WWII, Congress established the Navy's Women's Reserve Program, or WAVES. Today, women serve in every

Feb. 29, 2016

Final Days of USS Houston, the Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast

One of the most valiant ships in over 240 years of naval history, USS Houston was lost in a battle against overwhelming odds 75 years ago. Commissioned at the beginning of the Great Depression, Houston was a design compromise due to treaty limitations. However her captain and crew never compromised their sense of duty.President Franklin D.

Feb. 28, 2016

Remembering Brethren Sailors on HMAS Perth

Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from an eulogy given by Mike Carlton at the funeral of LEUT Gavin Campbell RAN, the last surviving officer from HMAS Perth. While many Americans, especially those with an affinity for the Navy, know the story of USS Houston, they are likely less familiar with the story of our brethren from Australia, HMAS

Feb. 26, 2016

The Making of the Medal of Honor

Like a ship's crest, the symbolism behind a physical medal associated with an award in America's Navy isn't represented by a single element, but is instead the combination of many extraordinary components. Together with the multiple actions that combine to make the recipient worthy of recognition, the symbolism of the physical award becomes an

Feb. 26, 2016

A World Apart . . . What the Sea Washed Away

Described as a microcosm of our nation, today's fleet leverages a palette of many colors. At sea, we wear blue camouflage and jerseys with each color of the rainbow to distinguish craft and responsibilities on flight decks. We paint our ships "Haze Gray" while underway. Even the pipes and service systems aboard ships are color-coded to discern