Dec. 5, 2014

On the Edge of Infamy: Misinformation Worked in U.S. Favor

USS Lexington (CV-2) leaving San Diego, Calif., Oct. 14, 1941, on her way to Pearl Harbor. Planes parked on her flight deck include F2A-1 fighters (parked forward), SBD scout-bombers (amidships) and TBD-1 torpedo planes (aft). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.  As the Japanese Imperial Navy Strike Group

Dec. 4, 2014

Navy Action Reports Tell the Story of Pearl Harbor Attack

As more than three-quarters of a century have passed since the attack on Pearl Harbor, a dwindling number of people are alive who remember the shock, horror and heroism that turned a Sunday morning into "a day of infamy." However, thanks to the diligence and action reports of Sailors there that day, all transcribed in their own words, the details

Dec. 4, 2014

Giving His All: Naval Pilot Crash Lands to Save Fellow Aviator

 The city of Fall River, Mass. was just like every other major city in the United States during the beginning of World War II. Young men were eager to join the military and do their part for their country, including a young man named Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. whose family owned and operated a chain of grocery stores. Hudner was an average student at

Nov. 26, 2014

Prelude to War: Japanese Strike Force Takes Aim at Pearl Harbor

The road to war between Japan and the United States began in the 1930s when differences over China drove the two nations apart. In 1931 Japan conquered Manchuria, which until then had been part of China. In 1937 Japan began a long and ultimately unsuccessful campaign to conquer the rest of China. Then in 1940, the Japanese government allied itself

Nov. 18, 2014

Tending the Side: A Navy Tradition

Welcoming dignitaries and visitors of special attention aboard ships carries with it the ancient nautical custom of tending the side. In modern age, the physical process of coming aboard a ship is as simple as walking up a ladder gangway, but in the age of sail the process proved to be a complex and tedious occasion.In the age of sail ships were

Nov. 18, 2014

History and Display of Military Awards and Ribbons

The practice of using military decorations to honor individuals or fighting organizations dates back to antiquity.Early awards were usually used to recognize leaders in the nobility and military class of society. According to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, the Egyptians had the Order of the Golden Fly, a golden necklace that they decorated with

Nov. 13, 2014

USS Juneau and Four Brothers You May Not Know About

In 1942, at the Battle of Guadalcanal, the light cruiser USS Juneau met her fate, taking with her the five Sullivan brothers.You've heard their story and their memory lives on in a ship named for them and a crew that serves in their honor. However, had it not been for a serendipitous Navy memo, the sinking of Juneau might have resulted in a

Nov. 5, 2014

Sink or Sail: The Options for a Continental Navy Hurting for Professional Military Sailors

Commodore Esek Hopkins (1718-1802), Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy, 1775-1777. Painting by Orlando S. Lagman, after a 19th Century engraving by J.C. Buttre. Naval History and Heritage Command PhotoAs the American colonies came closer to waging outright war against Great Britain, the Continental Congress was faced with determining how

Oct. 17, 2014

Remembering the First Black Women Naval Officers

"Navy to admit Negroes into the WAVES," so read the newspaper headlines Oct. 19, 1944. For the first time black women would be commissioned naval officers as members of the Navy's female reserve program.The program first made news July 30, 1942, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law. Their official nickname was WAVES, an acronym

Oct. 7, 2014

Tomahawk Missiles Brought Power to the Punch During Operation Enduring Freedom

It was 13 years ago today, in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Operation Enduring Freedom began against the Taliban and Al Qaeda holed up in the mountain ranges of Afghanistan. The U.S.-led coalition launched tomahawk missiles against terrorist training camps and military installations. First among them came from destroyer John Paul Jones