Dec. 1, 2023

Naval Legal Service Command Turns 50

On Nov. 3, 1966, the 22nd Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Navy, Rear Adm. Wilfred Hearn, spoke about a “legal explosion” during a dedication ceremony in Norfolk, Va., for the Navy’s first-ever Law Center. Hearn told the assembled crowd, “The Law Center is the Navy’s response to the legal explosion which both the military and civilian

Nov. 1, 2023

“No Comparable Period of Activity”: Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron FIFTEEN’s Actions After Operation Avalanche

 Author’s Note: During this 80th anniversary cycle of World War II, I hope to correct, at least in some small way through multiple weblog posts, the incomplete historical scholarship given to the U.S. Navy’s missions and activities in the European and Mediterranean Theaters of Operation, compared with those in the Pacific Theater. By utilizing

June 13, 2023

U.S. Industrialization and Naval Technology before the Spanish-American War

When most people think of Civil War-era naval technology, it is generally USS Monitor that comes to mind. The low, iron-covered hull with its distinctive round turret is very different from the wooden-hulled steam frigates that made up most of the Civil War U.S. Navy, with their traditional rigging and sails. But while Monitor was dramatic, both in

Jan. 6, 2023

In Memoriam: Rear Admiral Lafayette F. Norton, USN (Ret.)

It is with deep regret I inform you of the passing of Rear Admiral (lower half) Lafayette Ferguson “Ferg” Norton on 11 September 2022 at age 83. Rear Admiral Norton entered the U.S. Navy as a midshipman in the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) in September 1957 and served as a naval aviator until his retirement in December 1993 as

Jan. 6, 2023

In Memoriam: Rear Admiral Salvatore F. Gallo, USN (Ret.)

It is with deep regret that I inform you of the passing of Rear Admiral (upper half) Salvatore Frank Gallo on 13 December 2022 at age 86. Rear Admiral Gallo enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve in March 1955 and served as a naval aviator until his retirement in September 1993 as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (N1B)/Deputy Chief of