March 26, 2021

Passion. Purpose. Pay it forward.

"Passion. Purpose. Pay it forward."When reflecting on her notable 36-year career, these are the fundamentals Vice Admiral U.S. Navy (retired) Carol Pottenger highlights as the keys to success. She explains, "As long as you have passion about what you're doing, you believe you're bringing value to an organization, your purpose is strong and sincere,

March 17, 2021

Loretta Perfectus Walsh - First Enlisted Woman in the Navy

​In November 2020, CNO and Mrs. Gilday installed a new exhibit in the Tingey House highlighting the accomplishments of female Navy pioneers. The pioneers proudly served their country and this year the Naval History and Heritage Command will be sharing their stories. One hundred and four years ago this week, Loretta Perfectus Walsh enlisted in the U.S. Navy. She was the first woman to serve in a non-nursing capacity in any branch of the armed forces.

March 12, 2021

Twelve Anchors

In November 2020, CNO and Mrs. Gilday installed a new exhibit entitled "Celebrating Navy Women: Perseverance and Achievements" in the Tingey House. The pioneers proudly served their country and this year the Naval History and Heritage Command will be sharing their stories. In February 23, 1945, the Twelve Anchors, eleven female Navy nurses and one Filipino nurse were rescued from a Japanese Prisoner of War camp in the Philippines.

Feb. 1, 2021

Perseverance: Lt. j.g. Harriet Ida Pickens and Ensign Frances Wills

In November 2020, CNO and Mrs. Gilday installed a new exhibit entitled "Celebrating Navy Women: Perseverance and Achievements" in the Tingey House. The pioneers proudly served their country and in 2021, the Naval History and Heritage Command will be sharing their stories.Two women who persevered were LTJG Harriet Ida Pickens and Ensign Frances

Jan. 7, 2021

Ringing in the New Year Navy Style

The Naval History and Heritage Command is hereby reviving the tradition of the New Year's Deck Log Poetry contest. The deck log is the official record maintained by all commissioned U.S. Navy vessels. While the contents of a deck log are generally fiercely regulated, the United States Navy has long held the tradition of the Midnight New Year's Day Poem. The first entry of the New Year, written in verse, gives a brief glimpse into the minds of the sailors and shipboard life, and provides a human voice to the otherwise impersonal deck log.

Dec. 31, 2020

Steaming Into the New Year

EDITOR'S NOTE: For many American Sailors, forward-deployed around the world in defense of freedom, it's already 2021. As America gets ready to celebrate the arrival of the New Year, we wanted to share a unique, longstanding U.S. Navy tradition you may not have heard of. U.S. Navy ships maintain a deck log in which they record all the important

Dec. 21, 2020

Honoring 30 Years of Women in Command at Sea

Last month, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday and his wife Linda installed a new display in their residence highlighting the accomplishments of female Navy pioneers. Among them is a photo of Cmdr. Darlene Iskra, U.S. Navy, retired who, on Dec. 27, 1990 became the first woman to command a commissioned Navy ship. I recently spoke with Iskra

Oct. 29, 2020

NHHC Biography Collection

Accessioned from the Chief of Information (CHINFO) in 1974, the Biography Collection is one of the larger collections housed at the United States Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). This collection primarily contains biographical sheets, service transcripts, Casualty Reports, obituaries, career biographies, and news articles about Navy

Oct. 20, 2020

You Never Know What You're Going to Find

The Archivists at the United States Navy Archives perform many different tasks. The Reference Archivists provide reference services to the public and to the fleet by providing information and access to archival materials and collections. Before these archival materials and collections can be made available though, they have to be processed. The

Oct. 8, 2020

Uncommon Valor and Courage Can Come From Anyone: Sgt Cole's Heroic Story

Editor's Note: October 12, 2020 will mark the 20th anniversary on the attack of USS Cole. For the Navy, and Destroyers especially, there is a lot in a ship's name and the heroism, resilience and warfighting exhibited by the Sailors that fateful day truly lived up to their namesake, Sergeant Darrell S. Cole, The Fighting Music. Today, Sgt Cole's