Sept. 30, 2014

USS Nautilus and the U.S. Navy Get Underway on Nuclear Power

For the cost of a laptop today, the Navy's nuclear propulsion program began 77 years ago. It could only have been a Navy physicist who upon observing the energy created by the splitting of uranium atoms, would also wonder if that could be used for propulsion at sea. It was in 1939 when Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) scientists met to determine if

Sept. 25, 2014

Fit to Fight: American Shipbuilding and Salvage Comes Through in the Wake of Pearl Harbor

This is the final chapter in a 3-part series about the salvage operation that brought USS West Virginia (BB 48) back to the fleet 70 years ago Sept. 23, 1944. She had been hit by seven torpedoes and two bombs during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Click for Part 1 and Part 2.Lessons noted, lessons learnedThe Pearl Harbor Salvage Division

Sept. 24, 2014

With a Hat Tip to American Shipbuilding, USS West Virginia Returns from the Bottom of Pearl Harbor Fit to Fight

Part two on a 3-part series about the salvage operations that brought USS West Virginia (BB 48) back to the fleet Sept. 23, 1944 after being sunk in the attack at Pearl Harbor.We keep them fit to fightWhen the smoke cleared after the attack on Dec. 7, 1941, 19 ships berthed at Pearl Harbor were severely damaged and in various stages of sinking or

Sept. 23, 2014

American Shipbuilding, Navy Maintenance Past and Present: Keeping the Fleet Fit to Fight

Part One of a 3-part seriesA ship rejoining the fleet after a major overhaul is nothing new in the Navy. But 70 years ago today, when USS West Virginia (BB 48) returned to Pearl Harbor, it was a momentous event. West Virginia was the last, and most heavily damaged, of the 18 ships salvaged after the Dec. 7, 1941 attack. Her return to the fleet

Sept. 19, 2014

Dirt, Taps & Nursery Rhymes: Vietnam POW Book Offers Insight into Captivity

It's National POW/MIA Recognition Day today, observed on the third Friday in September. There may not be any big sales in the stores this weekend, but please take a moment to remember those who served as prisoners of war and the thousands who remain missing in action since World War II. The POW/MIA flag, made official by Congress in 1990, may be

Sept. 13, 2014

Through "Rocket's Red Glare" Flotilla Sailors Stand Strong

It was arguably one of the most famous battles on American soil and is still sung of today. It was a failed attempt by the British to invade one of America's largest cities during the War of 1812, a battle that inspired the anthem of the American people. When Francis Scott Key witnessed a battered American flag still waving "at dawn's early light,"

Sept. 12, 2014

The Colors of a Navy and Nation

Flags, standards, and banners have been used for thousands of years as visual symbols of those who bear them. "The broad stripes and bright stars" of the American flag represent an indivisible nation "with liberty and justice for all" and symbolize sacrifices made by many for the sake of the nation and the freedom they hold dear. For many years,

Sept. 12, 2014

Blue Angels History Milestones

  Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, while serving as Chief of Naval Operations, formed the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team as a means to expose the American public to naval aviation, which had come of age during World War II. This was deemed very important in an era in which the roles and missions of the armed forces were the subject of vigorous

Sept. 11, 2014

9/11: The First Act of Defiance against the Enemies of Freedom: A Sailor's Experience at the Pentagon

A combined graphic images of USS New York (LPD 21), USS Somerset (LPD 25) and USS Arlington (LPD 24) all named in honor of the events of September 11, 2001. (Graphic Image by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Clifford L. H. Davis, Naval Histor...

Sept. 10, 2014

Three Tenets, Three Ships: USS New York, USS Somerset and USS Arlington Put CNO's Vision into Motion

Capt. Kenneth M. Coleman's official photo as USS New York's Executive Officer. ...