National Museum of the United States Navy

08/14/2026

Over 38 ships have been named after the state’s cities, places, and people.

In our next installment celebrating NMUSN is highlighting Minnesota.

Among Minnesota’s many great contributions to the nation and it’s navy:

USS Minneapolis-St. Paul (LCS 21) is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship (LCS) is the second US Navy vessel named for the Twin Cities. Its commissioning in the port of Duluth on 21 May 2022, marked the first time that a US Navy warship was commissioned in Minnesotan waters, also a first for the city of Duluth.

Capt. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, a native of St. Paul, joined the navy through MIT’s Navy ROTC in 1985. Selected by NASA in 1996, she flew on two shuttle missions-STS 115 and STS 126- and later led an underwater survival study.

Did you know? A St. Paul Naval Reserve unit aboard USS Ward (DD 139/APD 16) fired the first shot against the Japanese when it sank a mini-sub at the entrance of Pearl harbor at dawn on 7 Dec. 1941. Since 1958, Minnesota has been home to this historic gun.

Images:
USS Minneapolis-St Paul on trials in Lake Michigan. 1 June 2022. Image source: Lockheed-Martin Photo.

Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper on 13 March 2003. Official NASA portrait. NHHC photo LC-Lot-9430-4.

USS Ward (DD-139), 1942. Office of War Information Photograph, 9-11 May 1942.

, , , , ,

08/11/2026

As the summer wears on NMUSN continues the celebration of 250 years of American History by highlighting each of our fifty states and some of their contributions to the history and heritage of the US Navy.

Among California’s many great contributions to the nation and it’s navy:

ADM Elmo Zumwalt was from San Francisco, a graduate of the US Naval Academy, and veteran of three wars. In 1970, he became the youngest Chief of Naval Operations at the age of 49. During his tenure, he acted as a reformer, improving sailors’ lives and promoting the use of new technology in the Navy. USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) honors him.

Naval Base San Diego was established in 1922 as a destroyer base. During WWII, base operations expanded, and the Navy determined that the base had exceeded its original function. Today, this base is homeport for nearly a third of the navy’s afloat assets in the Pacific.

The seventh ship to bear the state’s name, USS California (SSN 781) is an attack submarine was commissioned in Norfolk, VA, in 2011. Its motto “Silentium est Aureum” means “silence is golden,” underscoring the value of stealth in submarine service warfare and honoring California’s nickname “the Golden State.”

Images:
Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., Chief of Naval Operations, greets Oahu-based sailors outside the Submarine Base Theater, c. 1970. NHHC photo L38-100.04.01

Emblem of the USS California SSN-781. USN image.

San Diego Bay: Plan Showing Anchorages and Moorings. April 1923. Image courtesy of NARA.

08/03/2026

As America celebrates 250 years NMUSN is highlighting each of our fifty states and some of their contributions to the history and heritage of the US Navy.

Our next installment in this series is Iowa, the Hawkeye State.

Among Iowa’s many great contributions to the nation and it’s navy:

Named after the 29th state, USS Iowa (BB61) was known as “The Battleship of Presidents.” It earned 9 battle stars for WWII service and 2 for Korean service. The ship is now a museum ship on display at the Pacific Battleship Center at the Port of Los Angeles. At its launching in August 1942, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox deemed it the “greatest ship that’s ever been launched by the American nation.”

The five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo were killed in action in 1942, when USS Juneau (CL 52) was sunk during the Batlle of Guadalcanal. George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert, ages 20 to 27, enlisted and served together. Following this tragedy, the US armed forces enacted the sole survivor policy in 1948 to help protect families from this heavy loss in the future.

While in the Navy during WWII, Dr. James Van Allen, from Mt. Pleasant, served 16 months in the Pacific fleet. Working with the Bureau of Ordinance, he developed a radio-proximity fuse that increased the effectiveness of antiaircraft fire. The fuse considered one of the most important American technological innovations of WWII.

Did you know? Iowa State Teacher’s College (University of Northern Iowa) was host to the first indoctrination school and later yeoman school of the US Naval Women’s Reserve, of Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES). The first class of 1,500 WAVES in December 1942.

Images:
USS Iowa (BB-61) Fires a full broadside of nine 16/50 and six 5/38 guns during a target exercise near Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, 1 July 1984. Photographed by PHAN J. Alan Elliott. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection.

The Sullivan brothers on board USS Juneau (CL-52) at the time of her commissioning ceremonies at the New York Navy Yard, 14 February 1942. The brothers are (from left to right): Joseph, Francis, Albert, Madison and George Sullivan. NHHC Photograph, NH 52362.

James van Allen at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C., USA. January 1977. Author NASA.

Newly-arrived WAVES recruits pose for a group portrait at the school, before the arrival of their uniforms, January 1943. Shirley Feldstein (Bell) is 3rd from right in the front row, with a white name tag visible on her coat. She comments, on the reverse of the original print: We all look like penguins ready for a slide in the snow. Donation of Shirley Feldstein Bell. NHHC photograph NH95372.

07/30/2026

In our next installment celebrating NMUSN is highlighting Wisconsin, the .

Among Wisconsin's many great contributions to the nation and it’s navy:

ADM. Marc A. Mitscher, born in Hillsboro, graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1910. He was a pioneer in naval aviation, awarded the navy Cross for the first transatlantic flight by air. He commanded USS Hornet during the Battle of Midway and Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific during WWII.

During WWII, Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. Played a vital role in supporting the US Navy. It was the lead shipyard for producing tank landing craft (LCT 5 class) and won the design contest for the first LCT 6-class vessel contract. Its wartime workers also produced 28 submarines, including Gato- and Balao-class subs. The shipyard continued operating after the war until it closed in 1972.

Did you know? The Freedom-class USS Marinette (LCS 25) is the first warship to bear the name of this city and one of the few ships in the history of the US Navy to be built in the city after which is named. Its motto "Freedom Done Wright" is a tribute to the shipwrights who built its class.

Images:
A 1920s photograph of Lieutenant Commander Marc A. Mitscher. Naval History and Heritage Command photograph, NH 47719.

Launching of USS ROBALO 9 May 1943, at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wis. (Navy) NARA FILE #: 080-G-68535 WAR & CONFLICT BOOK #: 821

U.S. Navy's USS Marinette (LCS-25) Coat of Arms.US Army Institute of Herladry.

, , , , ,

07/29/2026

Did you know the United States Naval Academy Band has served the Brigade of Midshipmen and the nation for more than 170 years?

Established in 1852, the Naval Academy Band is the oldest continuing musical organization in the U.S. Navy. Throughout its history, the band has supported military ceremonies, inspired generations of Midshipmen, and represented the Navy at concerts, parades, and official events across the country and around the world.

Join us as we celebrate the rich heritage of the United States Naval Academy Band and the musicians who have proudly carried its legacy forward.

The transcription of the attached documents is as follows:

Order

On, & after, the first day of next March, and until further orders, the drum will beat for the students to get up, make up their beds, clean, & prepare their rooms for daily morning inspection at 6:10 A.M.

Morning roll-call will take place at 6:45 & prayers immediately afterwards.
Breakfast at 7 o'clock, Sick-call at 7:30, and the first call, by the bugle, to studies & recitations, at 7:55 . The next bugle-call to recitations will be at 8:55, the next at 10:25, the next at 11:25.

Dinner at 1 o'clock P.M. —the drum to beat for it at 12:55. The Bugle-calls to afternoon recitations will be at 1:55 and 2:55 P.M. From 4 P.M. until supper time (Saturdays & Sundays excepted) exercises of Guns & Arms are to take place.

Supper, at 6 o'clock , or as near that time as the call to evening parade at 5:55 will permit.

The bugle-call to evening studies to be sounded at 6:55 P.M. At 9:30, Lights extinguished and at 10 o'clock, by which time all students are to be in their beds.

Naval Academy Feb. 26, 1856.
L.M. Goldsborough Superintendent

07/22/2026

The Continental Army and Navy had few military supplies at the outset of the Revolutionary War. To get materials, the navy took items from enemy ships. They captured guns, gunpowder, naval stores, and even people. All Continental vessels, including leased merchant ships, state navy vessels, and privateers, competed for supplies.

On October 5, 1775, Congress authorized General George Washington to employ two armed vessels to stop British store ships near Boston, Massachusetts. A few weeks later, on October 23, 1775, Washington signed this letter instructing Captain William Coit to command the schooner Harrison.

Citation: Letter of Marque, George Washington, 1775, Naval History and Heritage Command, NHHC 2000-92-1.

07/20/2026

Did yo catch this from the Band?

Check out this Navy Band Fun Fact 👇🏽👇🏽

07/17/2026

As America celebrates 250 years NMUSN is highlighting each of our fifty states and some of their contributions to the history and heritage of the US Navy.

Our next installment in this series is Texas, the Lone Star State.

Over 100 ships have been named after the state’s cities, places, and people. Commissioned in 2006, USS San Antonio (LPD 17) is the first ship to bear the name of the Texas city. Its motto – “Never Retreat, Never Surrender” – comes from words attributed to Lt. Col William B. Travis, commander of the Alamo in 1836, as he was besieged by Mexican forces. Designed with state-of-the-art self-defense capability for an expeditionary warship, it is a fitting tribute to the intrepid defenders of the Alamo.

PO3 Doris “Dorie” Miller was awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery during the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941. Despite no gunnery training, he helped to defend his ship, USS West Virginia (BB 48), against Japanese planes using an anti-aircraft machine gun. USS Dorie Miller (CVN 81) will be named in his honor.

Between 1941 and 1945, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi - nicknamed “The University of the Air”- expanded into one of the largest naval aviation training facilities in the world, preparing more than 35,000 naval aviators for combat. It has been the headquarters of the Naval Air Training Command since 1972.

Images:
Poster: Above and beyond the call of duty--Dorie Miller received the Navy Cross at Pearl Harbor, May 27, 1942 / by David Stone Martin, an Office of War Information (OWI) art director, this poster was displayed to boost African American morale and participation in the war effort during World War II.

Emblem of the USS San Antonio LPD-17. Circa 2012, USN.

“Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 primary trainers, NAS Corpus Christi, 1942” by Vernon Howe, US Navy Art Collection.

, , , , ,

07/16/2026

The National Museum of the U.S. Navy has earned not one, but TWO Telly Awards for our Navy 250: The Legacy exhibition!

🏆 Gold Telly Award – Craft: Use of Archival Footage
Awarded for the exceptional integration of archival content into an immersive experience, recognizing how historic footage helped bring 250 years of U.S. Navy history to life in a powerful and engaging way.

https://www.tellyawards.com/winners/2026/immersive-interactive-mixed/craft-use-of-archival-footage/us-navy-250th-anniversary-museum-experience/364514/

🥈 Silver Telly Award – General: Museums & Galleries
Recognized for excellence in an immersive, interactive, or mixed reality experience created for museums and galleries.

These awards are a testament to the creativity, collaboration, and dedication of an extraordinary team of curators, collections specialists, graphic designers, archaeologists, media specialists, producers, and partners who transformed an ambitious vision into an award-winning experience. Navy 250: The Legacy demonstrates how thoughtful storytelling, innovative technology, and authentic historical content can connect audiences with the Navy's rich heritage in meaningful ways.

https://www.tellyawards.com/winners/2026/immersive-interactive-mixed/general-museums-galleries/us-navy-250th-anniversary-museum-experience/364544/

Want to experience this award-winning exhibition? Catch Navy 250: The Legacy at the Baltimore Visitor Center, located at 401 Light Street in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, now through October 18, 2026. Come immerse yourself in 250 years of U.S. Navy history through an engaging, interactive experience!

U.S. Navy 250th Anniversary Museum Experience, 2026 Gold Telly Awards Craft Winner for Use of Archival Footage

07/14/2026

Did you know the U.S. Navy once had a steel band?

Established in 1957, this unique ensemble performed more than 20,000 concerts worldwide and remains a memorable part of our rich Navy Music history. 🥁⚓️