National Museum of the United States Navy

National Museum of the United States Navy Explore naval history from 1775 to the present at the National Museum of the United States Navy! Access to the Museum is through the 11th and O Street, SE gate.
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A free museum, devoted to the display of naval artifacts, models, documents and fine art, the National Museum of the United States Navy chronicles the history of the United States Navy from the American Revolution to the present conflicts. Interactive exhibits commemorate our Navy’s wartime heroes and battles as well as peacetime contributions in exploration, diplomacy, navigation and humanitarian

service. The Cold War Gallery, an annex museum to the main building is open to the public, during the week and by appointment on Saturdays. Visitors without a Military ID or CAC Card will need to be processed through the Visitor's Center. All adults need to have a photo ID and drivers need proof of insurance and registration for vehicles. Weekend and Holiday access requires a Military ID, CAC Card, or to be pre vetted during the week at the Visitor's Center. For more information, please visit www.history.navy.mil/nmusn or call 202-433-2385. Disclaimer:

This is the official web page for the National Museum of the United States Navy. We hope this will become a place where fans feel comfortable sharing information and experiences with one another. While this is an open forum, it is also a family friendly one, so please keep your comments and wall posts clean. Please be considerate of other fan's opinions. In addition to keeping it family friendly, we ask that you follow our posting guidelines here. If you do not comply, your message will be removed. We do not allow graphic, obscene, explicit or racial comments or submissions, nor do we allow comments that are abusive, hateful or intended to defame anyone or any organization. We do not allow solicitations or advertisements. This includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. Such posts and/or links are subject to deletion. People who continue to post such content and/or links may be subject to page participation restrictions and/or removal from the page. We do not allow attempts to defame or defraud any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. We do not allow comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity. You participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information provided. Posting of external links on this site that are intended as advertising (or to drive traffic to websites unrelated to the U.S. Navy), or do not contribute to dialog and discussions about the U.S. Navy may be deleted. People who continue to post such links may be subject to page participation restrictions and/or removal from the page. External links do not constitute official endorsement on behalf of the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Department of Defense.

Happy  ! 🐕Sparky, a guide dog in training, came to work as a World War II 3rd class radioman. He must think we're having...
08/26/2023

Happy ! 🐕

Sparky, a guide dog in training, came to work as a World War II 3rd class radioman. He must think we're having a costume party to celebrate. He looks pretty cute in a jumper, don’t you think?

  in 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall along the Texas coast. Devastating flooding from heavy rainfall endangered hun...
08/25/2023

in 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall along the Texas coast. Devastating flooding from heavy rainfall endangered hundreds of thousands of people across the state. The U.S. Fleet Forcees Command quickly deployed personnel to assist federal, state, and local authorities with disaster relief efforts in Texas.



📸: A naval aircrewmen from Helicotper Sea Combat Squadron 28 talks to a group of evacuees in Vidor, Texas, August 31, 2017. This mission resulted in the rescue of 14 people and four pets. (Courtesy of the U.S. Navy)

  in 1927 a sudden   front hit the Zeppelin-type   USS Los Angeles (ZR 3) and pushed the ship's fantail skyward while mo...
08/25/2023

in 1927 a sudden front hit the Zeppelin-type USS Los Angeles (ZR 3) and pushed the ship's fantail skyward while moored at a docking station at NAS Lakehurst.

The ship's company could do little except hang on for dear life while the pushed the around in a circle. Such weather events were the primary cause of airship casualties - the Navy's other giant airships USS Macon, Akron, and Shenandoah all crashed due the weather. Los Angeles miraculously survived this incident and served the Navy for many years to come.

These sections of the Los Angeles and Akron provide a close-up of some of the structure and engineering that went into the Navy's experimentation with lighter-than-air craft.

📸: USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) moored to USS Patoka (AO-9), off Panama, circa February 1931. [NHHC Photo Archives Identifier #: NH 73285]

Los Angeles nearly vertical while moored at the high mast at Naval Air Station shortly after 1:30 PM. [NHHC Photo Archives Identifier #: NH 84568

]

  in 1814, Commodore Thomas Tingey, the superintendent of the Washington Navy Yard at the time, gave the order to set th...
08/24/2023

in 1814, Commodore Thomas Tingey, the superintendent of the Washington Navy Yard at the time, gave the order to set the grounds on fire. With the British encroaching on the area, and they just laid waste to the President's House, they would not allow the British to take all of this newly formed city. They did not want to allow access to the buildings, its ships, resources, and supplies.

📸: Thornton, William, Artist. Waterfront fire, probably burning of the Washington Navy Yard, Anacostia River, Washington, D.C. United States Washington D.C, ca. 1815. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/ade1997000669/.

Teachers,here’s a fun lesson plan for your students!   Life of a Sailor at Sea(recommended for grades 4-6):         Obje...
08/23/2023

Teachers,here’s a fun lesson plan for your students!
Life of a Sailor at Sea(recommended for grades 4-6):

Objectives:
Students learn about sailors' everyday life by analyzing a and recruiting poster.
Students interpret poems and as historical evidence.

Instructions:
Read background sheet, poem, and poster.
Discuss sheet in groups or complete answers individually. discussion to follow.
Students use the historical poem as a model to compose their own poems.

Use the link to access the recruiting poster and sheet!
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/education/educational-resources/sailor-s-life-at-sea---poetry--grades-4-6-/lesson-plan.html

  in 1864, the U.S. Navy and Army captured Fort Morgan, the last Confederate-held position that guarded Mobile Bay. Seiz...
08/23/2023

in 1864, the U.S. Navy and Army captured Fort Morgan, the last Confederate-held position that guarded Mobile Bay. Seizing this fort brought Mobile Bay under the complete control of U.S. forces and closed the port city to blockade runners.



📸: A photograph taken in 1864 shows the damage that Fort Morgan sustained from the combined firepower of U.S. Army artillery and U.S. naval vessels. (NHHC Photo Archives Identifier: NH 51934)

Today is  ! 🛩🚁In honor of that, check out one of our online photography exhibits that features some interesting images f...
08/19/2023

Today is ! 🛩🚁

In honor of that, check out one of our online photography exhibits that features some interesting images from World War I.

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/explore/photography/wwi/wwi-aviation.html

The United States Navy began experimenting with aviation in 1911, only a few years prior to the country's involvement in the First World War.



📸: Curtiss "F" type flying boat (Bu # 4391) at NAS Anacostia, D.C., 22 April 1920.
(Photo Archives Identifier #: NH 89699)

  2017, the crew of RV Petrel discovered the wreck of USS  Indianapolis (CV-35) in the Philippine Sea.The ship went miss...
08/19/2023

2017, the crew of RV Petrel discovered the wreck of USS Indianapolis (CV-35) in the Philippine Sea.

The ship went missing after a Japanese submarine torpedoed it in the final days of World War II.

Per USNI News: "The ship’s story has become part folklore, thanks in large part to the chilling monologue in the 1975 film “Jaws” when fisherman Quint tells about being aboard Indianapolis when it was sunk.

Allen’s break came [...] when Richard Hulver, a NHHC historian, discovered records from amphibious landing ship USS LST-779 that recorded a sighting of Indianapolis hours before it was torpedoed, according to a statement from NHHC. Hulver’s research led to a new search area west of the original presumed position. Still, the new search area was in 600 square-miles of open North Pacific Ocean water.

[With regard to the crew, survivors, and their families] When announcing the discovery, the NHHC issued a statement also stressing Allen’s team was working with the Navy to comply with U.S. law, respecting the sunken ship as a war grave, and not disturbing the site. “USS Indianapolis remains the property of the U.S. Navy and its location will remain confidential and restricted by the Navy,” the NHHC statement said."

Here is a video showing many clips that have not been seen before.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=371910783746852

📸: CV-35 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, circa 1937. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. NH 53230.
Hull number confirming identity of wreck as that of USS Indianapolis (CV-35).

The Naval Railway Battery is one of the most overlooked pieces of U.S. Navy involvement during the First World War. Bald...
08/18/2023

The Naval Railway Battery is one of the most overlooked pieces of U.S. Navy involvement during the First World War. Baldwin Locomotive Works of Eddystone, Pennsylvania produced and delivered five trains to France in the spring of 1918. A battery composed of a locomotive, gun car, ammunition cars, supporting equipment cars, and accommodation cars for the crew were all used in the field.

You can learn more about one of the last surviving examples right outside our museum at the Washington Navy Yard in the video below!

Long range German artillery was quite effective during World War I, especially in Belgium where it put allied port operations at risk. Allied counter fires w...

08/18/2023

in 1838 five ships of the U.S. Navy Exploring set out for what was to become one of the Fleet's greatest achievements!

Tasked with exploring the islands of the Pacific , the Expedition cataloged hundreds of new and species, mapped several islands, and explored the Earth's southern region. The data led many to conclude that a previously-unknown continent existed in these latitudes. Polar scientists have since named one million acres of "Wilkes Land" after the Expedition's commander and chief .

Dr. James Rentfrow, historian, and Director, National Museum of the U.S. Navy and Campus Program Office, speaks about the role of the Navy in early-national era exploration efforts and specifically about the United States Exploring Expedition led by Captain Charles Wilkes.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=878158506353628

Admiral Arleigh Burke became Chief of Naval Operation   in 1955 and remained in this position for nearly six years. ADM ...
08/17/2023

Admiral Arleigh Burke became Chief of Naval Operation in 1955 and remained in this position for nearly six years. ADM Burke’s leadership through crises and his “innovations in policy and programs…shaped the service’s course for much of the rest of the century.” Read more about this distinguished CNO’s life and career below!

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/a/arleigh-burke-the-last-cno.html?fbclid=IwAR0tug919Tcr28FpIVAueSal62-pxZvGvoe18X20EFsQbAJZsxbpz1wKpNI



📸: Chief of Naval Operations Addresses a U.S. Naval Academy pep rally on 23 November 1960, on the eve of that year's Army-Navy football game [Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command, NH 54900].

Our newest Virtual Book Talk is live on our YouTube channel! You can check it out here or by clicking the linked image:h...
08/16/2023

Our newest Virtual Book Talk is live on our YouTube channel! You can check it out here or by clicking the linked image:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6F62fTfWns

Join us as author James Nelson examines the 18th century political machinations that were part of the beginnings of American might on the seas, in his book entitled, "George Washington’s Secret Navy: How the American Revolution Went to Sea"

Stay tuned for upcoming programs by following us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter or by visiting our website at history.navy.mil/nmusn

The OFFICIAL YouTube channel of the National Museum of the United States Navy. The National Museum of the U.S. Navy, part of the Naval History and Heritage C...

  1908,  the first Navy Post Offices were opened on board Navy ships following a June 27, 1908 General Order 74 establis...
08/15/2023

1908, the first Navy Post Offices were opened on board Navy ships following a June 27, 1908 General Order 74 establishing them.

"Daily life does not stop just because a member of the armed forces is overseas. The mail system allows them to communicate, pay taxes, and vote. [..] The postal system enables military personnel to exercise their rights as American citizens, even while stationed abroad." The Smithsonian National Postal Museum has a permanent exhibit all about mail and the military called Mail Call.

Explore more in the link: https://postalmuseum.si.edu/mailcall/index.html

📸: Service personnel aboard the USS Boxer mail packages home for the 2006 holidays. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman James Seward.

Aircraft carrier crew members carry mail sacks from a helicopter on a flight deck, 2003. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Arlo K. Abrahamson.

The   's education team offers a variety of tours, programs, and   engagement opportunities! Check out this fun fact!:  ...
08/15/2023

The 's education team offers a variety of tours, programs, and engagement opportunities!

Check out this fun fact!:
that the first unit to serve in a combat area was the Sixth Naval Construction Battalion? They arrived on the island of on September 1, 1942. Seabees are the Navy’s builders. The in their logo is called “The Fighting Bee”.

Use the link in our bio to access all our educational resources.
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/education.html

  in 1886, Secretary of the Navy William C. Whitney signed General Order 354, establishing the Naval Gun Factory at the ...
08/14/2023

in 1886, Secretary of the Navy William C. Whitney signed General Order 354, establishing the Naval Gun Factory at the Washington Navy Yard. From 1886 to its closure in 1961, the Naval Gun Factory supported the fleet by producing naval guns and ammunition for the fleet. During that time, it became one of the largest employers in Washington, D.C. employing thousands of people who did the important and often hazardous work of manufacturing weapons for the Navy.

You can learn more about this important era in the history of the Washington Navy Yard, along with the experiences of the men and women who worked there in the online component of our exhibit, "Arming a New Navy," in the link in our bio.

📸: A team works on a large naval gun, with one person having crawled inside the barrel of the gun, 1903. (Courtesy of Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-68368)

Today is  . U.S. Navy Boatswain's Mates are authorized to salute with the left hand when piping senior officers and offi...
08/13/2023

Today is . U.S. Navy Boatswain's Mates are authorized to salute with the left hand when piping senior officers and officials aboard or ashore, as demonstrated by this sailor on the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78).

📸Courtesy of the US Naval Institute, 13 August 2022.

  1918, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels permitted women to enlist in the United States Marine Corps for clerical ...
08/12/2023

1918, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels permitted women to enlist in the United States Marine Corps for clerical duty, a job series left vacant after men went to fight overseas. This change in protocol allowed 300 women to join the Marine Corps Reserve during the final months of World War I.

The first woman to enlist in August of 1918 was Opha May Johnson, a graduate of a shorthand and typewriting school. Her first job clerking at the Marine Corps Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia was brief as the military began dis-enrolling women from active service after the war ended. Johnson returned to work for USMC as a civilian until her retirement in 1943 and she remained active in the nation’s first American Legion post of women’s Marine Corps reservists by supporting women’s roles in the military.

📸 courtesy of the United States World War I Centennial Commission’s website

Join us THIS SATURDAY, August 12 for a fascinating tour of one of Washington, DC's oldest facilities - the Washington Na...
08/11/2023

Join us THIS SATURDAY, August 12 for a fascinating tour of one of Washington, DC's oldest facilities - the Washington Navy Yard. Guided by a museum educator, the will showcase historic homes and buildings on the Yard and will provide a sneak peak into the lives of those who lived and worked here.

More information about registration, Navy Yard access, and the program can be found on our website, linked in our bio.

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/news-and-events/events/walking-tour-20230812.html

Stop by the Military Women's Memorial in Washington, DC to view the new, temporary exhibit: National Museum of the Unite...
08/11/2023

Stop by the Military Women's Memorial in Washington, DC to view the new, temporary exhibit: National Museum of the United States Navy - Artistic Ideas Competition.

Naval History and Heritage Command ( ) conducted an Artistic Ideas Competition to produce conceptual renderings for the new National Museum of the United States Navy ( ). From a pool of 40 respondents, NHHC selected five finalists: Bjarke Ingels Group, DLR, Gehry Partners, Perkins&Will, and Quinn Evans.

The features samples from each firms' submissions. Photographs are shown here in alphabetical order: Bjarke Ingels Group arrow DLR arrow Gehry Partners arrow Perkins&Will arrow Quinn Evans.

Comment cards are available onsite, or comments can be shared here: [email protected].

Join us on Facebook Premier for a   book talk, titled "George Washington's Secret Navy: How the American Revolution Went...
08/10/2023

Join us on Facebook Premier for a book talk, titled "George Washington's Secret Navy: How the American Revolution Went to Sea."

Award-winning author James Nelson will examine the 18th century political machinations that were part of the beginnings of might on the seas in his new titled, "George Washington’s Secret Navy: How the American Revolution Went to Sea."

Use the link below to learn more about the program, author, and Facebook Premier access.

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/news-and-events/events/virtual-book-talk-20230816.html

Come by the museum ✨THIS Saturday✨, August 12 at noon for an   talk, titled: "A New Force at Sea: George Dewey and the R...
08/10/2023

Come by the museum ✨THIS Saturday✨, August 12 at noon for an talk, titled: "A New Force at Sea: George Dewey and the Rise of the American Navy" with David Smith!

Senior lecturer of history and author David Smith's new tells the story of one of the most important officers in the U.S. Navy between the Civil War and World War II - George Dewey. Enjoy Smith's overview of this larger-than-life personality.

Use the link below to learn more about the program, the author, and Washington Navy Yard access.



https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/news-and-events/events/book-talk-20230812.html

It's  ! So give your thumbs a rest,  get your nose out of your phone and into a good book.📸U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. ...
08/09/2023

It's !

So give your thumbs a rest, get your nose out of your phone and into a good book.

📸U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Michael Neuenhoff, a combat photographer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, reads the book “Chesty” by Jon T. Hoffman at the Cherry Point Library at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, July 9, 2019. Neuenhoff chose the book from the Commandant’s reading list to gain knowledge to help him become an efficient leader in the future. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alexandra Amor Santos Arambulo)

Mr. Riley, a tuxedo   of the   USS  , and the cat mascot (name not known) of the armored cruiser USS New York wish you a...
08/08/2023

Mr. Riley, a tuxedo of the USS , and the cat mascot (name not known) of the armored cruiser USS New York wish you a happy International Cat Day! 🐈‍⬛

Both cats have the distinction of being "veterans" of the 1898 naval Battle of Santiago. Despite attempts by Sailors on both ships to secure the felines, both insisted on being on the bridge during the battle.

It's back to   month! 🍎The   's education team offers a variety of tours, programs, and   engagement opportunities! Some...
08/08/2023

It's back to month! 🍎

The 's education team offers a variety of tours, programs, and engagement opportunities! Some of our favorite and programs at the museum include:

✏️Book Talk about the life of one of the Navy’s most colorful Admirals, George Dewey
✏️Saturday Walking Tours of the historic Washington Navy Yard

Use the link below to access all our educational resources.

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/education.html

  in 1990, President George H.W. Bush announced Operation Desert Shield in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.A coali...
08/07/2023

in 1990, President George H.W. Bush announced Operation Desert Shield in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

A coalition of 35 nations began deploying forces to the Persian Gulf to defend Saudi Arabia. During this operation, the United States Navy and other coalition naval units established sea control, ensuring the quick and arrival of supplies, , and equipment needed to Kuwait in the months that followed.

📸: USS Scott (DDG-995) transits the Suez Canal enroute to the Persian Gulf to support Operation Desert Shield, August 8, 1990. (Courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command, NH106911-KN)

General George Washington established the Badge of Military Merit, now known as the Purple Heart,   in 1782.   💜The Purp...
08/07/2023

General George Washington established the Badge of Military Merit, now known as the Purple Heart, in 1782. 💜

The Purple Heart was the country's first award but fell into disuse until after World War I. When the U.S. entered the war, the Medal of Honor was the only medal of valor available to U.S. service members; however, an award honoring the - not just combat heroism - of the nation's veterans was also needed.

From 1932 - 1941, the issued approximately 80,000 Purple Hearts - most of them going to World War I Army . It wasn't until President Roosevelt's 1942 executive order that the Navy, Corps, and Coast Guard could issue Purple Hearts for actions occurring on or after December 7, 1941.

Learn more about the history of the Purple Heart using the link below!

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/awards/decorations/purple-heart-medal.html

📸: Four men from Company and one from Company, MCB-40 receive the Purple Heart decoration for injuries received during the early morning mortar attack on September 21, 1966. (Naval History and Heritage Command photograph, NH 115627)

  in 1858, the screw frigate USS Niagara completed laying of the first transatlantic cable. After experimenting in late ...
08/05/2023

in 1858, the screw frigate USS Niagara completed laying of the first transatlantic cable. After experimenting in late winter in Plymouth, England, the U.S. Navy vessel and the British counterparts were ready to be outfitted. Accomnpanied by HMS Valorous, HMS Gorgon, and HMS Agamemnon carrying the main section of cable, Niagara made a mid-ocean rendezvous and spliced the cable together on July 29th. The cable ended up reaching Bulls Arm, Newfoundland and the first message was relayed on August 16th between Queen Victoria and President Jamnes Buchanan.



📸: The ships Niagara, Valorous, Gorgon & Agamemnon laying the cable at mid-ocean traversing the Atlantic Ocean, 1861. (Courtesy of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Identifier PAD6212)

Lot of   heading into the  .  !
08/05/2023

Lot of heading into the .

!

ALWAYS READY to bust up a party with you! Happy Birthday U.S. Coast Guard!

08/05/2023

Happy 75th Birthday Naval Reactors!

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  in 1846 during the Mexican-American War, Commodore Robert Stockton led a landing party of   and Sailors ashore and cap...
08/04/2023

in 1846 during the Mexican-American War, Commodore Robert Stockton led a landing party of and Sailors ashore and captured the city of Santa Barbara in .

Capturing important port cities in California allowed the U.S. Navy to expand its blockade of Mexico's Pacific Coast, but many Americans had larger ambitions. Seizing California and other Mexican territory offered an avenue to fulfill what they saw as the nation's destiny to expand westward, control the North American continent, and increase maritime commerce in the Pacific.

📸: A depicts the U.S. frigate , Robert Stockton's flagship during the Mexican-American War, sailing through rough seas. (Courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command, NH590)

Stop by the museum on Saturday, August 12 at noon for an   talk, titled: "A New Force at Sea: George Dewey and the Rise ...
08/04/2023

Stop by the museum on Saturday, August 12 at noon for an talk, titled: "A New Force at Sea: George Dewey and the Rise of the American Navy" with David Smith!

Senior lecturer of history and author David Smith's new tells the story of one of the most important officers in the U.S. Navy between the Civil War and World War II - George Dewey. Enjoy Smith's overview of this larger-than-life personality.

Use the link below to learn more about the program, the author, and Washington Navy Yard access.

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/news-and-events/events/book-talk-20230812.html

Join us on Saturday, August 12 for a fascinating tour of one of Washington, DC's oldest facilities - the Washington Navy...
08/02/2023

Join us on Saturday, August 12 for a fascinating tour of one of Washington, DC's oldest facilities - the Washington Navy Yard. Guided by a museum educator, the will showcase historic homes and buildings on the Yard and will provide a sneak peak into the lives of those who lived and worked here.

More information about registration, Navy Yard access, and the program can be found on our website, linked below.

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/news-and-events/events/walking-tour-20230812.html

PT 109, commanded by Lieutenant j.g. John F. Kennedy, was rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri   in 1943. The Elco-t...
08/02/2023

PT 109, commanded by Lieutenant j.g. John F. Kennedy, was rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri in 1943. The Elco-type patrol torpedo boat had been patrolling Blackett Strait when it was cut and disabled.

Kennedy led his crew of 11 to abandon the sinking and to an island several miles away. With the help of a Coastwatcher and local residents, the crew safely returned to Rendova PT base on August 8. Lieutenant received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his .

In August 1963, President Kennedy wrote of his naval service: “Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction, 'I served in the United States Navy.’”

📸: Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, USNR, (standing, far right) with other crewmen aboard PT 109 at a South Pacific Naval Base, 1943. (National Archives photograph, #306-ST-649-9)

It's  ! 🦦Commander Patrick Bellinger makes friends with a kinkajou aboard USS Wright (AV 1) during the ship's port call ...
07/31/2023

It's ! 🦦

Commander Patrick Bellinger makes friends with a kinkajou aboard USS Wright (AV 1) during the ship's port call to , 1922. The photograph shows that even serious people, like Bellinger, could and in the presence of a ship's mascot.

  1967, plans for the day's operations on board the aircraft carrier Forrestal (CVA 59) were violently interrupted when ...
07/29/2023

1967, plans for the day's operations on board the aircraft carrier Forrestal (CVA 59) were violently interrupted when a Zuni rocket accidentally fired from an F-4 Phantom II aircraft into an armed A-4 Skyhawk, triggering a series of explosions that ripped holes through its deck as the ship's attack were preparing to launch on combat missions over North Vietnam.

Harnessing lessons learned from the devastating fire, the U.S. Navy updated its damage control, ordnance handling, overall crew firefighting, compartmentalization, and battle stations addressing issues similar to the Forrestal fire. We remember all of those Sailors that lost their lives.

📸 : Smoke from the burning U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CVA-59), as photographed from the flight deck of USS Oriskany (CVA-34), off Vietnam, on 29 July 1967. (NHHC 1125490).

USS FORRESTAL (CVA-59) fire, 1967. Crewmen battle flames amid smoke and charred debris on the after flight deck where a violent chain reaction of fires and explosions were set off by an initial blast as attack aircraft were being prepared for launch on combat missions over North Vietnam while the ship was deployed in the Gulf of Tonkin, 29 July 1967. USS RUPERTUS (DD-851) is alongside assisting. National Archives USN 1126644.

After a catastrophic fire broke out aboard USS Forrestal (CVA-59) while it was conducting air operations on 29 July 1967, sailors from the USS Rupertus (DD-851) bring their ship close alongside the burning carrier and play their fire hoses along the carrier's flight deck. NHHC 1124784.

Norfolk, Va. (Feb. 15, 2006). Machinist's mate 1st class Timothy B. Golden looks on as his students apply newly learned skill sets in a training simulator in the basic shipboard firefighting course at Farrier Firefighting School, Naval Station Norfolk. The school prepares all sailors to become an asset in the event of shipboard fires. USN Photo.

070727-N-8907D-024 NORFOLK, Va. (July 27, 2007) - Flags and photos line the path at the USS Forrestal Memorial Ceremony. The Navy's Farrier Fire Fighting School Learning Site hosted the 40th memorial anniversary of the catastrophe aboard USS Forrestal (CVA 59), held by members of the USS Forrestal Association.U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class David Danals (RELEASED).


Join us ✨TOMORROW✨, July 29 for a fascinating tour of one of Washington, DC's oldest facilities - the Washington Navy Ya...
07/28/2023

Join us ✨TOMORROW✨, July 29 for a fascinating tour of one of Washington, DC's oldest facilities - the Washington Navy Yard. Guided by a museum educator, the will showcase historic homes and buildings on the Yard and will provide a sneak peak into the lives of those who lived and worked here.

More information about registration, Navy Yard access, and the program can be found on our website, linked below.

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/news-and-events/events/walking-tour-20230729.html

  in 1945, USS Callaghan (DD 792) was the last destroyer sunk by a kamikaze attack during World War II. After an initial...
07/28/2023

in 1945, USS Callaghan (DD 792) was the last destroyer sunk by a kamikaze attack during World War II. After an initial first pass, a Japanese Yokosuka K5Y biplane, attached to the 3rd Ryuko Squadron, slammed into the side of the Fletcher-class destroyer. One of its bombs exploded and opened a gaping hole in the aft engine room. The vessel quickly flooded and fires that erupted set off anti-aircraft ammunition.
47 Sailors lost their lives.



Starboard view of USS Callaghan. (NHHC Photo Archives Identifier: UB 124.01.01)

Korean War Armistice Day is celebrated  . Learn about the Navy's contributions to a war that would change naval operatio...
07/27/2023

Korean War Armistice Day is celebrated . Learn about the Navy's contributions to a war that would change naval operations for the next 50 years.

Discover more: https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/korean-war.html

"The Korean War was a watershed in the 20th-century history of the United States Navy. During that conflict and for the next 50 years, U.S. naval forces conducted operations that maintained control of the world's oceans and brought sea power to bear against enemies ashore. Freed by friendly control of the sea from the threat of hostile fleets, American carrier squadrons, shore bombardment ships, and amphibious units engaged North Korean and Chinese Communist forces on the Korean peninsula. Navy and Marine Corps aviation units executed the majority of United Nations close air support missions in the war, shot down numerous Communist aircraft, and disrupted the enemy's resupply and reinforcement efforts. Fleet amphibious forces turned the tide of battle in 1950 at Inchon and threatened the enemy's vulnerable coastal flanks for the rest of the war. The Seventh Fleet ensured that American ground forces got the men and supplies they needed to fight and win far from American shores. The Korean War experience helped the Navy fight more effectively during the later conflict in Southeast Asia and elsewhere....The conflict was also America's first 'limited war' of the modern age. Naval leaders had to learn how to carry on the battle when all-out victory was not the national objective, constrain their use of naval power, and maintain the morale and fighting strength of their sailors year after bloody year."

— James A. Field, History of U.S. Naval Operations: Korea

📸: United Nations’ delegate Rear Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, USN, is surrounded by correspondents and a photographer on his return from the Kaesong cease fire talks.

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in 1980, the first women graduated from the United States Naval Academy!
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https://bit.ly/3Gh9S2f

Don't forget to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. New episodes will continue to be posted at the beginning of each month.

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Register for this event through Eventbrite or email at [email protected].

More information about Washington Navy Yard access and the program can be found on our website, linked below.

https://www.history.navy.mil/.../book-talk-20220604.html

The will be closed this Monday, May 30th in honor of Memorial Day. We will reopen the following day - Tuesday, May 31st - at 9am. 🇺🇸

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A more detailed history of USS Wyoming's service can be found using the link below!

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📸: Ensign Susan Ahn trains a Sailor on the .50 caliber machine gun, 1944. (Photo by Philip Cuddy, courtesy of defense.gov, 210426-O-ZZ999-084)

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