History & Heritage

By Captain Dana Gordon Commanding Officer, USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) As executive officer and now commanding officer of USS Iwo Jima, I have always been very proud and honored to serve aboard a ship with such a powerful namesake. February 19th until March 26th marks the 70th anniversary of …

From the middle of the 19th century when women first served aboard a Navy hospital ship, to today where women serve as admirals and submariners, women have made great contributions to our Navy and have served bravely both at sea and ashore. What started as only a handful of civilian …

By Rear Adm. Mat Winter Chief of Naval Research As the current senior active-duty Navy flag officer from the University of Notre Dame, I would like to take a moment of your time to share with you a few thoughts about a man that truly made a difference; a difference …

By Force Master Chief Sherman Boss U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery The history of the Hospital Corps is well documented by heroes like the corpsmen who fought at Iwo Jima, as well as the many Navy ships and buildings that bear their name. Four hospital corpsmen received the …

Established in 1926 as Negro History Week, President Gerald R. Ford expanded the celebration in 1976 to include the entire month of February. This year, Navy commands are encouraged to celebrate and reflect on the theme “A Century of Black Life, History and Culture.” Below is a look at African …

From Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division As we celebrate Presidents’ Day, specifically the birthdays of two of our most memorable presidents: George Washington (Feb. 22) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12), as well as the other 40+ folks to hold the office, here are six presidents who …

By VADM John Miller Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command U.S. Fifth Fleet Combined Maritime Forces As the New Year began in 1991, Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait threatened the world’s energy supplies and the security of the region.  A day after the deadline set by United Nations’ Resolution 678 — …

By Dave Werner Naval History and Heritage Command USS Taylor (FFG 50) alumnus ’89-‘92 It’s the beginning of the end for the Oliver Hazard Perry Class Frigate (FFG), and it’s hard for me to accept it. The tide of time is ebbing quickly, and harbingers this day would come haven’t …

At the time this blog is posted, most people in the United States are busy readying themselves for a well-deserved evening of revelry ringing in the New Year. They are free to do so, in large part, because at the same time more than 100 #USNavy ships and more than 50,000 U.S. Navy Sailors are …

By Joshua L. Wick Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach You have to go back … pretty far back in history like … WAY BACK to find the last time the United States Military Academy beat the Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy (OK, it’s 2001). Facebook …