Naval Historical Center
Encyclopedia
The Naval History & Heritage Command (formerly the Naval Historical Center) is the official history
program of the United States Navy
and is located at the historic Washington Navy Yard
in the District of Columbia.
requested Benjamin Stoddert
, the first Secretary of the Navy, prepare a catalog of professional books for use in the Secretary's office. When the British
invaded Washington in 1814 this collection, containing the finest works on naval history from America and abroad, was rushed to safety outside the Federal City. Thereafter the library had many locations, including a specially designed space in the State, War, and Navy Building (now the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) next to the White House
.
When the library was placed under the Bureau of Navigation
in 1882, the director, noted international lawyer and U.S. Naval Academy professor James R. Soley
, gathered the rare books scattered throughout Navy Department offices, collected naval prints and photographs, and subscribed to professional periodicals. He also began to collect and preserve naval records, particularly those of the American Civil War
. Congress initially recognized his efforts by authorizing funds for office staff and combining the library and records sections into the Office of Library and Naval War Records.
Six years later the United States Congress
appropriated the funds to print the first volume in a monumental documentary series, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Completed in 1927 with the publication of volume 31, the series marked the beginning of a commitment to collect, edit, and publish historical naval documents, a mission that the History Command continues to carry out in its American Revolution
and War of 1812
documentary projects. In 1915 the appropriations for publications, the library, and naval war records were combined and the office received a new title — Office of Naval Records and Library.
Once America entered World War I
, emphasis shifted to gathering documents on current naval operations. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels
directed Admiral William S. Sims, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to collect war diaries, operational reports, and other historic war materials of naval commands in his London headquarters.
To handle World War I records in Washington, a Historical Section was established in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and housed in the new Navy Department ("Main Navy") Building on Constitution Avenue
. When the war ended, Admiral Sims' London collection, as well as photographs and motion pictures from the various Navy bureaus, were transferred to the Historical Section. The library, by now holding more than 50,000 volumes, remained in the State, War, and Navy Building.
In 1921, a former member of Admiral Sims' wartime staff, Captain Dudley W. Knox, was named head of the Office of Naval Records and Library and the Historical Section. For the next twenty-five years he was the driving force behind the Navy's historical program, earning for the office an international reputation in the field of naval archives and history. The Historical Section was absorbed into Naval Records and Library in 1927. Knox's additional appointment as the Curator for the Navy envisioned a display of our nation's sea heritage in a naval museum in Washington. In 1961, Admiral Arleigh Burke
, Chief of Naval Operations
, established the U.S. Naval Historical Display Center (now the United States Navy Museum).
At President Franklin D. Roosevelt
's suggestion, Knox began several documentary series. Seven volumes pertaining to the Quasi War with France
and seven volumes relating to the war with the Barbary Powers were ultimately published. World War II
halted plans for similar publications on the American Revolution
, the War of 1812
, the Mexican-American War, and World War I
. During World War II
, Knox turned his attention to collecting documents generated by naval operations in the global conflict. He immediately began a campaign to gather and arrange operation plans, action reports, and war diaries into a well-controlled archives staffed by professional historians who came on board as naval reservists.
To complement the developing World War II operational archives, the Knox group pioneered an oral history program whereby participants in the significant Atlantic and Pacific operations and battles were interviewed as soon as possible after their wartime engagements. When Pulitzer Prize
winner and Harvard
history professor Samuel Eliot Morison
was commissioned by President Roosevelt to prepare the fifteen-volume History of United States Naval Operations in World War II
, he relied not only on his own combat experience, but also on those records assembled in Knox's archives.
In 1944, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal
established the Office of Naval History to coordinate the Morison project, as well as the wartime administrative histories being written by Navy commands, under the direction of Princeton professor Robert G. Albion
. Knox served as Deputy Director of Naval History under the Director, Admiral Edward C. Kalbfus, but the Office of Naval Records and Library at first remained separate until March 1949 when it merged with the Office of Naval History to form the Naval Records and History Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
. In 1952 it was renamed the Naval History Division.
The eventual home for the Navy's historians was the Washington Navy Yard
in Southeast Washington, which in 1961 was converted from an industrial facility to an administrative center. The first component of the Naval History Division located in the yard was the Navy Museum (later the United States Navy Museum), established in 1961. In 1963, the Operational Archives moved to the Navy Yard. The other sections of the Naval History Division followed in 1970, occupying several scattered buildings.
An organizational change in 1971 shifted the Naval History Division from a headquarters establishment to a field activity called the Naval Historical Center, under the Chief of Naval Operations. Most of the Center's activities were brought together in 1982, when they moved into the historic building complex named to honor Dudley W. Knox, who perhaps did more than any other individual to strengthen the Navy's commitment to its historic heritage and traditions.
In 1986, the Navy Art Collection and Gallery and the Naval Aviation History and Publication Division, both already located in the Washington Navy Yard, became part of the Naval Historical Center.
2008 was a year of change for the Navy's history program. First, the command was streamlined into four major components: Histories and Archives, Museums and Collections, Integration and Outreach, and Operations. Following the realignment of the Navy's dozen museums under the Director of Naval History, the Naval Historical Center was redesignated the Naval History & Heritage Command on 1 December 2008. In the spring of 2009, the NHHC established a presence on the social media sites Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads, and Delicious.
Similar collections that document the Navy’s history in specialized areas of interest are located at the eleven official U.S. Navy museums nationwide.
s offer curriculum-based education
programs, docent
-led tours, special evening programs
, summer activities, lectures, and musical performances that are open to the public and free of charge. For more information on the following Navy museums, visit the NHHC website:
is a private museum that interprets
the ship and her history.
, Operation Restore Hope (Haiti
) and Operation Allied Force
(Kosovo
); counter-narcotics actions in the Caribbean; fleet exercises, special warfare activities, Information Technology (IT-21); the attack on, and the rebuilding of USS Cole
(DDG-67); the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon
; and the Global War on Terrorism
. In 2001 eleven unit members were recalled to active duty to support the History Command's documentation collection efforts related to Operation Noble Eagle
and Operation Enduring Freedom. For Operation Iraqi Freedom and in support of the Navy's Task Force History, four unit members were recalled to active duty.
interviews with Pearl Harbor
survivors, and digitizing histories for the Command's website or for publication in print. VTU members also conduct end-of-tour interviews with key naval leaders.
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
program of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and is located at the historic Washington Navy Yard
Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
in the District of Columbia.
Mission
- Collect, preserve, protect and make available the artifacts, documents, and art that best embody our naval history and heritage for present and future generations.
- Advance the knowledge of naval history and heritage through professional research, analysis, interpretation, products and services.
- Make naval history and heritage "come alive" for our Sailors and Marines to enhance readiness and esprit de corps.
- Remind America of its need to maintain a strong Navy and Marine Corps to protect its citizens, their freedoms and the nation's maritime commerce.
Vision statement
Be the recognized authority on U.S. naval history and instill pride in America's naval heritage.Command history
The Naval History & Heritage Command traces its lineage to 1800, when President John AdamsJohn Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
requested Benjamin Stoddert
Benjamin Stoddert
Benjamin Stoddert was the first United States Secretary of the Navy from May 1, 1798 to March 31, 1801.-Early life:...
, the first Secretary of the Navy, prepare a catalog of professional books for use in the Secretary's office. When the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
invaded Washington in 1814 this collection, containing the finest works on naval history from America and abroad, was rushed to safety outside the Federal City. Thereafter the library had many locations, including a specially designed space in the State, War, and Navy Building (now the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) next to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
.
When the library was placed under the Bureau of Navigation
Bureau of Navigation
The Bureau of Navigation was an agency of the U.S. government established in 1884 to enforce laws relating to the construction, equipment, operation, inspection, safety, and documentation of merchant vessels. The Bureau of Navigation was an agency of the U.S. government established in 1884 to...
in 1882, the director, noted international lawyer and U.S. Naval Academy professor James R. Soley
James R. Soley
James Russell Soley was a lawyer and historian in the United States.-Biography:Born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, Soley graduated from Harvard College in 1870. He was appointed Assistant Professor of Ethics and English at the United States Naval Academy on 1 October 1871...
, gathered the rare books scattered throughout Navy Department offices, collected naval prints and photographs, and subscribed to professional periodicals. He also began to collect and preserve naval records, particularly those of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Congress initially recognized his efforts by authorizing funds for office staff and combining the library and records sections into the Office of Library and Naval War Records.
Six years later the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
appropriated the funds to print the first volume in a monumental documentary series, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Completed in 1927 with the publication of volume 31, the series marked the beginning of a commitment to collect, edit, and publish historical naval documents, a mission that the History Command continues to carry out in its American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
and War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
documentary projects. In 1915 the appropriations for publications, the library, and naval war records were combined and the office received a new title — Office of Naval Records and Library.
Once America entered World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, emphasis shifted to gathering documents on current naval operations. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels
Josephus Daniels
Josephus Daniels was a newspaper editor and publisher from North Carolina who was appointed by United States President Woodrow Wilson to serve as Secretary of the Navy during World War I...
directed Admiral William S. Sims, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to collect war diaries, operational reports, and other historic war materials of naval commands in his London headquarters.
To handle World War I records in Washington, a Historical Section was established in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and housed in the new Navy Department ("Main Navy") Building on Constitution Avenue
Constitution Avenue
In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...
. When the war ended, Admiral Sims' London collection, as well as photographs and motion pictures from the various Navy bureaus, were transferred to the Historical Section. The library, by now holding more than 50,000 volumes, remained in the State, War, and Navy Building.
In 1921, a former member of Admiral Sims' wartime staff, Captain Dudley W. Knox, was named head of the Office of Naval Records and Library and the Historical Section. For the next twenty-five years he was the driving force behind the Navy's historical program, earning for the office an international reputation in the field of naval archives and history. The Historical Section was absorbed into Naval Records and Library in 1927. Knox's additional appointment as the Curator for the Navy envisioned a display of our nation's sea heritage in a naval museum in Washington. In 1961, Admiral Arleigh Burke
Arleigh Burke
Admiral Arleigh Albert '31-knot' Burke was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.-Early life and naval career:Burke was born in Boulder,...
, Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
, established the U.S. Naval Historical Display Center (now the United States Navy Museum).
At President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's suggestion, Knox began several documentary series. Seven volumes pertaining to the Quasi War with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and seven volumes relating to the war with the Barbary Powers were ultimately published. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
halted plans for similar publications on the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, the Mexican-American War, and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Knox turned his attention to collecting documents generated by naval operations in the global conflict. He immediately began a campaign to gather and arrange operation plans, action reports, and war diaries into a well-controlled archives staffed by professional historians who came on board as naval reservists.
To complement the developing World War II operational archives, the Knox group pioneered an oral history program whereby participants in the significant Atlantic and Pacific operations and battles were interviewed as soon as possible after their wartime engagements. When Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winner and Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
history professor Samuel Eliot Morison
Samuel Eliot Morison
Samuel Eliot Morison, Rear Admiral, United States Naval Reserve was an American historian noted for his works of maritime history that were both authoritative and highly readable. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1912, and taught history at the university for 40 years...
was commissioned by President Roosevelt to prepare the fifteen-volume History of United States Naval Operations in World War II
History of United States Naval Operations in World War II
The History of United States Naval Operations in World War II is a 15-volume account of the United States Navy in World War II, written by eminent historian Samuel Eliot Morison and published by Little, Brown and Company between 1947 and 1962....
, he relied not only on his own combat experience, but also on those records assembled in Knox's archives.
In 1944, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal
James Forrestal
James Vincent Forrestal was the last Cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense....
established the Office of Naval History to coordinate the Morison project, as well as the wartime administrative histories being written by Navy commands, under the direction of Princeton professor Robert G. Albion
Robert G. Albion
Robert G. Albion was Harvard's first professor of Oceanic History and inspired two generations of maritime historians in the United States...
. Knox served as Deputy Director of Naval History under the Director, Admiral Edward C. Kalbfus, but the Office of Naval Records and Library at first remained separate until March 1949 when it merged with the Office of Naval History to form the Naval Records and History Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
. In 1952 it was renamed the Naval History Division.
The eventual home for the Navy's historians was the Washington Navy Yard
Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
in Southeast Washington, which in 1961 was converted from an industrial facility to an administrative center. The first component of the Naval History Division located in the yard was the Navy Museum (later the United States Navy Museum), established in 1961. In 1963, the Operational Archives moved to the Navy Yard. The other sections of the Naval History Division followed in 1970, occupying several scattered buildings.
An organizational change in 1971 shifted the Naval History Division from a headquarters establishment to a field activity called the Naval Historical Center, under the Chief of Naval Operations. Most of the Center's activities were brought together in 1982, when they moved into the historic building complex named to honor Dudley W. Knox, who perhaps did more than any other individual to strengthen the Navy's commitment to its historic heritage and traditions.
In 1986, the Navy Art Collection and Gallery and the Naval Aviation History and Publication Division, both already located in the Washington Navy Yard, became part of the Naval Historical Center.
2008 was a year of change for the Navy's history program. First, the command was streamlined into four major components: Histories and Archives, Museums and Collections, Integration and Outreach, and Operations. Following the realignment of the Navy's dozen museums under the Director of Naval History, the Naval Historical Center was redesignated the Naval History & Heritage Command on 1 December 2008. In the spring of 2009, the NHHC established a presence on the social media sites Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads, and Delicious.
Director
The position of Director of Naval History was first established in 1944.- Admiral Edward C. KalbfusEdward C. KalbfusAdmiral Edward Clifford Kalbfus , nicknamed "Old Dutch", was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who was commander of the Battle Force of the United States Fleet from 1938 to 1939 and President of the Naval War College from 1934 to 1936 and 1939 to 1942.-Early career:He was born in Mauch...
, USN, July 1944 – December 1945 - Vice Admiral Vincent R. Murphy, USN (ret.), December 1945 – June 1946
- Rear Admiral John B. Heffernan, USN (ret.), July 1946 – October 1956
- Rear Admiral Ernest M. EllerErnest M. EllerErnest McNeill Eller was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, who served as Director of Naval History, Naval History Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations from 1956 to 1970.-Early Life and education:...
, USN (ret.), October 1956 – January 1970 - Rear Admiral F. Kent Loomis, USN (ret.), 24 January 1970 – 31 July 1970
- Vice Admiral Edwin B. Hooper, USN (ret.), August 1970 – July 1976
- Rear Admiral John D. H. Kane, USN (ret.), August 1976 – December 1985
- Dr. Ronald H. Spector, 21 July 1986 – 19 July 1989
- Dr. Dean C. AllardDean C. AllardDr. Dean Conrad Allard, Jr. , is a naval historian and archivist, who served as Director of Naval History and Director of the United States Navy's Naval Historical Center from 1989 to 1995....
, 29 July 1989 – 31 January 1995 - Dr. William S. DudleyWilliam S. DudleyWilliam Sheldon Dudley is a naval historian of the United States Navy, who served as Director of Naval History and Director, Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C...
, 23 July 1995 – 30 September 2005 - Rear Admiral Paul E. Tobin, Jr.Paul E. Tobin, Jr.Rear Admiral Paul Edward Tobin, Jr., United States Navy, served as Oceanographer of the Navy from 1996 to 1998 and Director of Naval History from 2005 to 2008.-Early life and education:...
, USN (ret.), 25 July 2005 – January 2008 - Rear Admiral Jay A. DeLoachJay A. DeLoachRear Admiral Jay A. DeLoach is Director of Naval History and Director of the Naval History and Heritage Commandand the Curator of the Navy. He was an American submarine officer who played a role in implementing a visionary "Memorandum of Understanding" between the Submarine Force Active component...
, USN (ret.), 23 June 2008 – present
Collections
- The Command accessions and maintains records, manuscripts, books, photographs, artifacts, and artwork that document the Navy’s history. Extensive collections at the Command’s headquarters on the Washington Navy Yard include:
- Archives—Millions of official operational records, historical documents, personal papers, officer biographies, oral histories, and manuscripts related to naval operations, policy, and strategy, including ships’ deck logs dating back thirty years and annual command operations reports of active U.S. Navy ships, aviation units, and shore commands
- Historical Artifacts—More than 200,000 artifacts, such as shipboard equipment, anchors, bells, uniforms, flags, and weapons from some of the Navy’s most famous fighting ships and personnel
- Archaeological Artifacts-Over 9,000 artifacts recovered and documented from sunken military craft such as personal affects, ordnance, ship's rigging and hull elements, and ceramic vessels
- Photos—More than 500,000 historic still photos in a dedicated photo collection, with thousands more in the records collections housed in the Command’s archives
- Art—More than 18,000 paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures
- Library—More than 150,000 books and 80,000 manuscripts related to naval, maritime, and military history in the official Navy Department Library
Similar collections that document the Navy’s history in specialized areas of interest are located at the eleven official U.S. Navy museums nationwide.
Navy museums
There are fifteen official Navy museums, which educate a national audience about the history, customs, and traditions of the U.S. Navy. Dedicated to community outreach, these museumMuseum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s offer curriculum-based education
Museum education
Museum education is an important part of the role of museums.- Introduction :A museum's collection can be used to support education in a variety of ways...
programs, docent
Museum docent
Museum docent is a title used in the United States for educators trained to further the public's understanding of the cultural and historical collections of the institution, including local and national museums, zoos, historical landmarks, and parks. In many cases, docents, in addition to their...
-led tours, special evening programs
Heritage interpretation
Heritage interpretation is the communication of information about, or the explanation of, the nature, origin, and purpose of historical, natural, or cultural resources, objects, sites and phenomena using personal or non-personal methods....
, summer activities, lectures, and musical performances that are open to the public and free of charge. For more information on the following Navy museums, visit the NHHC website:
- U.S. Navy MuseumU.S. Navy MuseumThe National Museum of the United States Navy, or U.S. Navy Museum for short, is the flagship museum of the United States Navy and is located in the former Breech Mechanism Shop of the old Naval Gun Factory on the grounds of the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., USA.The U.S...
– Washington, DC - U.S. Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum – Groton, CT
- Naval War College MuseumNaval War College MuseumThe Naval War College Museum in Newport, Rhode Island, is one of fifteen official museums operated by the U.S. Navy, under the direction of the Naval History & Heritage Command and in co-operation with the Naval War College.-History:...
– Newport, RI - Hampton Roads Naval MuseumHampton Roads Naval MuseumThe Hampton Roads Naval Museum is one of the 12 Navy museums that are operated by the Naval History & Heritage Command. It celebrates the long history of the U.S. Navy in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. It is co-located with the Nauticus National Maritime Center in downtown Norfolk, Virginia...
– Norfolk, VA - U.S. Naval Academy MuseumU.S. Naval Academy MuseumThe United States Naval Academy Museum is a public maritime museum in Annapolis, Maryland, United States. Being part of the United States Naval Academy, it is located at Preble Hall within the Academy premises. Its history dates back to 1845 . The museum has an area of with four galleries.It is...
– Annapolis, MD - Patuxent River Naval Air MuseumPatuxent River Naval Air MuseumThe Patuxent River Naval Air Museum preserves and interprets the Patuxent River Naval Air Base history and heritage of advancing US Naval aviation technology....
– Lexington Park, MD - National Museum of Naval AviationNational Museum of Naval AviationThe National Museum of Naval Aviation is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The museum opened in 1962....
– Pensacola, FL - Great Lakes Naval Museum – Great Lakes, IL
- Naval Museum of Armament & TechnologyNaval Museum of Armament & TechnologyThe Naval Museum of Armament & Technology preserves and interprets the history of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and its heritage of advancing Naval aviation armament and technology. This museum is the repository of artifacts, photographs and film, documents and related heritage memorabilia...
– Ridgecrest, CA - U.S. Navy Seabee Museum – Port Hueneme, CA
- Navy Museum NorthwestNaval Undersea MuseumThe Naval Undersea Museum is an official naval museum located at Keyport, Washington, USA. The museum is one of the 12 Navy museums that are operated by the Naval History & Heritage Command. The museum sits next to a branch of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center...
– Keyport, WA / Bremerton, WA
USS Constitution and NHHC Detachment Boston
The mission includes but is not limited to; plan and perform all maintenance, repair and restoration of ; perform annual inspections of Constitution, reporting all work necessary to maintain the ship in satisfactory material condition to perform its mission; and provide a plan of action and milestones for any corrective action; as far as practicable, ensure material compliance and documentation with the historic requirements for the ship, as close to its 1812 configuration as possible. The detachment was established on 25 October 1991. NHHC DET Boston is a detachment under the direct supervision of the Director, Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington, D.C. Located near the ship, the USS Constitution MuseumUSS Constitution Museum
The USS Constitution Museum "serves as the memory and educational voice of , by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the stories of "Old Ironsides" and the people associated with her."...
is a private museum that interprets
Heritage interpretation
Heritage interpretation is the communication of information about, or the explanation of, the nature, origin, and purpose of historical, natural, or cultural resources, objects, sites and phenomena using personal or non-personal methods....
the ship and her history.
Naval Reserve Combat Documentation Detachment 206
Assigned to the History Command since 1991, the unit deploys its teams to U.S. Navy, joint, and combined commands worldwide where they conduct oral history interviews, collect historically significant artifacts and records, and document operations through photography and art. Their collection effort contributes to the Navy's lessons learned and preserves the history of current naval operations during crisis response, wartime, declared national emergency, or in situations as directed. Teams have documented the Navy's role in the Persian Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, Operation Restore Hope (Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
) and Operation Allied Force
Operation Allied Force
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
(Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
); counter-narcotics actions in the Caribbean; fleet exercises, special warfare activities, Information Technology (IT-21); the attack on, and the rebuilding of USS Cole
USS Cole (DDG-67)
The second USS Cole is an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis-equipped guided missile destroyer homeported in NS Norfolk, Virginia. The Cole is named in honor of Marine Sergeant Darrell S. Cole, a machine-gunner killed in action on Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945, during World War II...
(DDG-67); the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
; and the Global War on Terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. In 2001 eleven unit members were recalled to active duty to support the History Command's documentation collection efforts related to Operation Noble Eagle
Operation Noble Eagle
Operation Noble Eagle is the name given to military operations related to homelandsecurity and support to federal, state, and local agencies...
and Operation Enduring Freedom. For Operation Iraqi Freedom and in support of the Navy's Task Force History, four unit members were recalled to active duty.
Naval Reserve Naval History Volunteer Training Unit 0615
This non-pay Naval Reserve unit provides project support to the Naval History & Heritage Command in keeping with the larger goal of enhancing the Navy's effectiveness by preserving, analyzing, and interpreting its history and heritage. Unit members work on long-term historical projects with the NHC staff processing archival collections, conducting oral historyOral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
interviews with Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
survivors, and digitizing histories for the Command's website or for publication in print. VTU members also conduct end-of-tour interviews with key naval leaders.
Recent publications
- Approaching Storm: Conflict in Asia, 1945–1965, by Edward J. Marolda, The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War series. 2009. ISBN 978-0-945274-57-5
- Nixon's Trident: Naval Power in Southeast Asia, 1968–1972, by John Darrell SherwoodJohn Darrell SherwoodJohn Darrell Sherwood is an American author who has published five books and numerous articles. He specializes in military history, but has also published articles on travel, and skiing.-Officers in Flight Suits:...
, The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War series. 2009. ISBN 978-0-945274-58-2 - From Hot War to Cold: The U.S. Navy and National Security Affairs, 1945–1955, by Jeffrey G. Barlow. Stanford University Press, 2009. ISBN 978804756662
- Diplomats in Blue: U.S. Naval Officers in China, 1922–1933, by William Reynolds Braisted. University Press of Florida, 2009. ISBN 978-0-8130-3288-7
- Blue & Gold and Black: Racial Integration of the U.S. Naval Academy, by Robert J. Schneller, Jr. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2008. ISBN 978-1-60344-000-4.
- Magnificent Mavericks: Transition of the Naval Ordnance Test Station from Rocket Station to Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation Center, 1948–58, by Elizabeth Babcock. Vol. 3 in The Navy at China Lake. Washington: Naval History & Heritage Command with Naval Air Systems Command, 2008. ISBN 978-0-945274-56-8
- The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet: Celebrating 100 Years of Global Partnerships and Security, Michael J. Crawford, editor. Washington: Naval History & Heritage Command, 2008. ISBN 978-0-945274-59-9.
- Anchor of Resolve: A History of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Fifth Fleet, by Robert J. Schneller Jr. Washington: Naval History & Heritage Command, 2007. ISBN 978-0-95274-55-1
- Black Sailor, White Navy: Racial Unrest in the Fleet during the Vietnam War Era, by John Darrell SherwoodJohn Darrell SherwoodJohn Darrell Sherwood is an American author who has published five books and numerous articles. He specializes in military history, but has also published articles on travel, and skiing.-Officers in Flight Suits:...
, New York: New York University Press, 2007.ISBN 0-8147-4036-7 - Interpreting Old Ironsides: An Illustrated Guide to USS Constitution, by Charles E. Brodine Jr., Michael J. Crawford, and Christine F. Hughes. Washington: Naval Historical Center, 2007. ISBN 978-0-945274-54-4.
- The U.S. Navy in the Korean War, by Edward J. Marolda. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2007. ISBN 978-1-59114-487-8
- Breaking the Color Barrier: The U.S. Naval Academy's First Black Midshipmen and the Struggle for Racial Equality, by Robert Schneller, Jr. New York: New York University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8147-4013-8.
- Afterburner: Naval Aviators and the Vietnam War, by John Darrell SherwoodJohn Darrell SherwoodJohn Darrell Sherwood is an American author who has published five books and numerous articles. He specializes in military history, but has also published articles on travel, and skiing.-Officers in Flight Suits:...
. New York: New York University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8147-9842-X. - Against All Odds: U.S. Sailors in the War of 1812, by Charles Brodine, Michael Crawford, and Christine Hughes, 2004. GPO Stock No. 008-046-00204-5, ISBN 0-945274-50-5.
- Sea Raiders of the American Revolution: The Continental Navy in European Waters, by E. Gordon Bowen-Hassell, Dennis M. Conrad, and Mark L. Hayes, 2003. GPO Stock No. 008-046-00202-9, ISBN 0-16-051400-2
Social media
| Name | URL |
|---|---|
| http://www.facebook.com/navalhistory | |
| http://twitter.com/navyhistorynews | |
| YouTube | http://www.youtube.com/usnavyhistory |
| http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=1944509&trk=anet_ug_hm | |
| Goodreads | http://www.goodreads.com/navalhistory |
| Del.icio.us | http://delicious.com/navyhistory |
See also
- History of the United States NavyHistory of the United States NavyThe history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods: the "Old Navy", a small but respected force of sailing ships that was also notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy", the result of a modernization effort that began in the...
- List of maritime museums in the United States
- Secretary of the Navy's Advisory Subcommittee on Naval HistorySecretary of the Navy's Advisory Subcommittee on Naval HistoryThe Secretary of the Navy's Advisory Subcommittee on Naval History was formally established in 1956 and is the second oldest of the historical advisory committee's within the Department of Defense.-History:...
- United States Marine Corps History DivisionUnited States Marine Corps History DivisionThe United States Marine Corps History Division is a branch of Headquarters Marine Corps tasked with researching, writing, and maintaining the History of the United States Marine Corps. It also provides reference and research assistance; preserves personal experiences and observations through oral...
- United States Army Center of Military History
- Department of Defense Historical Advisory CommitteeDepartment of Defense Historical Advisory CommitteeDepartment of Defense Historical Advisory Committee was chartered on 24 Jan 1996 to provide advice to the United States Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments regarding the professional standards, historical methodology, program priorities, liaison with professional...
- Underwater Archaeology Branch
External links
- Naval History & Heritage Command
- Naval Historical Foundation
- National Museum of the U.S. Navy
- Hampton Roads Naval Museum
- Great Lakes Naval Museum
- National Naval Aviation Museum
- Naval Museum of Armament and Technology
- Naval Undersea Museum
- Naval War College Museum
- Puget Sound Navy Museum
- Patuxent River Naval Air Museum
- U.S. Navy Seabee Museum
- Submarine Force Library & Museum
- U.S. Naval Academy Museum
- U.S. Navy Supply Corps Museum
- Navy Art Collection
- USS Constitution "Old Ironsides"