The U.S. Naval Institute is maintaining and preserving the former Naval Historical Foundation website so readers and former NHF members can still access past issues of Pull Together and other content. NHF has decommissioned and is no longer accepting new members or donations. NHF members are being converted to members of the Naval Institute. If you have questions, please contact the Naval Institute via email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-233-8764.Not a member of the Naval Institute? Here’s how to join!

Swift Boat Sailors Association Visits Washington Navy Yard

By Matthew T. Eng Nearly two hundred Swift boat veterans traveled into Washington, D.C. this past Saturday to view the Swift boat on display outside on the Washington Navy Yard waterfront and tour the exhibits at the National Museum of the United States Navy. Their excursion to the Washington Navy Yard was part of the

A Story of Two Commanders: Ballard Debuts WWII Documentary in D.C.

In 1942, Nazi Germany attacked the United States. There was no grand event to set off the conflict like Pearl Harbor. There was only blood, oil, and sunken metal. The fate of the world did not rest in the hands of intrepid commanders with stars on their uniform. For a time, that responsibility was given

Hidden Treasures in PLANE Sight: NHHC Photo Archivists Tour the Udvar-Hazy Center

By Matthew Eng I had the chance yesterday to accompany the three photo archivists of the Naval History and Heritage Command on a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Museum technician Pat Robinson gave us a fantastic tour of the various departments and divisions located inside the Udvar-Hazy Center.

Ditty Bag: Convict Ship Success

Ditty Bag: Collections of the Naval Historical Foundation An Artifact and Collections Blog Series Ditty Bag: Convict Ship Success In 2000, NHF received a very interesting package. The small box contained three postcards, three short letters, and a model of a ship carved out of a small piece of wood. Ms. Mary Ballard had left

UPDATE: Victor Delano Funeral Arrangements

Last year, we posted a story on the passing of long-time friend of NHF and Pearl Harbor survivor Captain Victor Delano, USN (Ret.). We have received updates on Captain Delano’s funeral arrangement at the end of this week. The following information comes from Kate Delano Jahnig and the Delano family. To read Captain Delano’s story on

NMHS Awards Dinner Recap: I Took My Wife on a Date

By Matthew T. Eng I took my wife on a date. Well, it wasn’t quite a date, but I told her it was. I was working at an event in D.C., but dinner and drinks were involved. There were tiny hors d’oeuvres of bacon scallops and mushroom pastries filtering around. The dress code involved a

Society of Sponsors Visit NHHC Facilities

By Matthew T. Eng This past Monday, several members of the Society of Sponsors of the United States Navy came to the Washington Navy Yard to tour their facilities and interact with staff members of the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). The Society itself has been around since 1908. According to their website, they

Submarine History Seminar Recap: A Half-Century of US-UK Submarine Cooperation

Amidst the flurry of activity at the Sea-Air-Space exposition down the road in National Harbor, MD, the Naval Historical Foundation and Naval Submarine League held it’s annual Submarine History Symposium at the U.S. Navy Museum’s Cold War Gallery last Wednesday. The symposium’s topic and speakers were well received by an enthusiastic and attentive crowd. Over

The Maryland 800 and the Call to Arms in 1917

“It is a real war call- the urgency is evident [. . .] as an assurance of appreciation of our community of their patriotism in this emergency we must engrave their names in a permanent record.” (The Baltimore Sun, 3 April 1917) Several weeks ago, the Foundation received an email from a woman seeking out

Ditty Bag: Trần Hưng Đạo

Ditty Bag: Collections of the Naval Historical Foundation An Artifact and Collections Blog Series Ditty Bag: Trần Hưng Đạo Statue Admiral James L. Holloway III, USN (Ret.) received this statuette from Rear Admiral and Chief of Naval Operations of the Republic of Vietnam Navy, Tran Van Chon in 1972 when then-Vice Admiral Holloway was Commander,

Mystery Individual Discovered in Paintings and Photographs

The U.S. Navy is currently on a worldwide search to identify a mysterious individual found in our nation’s most celebrated moments of naval history. Recent photographic evidence found deep in the archives of the U.S. Navy suggests one singular man appearing in navy art and photographs throughout the 240 history of the Navy. The man

Ditty Bag: World War II Japanese Parade Victory Flags

Ditty Bag: Collections of the Naval Historical Foundation An Artifact and Collections Blog Series World War II Japanese Parade Victory Flags These small, silk Japanese flags were used locally in Japan to cheer on Imperial Japanese sailors and soldiers before they left the comforts of home for the battlefield. This first flag bears the typical

Iwo Jima 40th Anniversary Exhibit at the Cannon House Office Building, 1985

It’s amazing what you can find at work. When you work for an organization that’s been around since 1926, you are bound to come across some really interesting items untouched over the years. We aren’t talking Holy Grail here, but interesting nonetheless. One such item popped up at the office this week: The edges were

Finding an Old Salt a New Home: CDR Vicente Donates Zuccarelli Print

On Tuesday of this week, retired Navy CDR Caridad A. Vicente stopped by the NHF office to drop off a print of a painting done by well-known marine artist Frank E. Zuccarelli. The painting in question, titled “Old Salt of the Sixth Fleet,” is considered by many to be Zuccarelli’s most famous painting. The painting

2015 Submarine History Seminar – Mutual Defense: A Half Century of US-UK Submarine Cooperation

Join the Naval Submarine League and the Naval Historical Foundation this year for the 2015 Submarine History Seminar, “Mutual Defense: A Half Century of US-UK Submarine Cooperation.” Featured speakers this year will include NHF Chairman ADM  Bruce DeMars, USN (Ret.) and NHF President RADM John T. Mitchell, USN (Ret.). For more information on the conference,