By Thomas Wildenberg, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2013) Reviewed by Captain J. F. “Bookie” Boland, U.S. Navy (Retired) Colonel Billy Mitchell, an iconic and controversial figure in United States aviation history, is the subject of an important new book by independent historian Thomas Wildenberg. Although Mitchell’s life and military service is examined in innumerable
By Mark Huffman, RH Rositzke & Associates, LLC, Washington, DC (2013) Reviewed by John R. Satterfield, DBA This brief volume tells the story of a distinguished Marine Corps veteran, BGen. William B. Weise, whose career spanned 1952 to 1982 and included service in Korea and Vietnam. BGen. Weise served with more than six months of
By Rick Campbell, St. Martins Press, New York, NY (2014) Reviewed by Capt. Roger F. Jones, USN (Ret.) Retired Navy submarine officer and author Rick Campbell offers an exciting story of how a US Navy Trident nuclear sub, the USS Kentucky, is given falsified orders to launch all twenty-four of its nuclear missiles at Iran.
Each year the North American Society for Oceanic History presents the John Lyman Book Awards, named after the late Professor John Lyman of the University of North Carolina, to recognize excellence in the publication of books that make significant contributions to the study and understanding of maritime and naval history. Winners of the awards for
On a day when the Blue Angels returned to the Naval Academy to entertain the crowds for the first time in several years, the warm up event was the annual Division of Humanities and Social Sciences Awards Ceremony in the hallowed Memorial Hall of the Academy’s Bancroft Hall. This year’s winner of the Naval Historical
By George Stewart (This is the second of a series of blog posts that discuss the role that Casco Bay played during the Second World War. This is Part I of the series. “Going Ashore” are the collected posts from George Stewart, retired Navy Captain and NHF blog volunteer. Read the first post HERE). By 1942, the
Experience the most decisive conflict of the Second World War through the eyes of the Imperial Japanese Navy and United States Navy. Starting today, the Naval Historical Foundation will publish tweets from the perspective of the men and machines that fought the pivotal battle over 70 years ago. This new project follows the example used
By George Stewart (This is the first of a series of blog posts that discuss the role that Casco Bay played during the Second World War. This is Part I of the series. “Going Ashore” are the collected posts from George Stewart, retired Navy Captain and NHF blog volunteer). This series of blog posts will provide
A long time ago, in a cockpit far, far away…. Today is the unofficial holiday/celebration of the Star Wars film franchise. Here are 10 men and women “space travelers” that served in the U.S. Navy. Luke may have had the force, but did he successfully bring his “space ship” safely home after catastrophic failure? Who
Mondays are hard. 1. Sleeping Sailors on USS Lexington, 1943. 2. USS Barry – Exhausted Sailor. 3. Sailor Quarters in San Diego, 1923. 4. Post-VJ Day Sailors, 1945. 5. This Guy the Next Morning, early 20th Cent. 6. New Jersey Sailor, 1944. 7. USS Olympia Crew. 8. Sailors Reading on deck of USS Lexington, 1943.
Kids of all ages came to the National Museum and Cold War Gallery inside the Washington Navy Yard to participate in “Take Your Child to Work Day.” The Naval Historical Foundation helped staff members of the NMUSN’s education department with a series of hands-on activities and gallery tours on naval history. The special day included a
By John W. Kennedy, Naval War College Museum Dipping the flag can be traced back to 1293; but, it was not until the reign of Edward III of England that it gained significance as an enforcement of his claims to the sovereignty of the seas and “jurisdiction over offences committed thereon” as England claimed dominion
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the historic around-the-world cruise of the USS Enterprise and Nuclear Task Force One. Celebrate this event by taking a look at the lighter side of the “Big E” cruise book from 1964. 1. Lifeblood of the Navy 2. U.S. Navy – Ahead of Hipsters Since 1964 3. Teamwork 4.
“The bravest guy I know. He didn’t have enough gas to make it back to the beach when Midway gave him an opportunity to make history.” – Rear Admiral Larry Chambers, USN (Ret.) on Buang-Ly’s historic landing on the deck of USS Midway. 30 April 1975. South Vietnam was in the process of being overrun
By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the 27th a series of blogs by Norman Polmar—author, analyst, and consultant specializing in the naval, aviation, and intelligence fields. Follow the full series here. Mr. Polmar is now traveling abroad and the series will resume this summer.) On an afternoon in late 1975 I received a telephone
