Ditty Bag: Collections of the Naval Historical Foundation An Artifact and Collections Blog Series From Dock to Deck: Vanguard Shoulder Boards Bernard Gershen, a Polish tailor, immigrated to the United States in 1903. Settling in New York City, the tailor stayed in southern Manhattan as he sought work in his trade. Gershen furthered his stitching
By George Stewart A “flivver” is an American slang term used in the early twentieth century to refer to any small car that gave a rough ride. These “flivvers” were primarily small, inexpensive and old. In the context of the United States Navy, “flivvers” refer to the two specific classes of destroyers that entered service
By John J. Domagalski, Potomac Books, Washington, DC (2012) Reviewed by John Grady The greatest strength of John Domagalski’s Sunk in Kula Gulf lies in the interviews he conducted with survivors of the cruiser Helena’s sinking after it was torpedoed early 6 July 1943. While I found the first few chapters’ routine, the story picks
By David D. Bruhn, Heritage Books, Inc., Berwyn Heights, MD (2014) Reviewed By Christopher B. Havern Through well-executed strikes by its land and naval forces, the Japanese Empire conquered vast stretches of Southeast Asia, the Southwest Pacific, and the Central Pacific in the six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the process they
Volume 1, Issue 2 Volume 2, Issue 1
In September 2013, I presented a paper at the 2013 McMullen Naval History Symposium. My paper analyzed the Confederate Navy in public memory and commemoration. The panel my colleagues and I submitted to the conference discussed the various roles Confederate naval forces played during the American Civil War. Unlike my fellow panelists, the majority of
By Olaf T. Engvig, Themo Publishing, Los Angeles, CA (2013) Reviewed by Mark Lardas Norway has a long maritime tradition. While it is still among the world’s major shipping nations, it used sailing vessels much later than the rest of the world. Regardless, much of its recent maritime heritage is largely unknown outside Norway. Part
By Alan Rems, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2014) Reviewed by John R. Satterfield, DBA Although an amateur historian, author Rems has produced a very professional volume. His book is the only recent one-volume account of World War II’s Southwest Pacific Theater that treats its numerous campaigns, both comprehensively and chronologically. This is valuable for
By A. Jay Cristol, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2013) Reviewed by Stephen Phillips On June 8, 1967, Israeli air and naval forces engaged in the Arab-Israeli Six Day War attacked USS Liberty (AGTR 5), killing 34 and wounding 171 Americans. The incident immediately caused a conflagration of controversy. Most accusations assert premeditation. Some suggest
Edited by Bruce A. Elleman and S. C. M. Paine, Naval War College Press, Newport, RI (2013) Reviewed by Joseph James Ahern Authors Bruce A. Elleman and S. C. M. Paine have gathered sixteen case studies examining the use and development of guerre de course from the eighteenth to twenty-first centuries in the recent addition
By Michael J. Lacivita, Pig Iron Books, Youngstown, OH (2004) Reviewed by Nathan Albright The curious title of this memoir refers to the garbage man who came to pick up items for recycling purposes. This is just one of the many jobs the author talks about during the course of this very personal story. Explicitly,
This year marks the 72nd Anniversary of the Battle of Midway, the most decisive battle in the Pacific Theater. During the pivotal day of 4 June 1942, the United States Navy managed to engage an imposing Japanese fleet and inflict crippling losses to their four carriers and surface ships near Midway Atoll. A large crowd of
By Benjamin F. Armstrong, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2013) Reviewed by Capt. Scott Mobley, USN (Ret.) Despite Alfred Thayer Mahan‘s tremendous influence upon naval policy, national security affairs, and international politics during the early 20th century, many people today regard his ideas as curious artifacts of a bygone era. In his time, Mahan achieved
A capacity crowd of Naval Historical Foundation and partner organization members, Navy personnel, industry leaders, and most importantly, Operation Sea Orbit veterans came out to a 6 May event hosted by the Naval Historical Foundation at Nauticus in Norfolk, Virginia. The evening, co-sponsored by Newport News Shipbuilding, celebrated the 50th anniversary of Nuclear Task Force
Thousands traveled to National Harbor, MD last week to attend the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space (SAS) Expo and Conference. This annual event brings the U.S. defense industry, private sector, and military experts together for three days of educational, professional, and networking events. The theme of this year’s expo was “The Sea Service: Forward. Mobile. Ready.” Attendees
