By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of blogs by Norman Polmar, author, analyst, and consultant in the naval, aviation, and intelligence fields. Follow the full series here.) Soon after I went to work for Navy Times in late 1959, the editor-in-chief, John Slinkman, came over to my desk and
“Men have the luxury of being average. When you walk in as a woman, that assumption does not come with you.” – Michelle Howard, Commander, USS Rushmore, Time Magazine, 2000. This blog discusses American naval history. History, by definition, is a study of the past. It is a very rare and special treat
Last month, People’s Liberation Army Navy Commander in Chief Admiral Wu Shengli visited the Washington Navy Yard, and was welcomed by U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert. Greenert hosted his Chinese counterpart for a week’s visit, and the two toured numerous installations in the United States. The two exchanged small mementos of
By Larry Berman, Harper Collins, New York, NY (2013). Reviewed by Stephen Phillips Depending on one’s perspective, Admiral Elmo “Bud” Zumwalt is famous or infamous for transforming the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War era. His name is synonymous with long hair, beards, and social reform through “Z-Grams” – messages to the fleet that served
By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the sixteenth in a series of blogs by Norman Polmar, author, analyst, and consultant specializing in the naval, aviation, and intelligence fields. Follow the full series here.) In high school I began writing my first book—a history of the world’s aircraft carriers. In 1964, I wrote to the
The Admiral James L. Holloway III Society (Holloway Society) has been established by the Naval Historical Foundation (NHF) to recognize individuals that donate or formally pledge to give $100,000 or more to NHF. New Holloway Society members, those who have already donated $100,000 or more, and those who complete or exceed the full $100,000 contribution
Tapes from the History of Early Radio recording project that was conducted by Rear Admiral Edwin Hooper have been transcribed by Naval Historical Foundation retired Yeoman Chief Frank Arre. Dr. Jonathan Winkler of Wright State University (no relation to the NHF’s Dr. David Winkler) is editing the transcripts for eventual publication. The reel-to-reel tapes spent
By Dr. Bill Dudley The recent news of Rear Admiral John D. H. Kane, Jr.’s death brought back a flood of memories among those who recall his days as the Director of Naval History and the Naval Historical Center (now the Naval History and Heritage Command). He had a distinguished career, reaching back to his
We are honored to announce that Rear Admiral Robert H. Shumaker, USN (Ret), will deliver the annual David Leighton Lecture at the 2013 Naval Historical Foundation Annual Meeting. Bob Shumaker was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania where his parents, Alvah and Eleanor, were a lawyer and a writer, respectively. He attended Northwestern University for a
By Brayton Harris, Palgrave Macmillan: New York, (2012) Reviewed by Captain Scott Mobley, U.S. Navy (Retired) Brayton Harris begins his narrative by pledging to give the reader a “guided tour” of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz’s life. Harris delivers on this promise, tracing Nimitz’s rise from a small-town Texas boyhood to the apex of naval
By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the eighth in a series of blogs by Norman Polmar, author, analyst, and consultant specializing in the naval, aviation, and intelligence fields. Follow the full series here.) A telephone call in early March 1974 from one of my consulting customers in the Navy Department alerted me to a
The emotions captured by the War of 1812: patriotic fervor, anxiety, the immediacy of the moment, the joy of peace… all and more abound in In Their Own Words. Whether encouraging peers, issuing orders to subordinates, lamenting a hero’s death or reporting a glorious frigate action, these emotions spring from the stirring contemporary letters,
On Sunday, April 7th, the Naval Historical Foundation (NHF) hosted a festive event aboard the USS Midway Museum in beautiful San Diego harbor. Over 40 members and friends of the Foundation gathered on the historic aircraft carrier to catch up with old friends and learn more about the latest developments at the Foundation. Guests were
By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the sixth in a series of blogs by Norman Polmar, author, analyst, and consultant specializing in the naval, aviation, and intelligence fields. Follow the full series here.) As mentioned in previous blogs, in the early 1960s I was befriended by then-Captain F.J. (Fritz) Harlfinger and then-Commander Dominic Paolucci.
