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,
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: 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
Violent Skies: The Air War Over Vietnam A Symposium Proposed for October 2015 Four military service historical foundations—the Air Force Historical Foundation, the Army Historical Foundation, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, and the Naval Historical Foundation—recognize that a half century has passed since the United States became militarily engaged in Southeast Asia, and hope to
By Col George R. Hofmann Jr. USMC (Ret.), Government Printing Office, Washington DC (2014) Reviewed by Charles Bogart This book is part of Marines in the Vietnam War Commemorative Series. As with all USMC histories, this book is both a history and a lesson learned publication. The title is a little misleading, as the author
By Colonel Jim Bathurst USMC (Ret), IUniverse, (2012) Reviewed by Curt Marsh, Col USMCR (Ret) This is a very engaging autobiography of one Marine’s career worth reading by fellow Marines as well as anyone interested in recent Marine Corps history. The book covers the period from his enlistment in 1958 after dropping out of High
In 2006, during the 25th anniversary of the return home of the 52 American hostages in Iran, then Washington Post staff writer Les Carpenter wrote a wonderful piece about the generous gesture of MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn to grant lifetime game passes to each of the detainees released in 1981. The article went on to
“This is Blackbeard on board Newport News with a shore bombardment force in Haiphong Harbor. We are engaged with several enemy surface units and need illumination to sort things out. Any aircraft in the area give me a call on guard. What we really need are high-powered flares. Blackbeard out.”
By Cdr. Harold Sacks, USN (Ret.), Park Press, Norfolk, VA. (2013) Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart Cdr. Sacks has written a highly readable book about his service in the United States Navy from 1952 to 1972. He spent most of his service in the Navy on a destroyer or serving in the intelligence community. While
By Jan K. Herman, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2013) Reviewed by Nathan D. Wells The role that the United States Navy played in the Vietnam Conflict is well known, especially with regard to the beginning and escalation of the conflict. The role played by the US Navy in the war’s final days is less
By Ed Engle, Xlibris, Bloomington, IL (2013). Reviewed by Jan Churchill Edward C. Engle’s memoir offers a personal account of naval bombing operations and its dangers. Engle is a retired naval flight officer with engineering degrees from both Johns Hopkins University and the Naval Postgraduate School. After completing his education, Engle went to work for
Thousands of excited and energetic students from around the country packed into the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center last Thursday to participate in the awards ceremony for National History Day. The event is the culmination of a busy week for these young scholars. Students in middle and high school showcase their history projects, ranging from
As part of the United States Navy Memorial’s “Authors on Deck” book lecture series, author Jan K. Herman will present his latest work, The Lucky Few (Naval Institute Press, 2013). Herman brings to light the epic story of USS Kirk and her success in rendering humanitarian assistance under inconceivable circumstances during the Vietnam War. Following
By L. Erik Fleming, Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Co., Houston, TX, (2012). Reviewed by Jan Churchill Even though this book is called Rolling Thunder, it is not a history lesson of this operation but an entertaining story about a fictional Marine Captain Valentine Jordan, a fighter pilot assigned to a F4J Phantom II squadron
U.S. military personnel taken prisoner during the Vietnam War endured years of brutal captivity. Take a look at this video which describes the experience of captured U.S. naval aviators and their “Battle Behind Bars,” currently featured in the U.S. Navy Museum’s Cold War Gallery, at the Washington Navy Yard. The video was developed by the
