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The OFFICIAL page of Naval History & Heritage Command, The History Program of The Department of the Navy - www.history.navy.mil. Navy.

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08/26/2026

"Wet Plate Wednesday" in Honor of Burlington

We continue with the collection of Capt. Adrian R. Alfred, MC, USN (1865-1938), with a unique view of the USS Vermont (BB 20), on Feb. 22, 1911, for this first-ever U.S. Navy Week Burlington, Vermont.

This image is part of a collection that consists of 27 photographs on 5-by-7-inch glass plates, featuring battleships, races for the Battenburg Cup, and others like today's post. They were donated to the Naval Historical Center by Capt. Alfred's grandson, Rufus Rose, Jr., in Aug. 1991.

📸 - UG4-04_19

08/26/2026

The NHHC Outreach team will be at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum today, with members from the Underwater Archaeology Branch and the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum. Lake Champlain is the location of many Revolutionary War era wrecks that are under the control of NHHC, including the Spitfire. The gunboat Spitfire is a 54-foot Revolutionary War vessel built in 1776 under General Benedict Arnold. It sank on October 12, 1776, during the retreat from the Battle of Valcour Bay. Rediscovered in 1997, it rests upright and remarkably intact nearly 300 feet deep in Lake Champlain. You can learn more about it here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/6b20e2e11bc2436cb9a7ae5b2d94cba1

08/25/2026

Korean War Heavy Naval Gunfire Support – USS Rochester (CA 124)

Heavy cruiser USS Rochester (CA 124) supported landings on Pohang D**g by the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division July 18-19, 1950, and continued to serve with Task Force 77 until Aug. 25, 1950.

Operating in close coordination with carrier-based naval air strikes, Rochester’s 8-inch guns provided round-the-clock bombardment that suppressed enemy troop concentrations along the perimeter, setting the tactical stage for the upcoming amphibious landing at Inchon just three weeks later.

Did someone in your family serve aboard a U.S. Navy cruiser or destroyer during the Korean War? Share their rate and ship in the comments below!

📷 - NH 96884 USS Rochester (CA 124)

08/25/2026

Burlington is cruising along, and the NHHC Outreach Team is in the thick of it along the shores of Lake Champlain!

Representatives from NHHC's Underwater Archaeology, Photo Archives, and the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum are on hand to share what the command has to offer and what artifacts lay beneath the lake.

The Naval History and Heritage Command connects the American public to their Navy, inspiring future generations through the preservation and presentation of our nation's rich maritime history.

08/25/2026

The "Storm That Saved Washington" & Navy Yard Rebuilding

Less than 24 hours after the burning of public buildings and the intentional scuttling and firing of the Washington Navy Yard to deny resources to invading British forces, a historic severe thunderstorm and tornado struck Washington, D.C., on Aug. 25, 1814.

The torrential rains extinguished raging fires across the city, damaged occupying forces' encampments, and compelled British commanders to begin their withdrawal toward their ships in the Patuxent River. Commodore Thomas Tingey returned immediately to the devastated Washington Navy Yard to oversee its rapid rebuilding, transforming it into a premier hub for naval ordnance manufacturing and administration.

Today, Naval District Washington (NDW), delivers warfighting readiness by providing shore-based services and infrastructure that enable the Fleet to operate globally and support Navy, Joint, and Interagency partners in the National Capital Region.

📷 - NH 91938 Washington, D.C.

08/24/2026

Battle of Bladensburg & Stand of the Flotillamen

During the British march on Washington, Commodore Joshua Barney led approximately 400 Sailors and Marines from the Chesapeake Bay Flotilla into the Battle of Bladensburg on Aug. 24, 1814.

Positioning five heavy naval guns across the roadway, Barney’s Sailors mounted a ferocious defense, repeatedly repelling massed British infantry charges after militia lines had collapsed. Even after Barney was wounded and ordered his men to withdraw, British commanders praised the naval battery's unmatched bravery and gunnery precision.

Today, Commodore Barney's sword is part of the U.S. Navy's collection after Francis Hamilton, descendant of British Army General Robert Ross, donated it to the United States Navy at the in 2014.

📷 - 141020-A-IO170-047, Shejal Pulivarti

08/24/2026

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. The program began in 1926 with units at Yale University, Harvard University, Georgia Tech, Northwestern University, Washington University in St. Louis, and the UC Berkeley. Graduates of the program played a critical role in the Navy's expansion during World War II. Following reforms recommended by Admiral James L. Holloway Jr., NROTC began offering scholarships to students through competitive examination for the first time in 1947. By 1951, the program had expanded to 52 colleges and universities and graduated 1,949 new officers for the U.S. Navy

Captain Chester W. Nimitz stood up the NROTC unit at Berkeley in 1926. Two years later he wrote that "from the government’s standpoint, it costs approximately $700 per graduate and, while the cost may be approximated, the value to the government of each graduate is more intangible. In addition to this value as a naval reserve officer is his increased value as a citizen." One of Nimitz's first students was a Finnish immigrant named Onnie P. Lattu. Lattu seved in the Navy through World War II and eventually retired in 1965 with the rank of rear admiral after duty as the Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts for Transportation and Facilities.

08/24/2026

With students heading back to school, our museums are gearing up for another full year of field trips!

Puget Sound Navy Museum and U.S. Naval Undersea Museum are preparing to launch another successful year of their Navy STEM Days partnership, held in collaboration with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport Division (NUWC- Keyport), and local public schools.

Navy STEM Days is a full-day field trip for fourth and fifth grade classrooms at Kitsap County public schools. Classes participate in three STEM-based workshops and visit the exhibits at either PSNM or the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum.

Since its inception in 2014, Navy STEM Days has served more than 825 classes (22,000+ students)! Each partner organization is responsible for developing and leading instruction of a standards-aligned, age-appropriate workshop for fourth grade classes, and another for fifth grade classes.

08/23/2026

Aviation Readiness & Sea-Based Reconnaissance – USS Macon (ZRS-5) Trials

Carrying out extensive long-range scouting trials over the Atlantic, USS Macon (ZRS-5) recovered and launched its onboard F9C Sparrowhawk biplane fighters using an innovative hook-and-trapeze system mid-flight.

Designed as "eyes of the fleet," rigid airships explored innovative concepts in wide-area maritime reconnaissance, fleet air defense, and air-sea coordination long before radar and satellite coverage existed. While the airship era was brief, the pioneering data gathered by naval aviators during these flights heavily influenced long-range maritime patrol doctrine and modern carrier operations.

Can you name the other U.S. Navy "flying aircraft carriers"? Drop your answers in the comments.

📷 - NARA 80-G-441979

08/23/2026

Look to the skies! The Navy's story includes incredible aviators and aircraft. Find our display at the to learn about our high-flying history.

📸: "BlueAngels over Severn" Painting, Watercolor on Paper; By George Sottung

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