Naval History Blog

Standing about six feet tall and weighing a measly 135 pounds, it is hard to imagine how young Jack Thach felt as he prepared to begin his plebe training at the United States Naval Academy. It was the summer of 1923, and at his initial physical assessment, Jack’s frailty evoked great skepticism from the examining physician. Told to eat and exercise more, time would tell if Jack could translate his high school football success in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to achievement at the Academy. Two weeks into his first academic term, Midshipman 4/C Thach received failing grades in every subject. After… Read the rest of this entry »

We are very familiar with the names of famous naval leaders and heroes of World War I. But there are hundreds of other individuals whose efforts contributed to achieving victory in 1918. The story of a few starts in Philadelphia and the individuals who worked for the Fourth Naval District and the U.S. Shipping Board. Their stories are presented here as an example of those efforts. Sara Elizabeth Carles was born in Philadelphia on the first day of January, 1894. Her brother, Arthur Beecher Carles Jr., was 12 years older. Nothing indicated at the time that the siblings would, in… Read the rest of this entry »

Lt Commander Theodorus Bailey Myers Mason, best known as the founder of the Office of Naval Intelligence, no doubt led a fascinating life. He was born to a prominent 5th Avenue family in New York City, where his childhood was spent riding a small white pony daily. He decided by the age of 16 he would join the Navy, and impressed his father by saving up the money for a commission himself. He called upon the Secretary of the Navy at 16 to ask him personally to secure a commission. The plan worked, and he entered the Naval Academy in… Read the rest of this entry »

Recently male sailors in the U.S. Navy are speaking out for equality within the ranks. The push was fueled when the Navy authorized women to wear more relaxed hairstyles such as ponytails. Men are not asking to grow their hair long, rather they are pushing for more relaxed grooming standards with regards to facial hair. The Navy has a long history of great beards, but was sadly ended in 1984. In honor of this valiant fight for hair equality I compiled a list of the seven best beards in U.S. Navy history.   7. Samuel Francis Du Pont Rear Admiral… Read the rest of this entry »

  During Plebe Summer the mantra “just make it to the next meal” is not uncommon as meals provide a small break from the physical nature of the summer. Today during the academic year rivalry weeks when the Midshipmen are slated to play Air Force or Army King Hall becomes a place of danger for upper class who are tough on plebes. Food and water goes flying through the air to ruin the uniforms of the upperclassman and many others end up getting caught in the crossfire. The members of the Class of ’72 recall similar things happening during their… Read the rest of this entry »

Thursday June 28th the U.S. Naval Academy inducted the newest class of midshipmen. On I-Day, just as it is every year, the yard was busy with parents trying to catch a glimpse of their child as they exited Alumni Hall’s loading docks where newly minted 2nd Lieutenant taught them how to salute and walked to their new home in Bancroft Hall. Just across the footbridge over College Creek vendors held an event to distract parents from the day’s events as well as welcome them to the USNA family.   Walking around the Parents tent, taking in the sight of excited and nervous parents,… Read the rest of this entry »

If you decided to sign up as a seaman in the U.S. Navy 156 ago today, you would have found a “gill of spirits”– about a quarter pint of hard liquor– included in your daily food ration. The day after swearing in, however, you may have wound up disappointed: on 14 July 1862, Congress passed a law which banned spirit rations and required sailors to purchase their own liquor. Sailors were compensated with a 5-cent increase in daily pay. Congress’ abolition of the spirit rations marks an early episode in the tumultuous, centuries-long relationship between alcohol and the U.S. Sea… Read the rest of this entry »

On the anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance, we remember the women who made female aviation possible. Eighty-one years ago today, Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe. In a society where women’s capacities to physically and mentally cope with the rigors of aviation faced heavy scrutiny, Earhart overcame barriers and established new standards to pave the way for women in the field. After first flying in an airplane in 1920, she worked odd jobs to purchase her own aircraft and received an international pilot’s license in 1923. Earhart set about breaking altitude and… Read the rest of this entry »