“I don’t give a damn whether it is a ballistic missile or an air breathing missile, or both, so long as it will go about 1500 miles and hit the target with a warhead capable of doing the job.” Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, USN, Chief of Naval Operations to Henry H. Porter, Applied Physics Laboratory,
Norman’s Corner: Convincing Admiral Burke
By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the fifth 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.) Admiral Arleigh A. Burke was a top destroyer commander and then chief of staff for the Fast Carrier Force during World
Admiral Burke Letter on Pearl Harbor
Admiral Arleigh Burke, who served an unprecedented three terms as Chief of Naval Operations, is renowned for his exploits during World War II in the Pacific. Yet his career during the war got off to an inauspicious debut. Then-Lieutenant Commander Burke was stationed at the Naval Gun Factory in Washington, DC in 1941. In an
Doris Miller: Messboy, Steward, Cook, Hero
“The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Mess Attendant First Class Doris Miller (NSN:3561235) United States Navy, for exceptional courage, presence of mind, and devotion to duty and disregard for his personal safety while serving on board the Battleship USS WEST VIRGINIA (BB-48), during the Japanese
Rain of Steel: Mitscher’s Task Force 58, Ugaki’s Thunder Gods, and the Kamikaze War off Okinawa
Reviewed by Diana L. Ahmad, Ph.D. Author of over a dozen books about World War II, Stephen L. Moore adds to his bibliography with a wonderful analysis of the Spring 1945 Pacific Campaign for Okinawa. As expected by the title of the work, the first chapters are devoted to telling readers who Vice Admiral Marc
The Naval Historical Foundation Welcomes Admiral James G. “Jamie” Foggo, USN (Ret.) To its Board of Directors
At a December 8th meeting of the NHF Board of Directors, the nominating committee submitted recently retired Admiral James Foggo as a candidate for the Board of Directors. The Board voted unanimously to welcome him on board. Per the foundation’s by-laws, Admiral Foggo’s nomination will be affirmed by the membership at the annual meeting of
The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
What the Navy Learned from Guadalcanal November 13, 2018 By: Curtis Utz, Nicholas Roland and Guy Nasuti, Historians, Naval History and Heritage Command The naval battles off Guadalcanal in 1942 were part of the first major U.S. amphibious offensive in the Pacific. Although the U.S. Navy’s performance in the campaign was mixed, the fighting at Guadalcanal
DDG-137 To Be Named USS John F. Lehman
The Naval Historical Foundation (NHF) congratulates NHF Board of Directors Member, the Honorable Dr. John F. Lehman, on the announcement that an Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer is to be named in his honor. This special recognition for our 65th Secretary of the Navy was announced on our Navy’s 245th Birthday by Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite. This
Delbert D. Black More Than Just a Gunner’s Mate – By Jim Leuci, MCPO, USN (Ret.)
Above: Delbert D. Black, an Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA guided-missile destroyer, named for the service’s first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) was commissioned on September 26, 2020. Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite observed: “Commissioning a ship after the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy is an honor without equal. The
USNS COMFORT and the HAITI EARTHQUAKE: January 13-16, 2010
By Rear Admiral Robert Wray, USN (Ret.) With the recent response to the Coronavirus/COVID19 and the recent deployments of Navy Medical personnel and the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy to New York City and San Francisco, the Naval Historical Foundation (NHF) asked me to recall the response of the USNS COMFORT to the Haiti earthquake
Paul Nitze, Grand Strategy, and the United States Navy
Fifteen years ago today (March 5, 2005), the USS Nitze (DDG-94) was commissioned. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, Nitze has deployed many times in her service history, and was involved in a confrontation with Iranian vessels in August of 2016. She was named for former Secretary of the Navy Paul Nitze – Nitze served in this capacity under President Lyndon Johnson from 1963 to 1967,
RADM Edward “Sonny” Masso, USN (Ret.), Executive Director
RADM Edward “Sonny” Masso, USN (Ret.) Rear Admiral Sonny Masso assumed the duties of Executive Director of the NHF on 14 March 2019. A native of San Clemente, California, he served in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer retiring in October 2009 after 32 years in the active and reserve components, nine commands,
