The U.S. Naval Institute is maintaining and preserving the former Naval Historical Foundation website so readers and former NHF members can still access past issues of Pull Together and other content. NHF has decommissioned and is no longer accepting new members or donations. NHF members are being converted to members of the Naval Institute. If you have questions, please contact the Naval Institute via email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-233-8764.Not a member of the Naval Institute? Here’s how to join!

Correspondence and Records of Early Navy Submariner Catalogued

In 2016, the Naval Historical Foundation will celebrate its 90th year as a non-profit institution. As a testament to our Foundation’s principle to preserve, educate, and commemorate, we want to highlight stories where we are actively seeking out ways to keep naval history alive for generations to come. As the United States begins to commemorate

A Look at the 2016 HRNM LEGO Shipbuilding Event

In case you haven’t heard, our friends at the Hampton Roads Naval Museums are set to host their fifth annual “Brick by Brick: LEGO Shipbuilding Event.” It is their yearly signature event. The Naval Historical Foundation is once again partnering with HRNM for this event. This is the third year that NHF has been involved

Bernard F. Gribble Watercolor Donated to Navy Art Gallery

The Naval Historical Foundation recently donated a painting to the Navy Art Gallery by celebrated marine artist Bernard F. Gribble. The small watercolor painting (10.5in x 16in) appears to be an early study of The Return of the Mayflower, one of Gribble’s most notable works. Before NHF acquired the piece for donation, the watercolor was

Message from the President: End of the Year Donation and Planned Giving

  2015 has been a busy year for your Foundation, as you have seen in the pages of our Pull Together newsletters and through the stories on our website blog.  It was our particular privilege to participate in two special Navy centennial anniversaries this year: The 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Navy Reserve,

Legati ad Defendendam Libertatem – USS John Warner Commissioned

The newest addition to the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet is a formidable one. At 377 feet in length, the newest Virginia-class submarine gives the kind of multi-mission flexibility necessary for a strong and adaptable submarine force operating in today’s dangerous waters around the world. For good reason, the U.S. Navy officially heralds it as “the

Finding an Old Salt a New Home: CDR Vicente Donates Zuccarelli Print

On Tuesday of this week, retired Navy CDR Caridad A. Vicente stopped by the NHF office to drop off a print of a painting done by well-known marine artist Frank E. Zuccarelli. The painting in question, titled “Old Salt of the Sixth Fleet,” is considered by many to be Zuccarelli’s most famous painting. The painting

Ditty Bag: Japanese Navy Minister Flag

Ditty Bag: Collections of the Naval Historical Foundation An Artifact and Collections Blog Series Imperial Japanese Navy Minister Flag The Meiji Restoration saw an end to the Tokugawa shogunate rule of the Edo period in favor of imperial rule in Japan. The implementation of new political structures drastically changed the methods of military decisions and

Defending the Flag at the Fourteenth Latitude: American Samoa, Fitafita, and the United States Navy

“I go along with somebody who says that when Samoa heard that the US government was at war with Japan, the call came around and they offered their hands to help.” Tuala Sevaaetasi, Former Fitafita Guardsman By Matthew T. Eng The proud history of the American Samoan people traces back over 3,000 years, long before

The Battle of New Orleans: Commodore Patterson’s Gold Freedom Box

The image above shows a gold freedom box presented to Commodore Daniel T. Patterson by the Common Council of New York City in July 1832 (NHF Accession #1960-043). Commodore Patterson was the senior American naval officer at the Battle of New Orleans, which reached its conclusion 200 years ago today. Gold freedom boxes are extremely

#GivingTuesday: Help Preserve Our Naval History

Keep Naval History Alive! On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, thousands will give back during #GivingTuesday. This social celebration is just one way that you, your family, your community, your company or your organization can make a difference in the preservation, education and commemoration of naval history. Your generous donations will help support the Naval Historical

The Anchored Roots of Naval History: American Export Explores Storied Family Past at Navy Department Library

By Matthew T. Eng “Every family has a history. Every family has a story. This helps explain why you are the way you are.” It’s fall here in Washington, D.C. The hot summer heat and brown grass are finally giving way to cooler temperatures and changing leaves. For some, this pleasant change in weather can

USS McCaffery Cruisebooks Donated to the Navy Department Library

Last Thursday, members of the USS McCaffery Shipmates Association stopped by the Naval Historical Foundation to donate a set of her cruise books to the Navy Department Library. Don Turk (’69-’71) and Doug Hackett (’61-’63), two former sailors who served on USS McCaffrey (DD/DDE 860), take great pride in their time aboard the Cold War-era

World War II-Era Bottles Donated to the Naval History and Heritage Command

A few of us in the room stared at the vase as the amber-colored liquid poured out of the bottle.  There was a surprising hiss of carbonation once the bottle cap came off. NHF Executive Director Captain Todd Creekman, USN (Ret.) picked up the contents and sniffed it. He looks up surprisingly and exclaims, “It

Ambassador Middendorf Honored at 2014 NHF Annual Membership Meeting

Each year, the Naval Historical Foundation holds a meeting in Washington, DC to meet with our members, volunteers, and friends to discuss our current and future plans.  Nearly one hundred supporters gathered in the Navy Museum last Saturday for a day of celebration, commemoration, and friendship. This is certainly a year of many commemorative celebrations:

A Stag Party with President Truman and Some Fleet Admirals

On May 6, 1947, a party was held in Washington, D.C.  Among the honored guests there: A president, a few politicians, and a majority of the most important and influential officers in United States military history.  They all came to the “stag party” (according to President Truman’s presidential diary entry) to honor General George Marshall,