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  • WAVES Trailblazers: Lt. j.g. Harriet Ida Pickens and Ensign Frances Wills, the first African-American WAVES officers

    • Black History
    • Cultural Heritage
    • Military
    • Women's History

    With this blog I’d like to delve a little deeper, and talk about two specific WAVES: Lt j.g. Harriet Ida Pickens and Ensign Frances Wills, the first African American women to join the WAVES, and the first African American officers in the WAVES.

  • Beyond the Frame: Will They or Won’t They?

    • Art
    • Beyond the Frame
    • Civil War
    • Collections
    • Military
    • USS Monitor

    Looking at this work, “Rescue of the Crew of the USS Monitor by USS Rhode Island, December 31, 1862” by artist William Richardson Tyler is an experience best enjoyed over a few minutes, at least.

  • Remembering their Sacrifice: The 77th Anniversary of D-Day

    • Military
    • Military Conflict
    • Photography

    All along the 50-mile Normandy coast there are places and moments for remembering the sacrifice made by the allied forces. As a photographer I was struck by the contrast between the modern beaches, and the horrific battles that occurred in 1944. Most days the beaches were near empty or filled with groups of tourists, much like they might have been before the war

  • Ben Butler and the Contrabands

    • Black History
    • Civil War
    • Military
    • Military Conflict

    Frank Baker, James Townsend, and Shepard Mallory seeking their freedom, made their way onto Fort Monroe. Butler refused to return the runaways and called them ‘Contraband of War.’ Their decision helped transform the Civil War into a conflict between the states and a struggle for freedom.

  • “Taps,” Bugles and Military Memorials

    • Cultural Heritage
    • Military

    Have you ever wondered how the bugle call “Taps” came to be used at memorial services for military personnel? As we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day, I thought it would be fitting to explore how this practice began.

  • Battle of Memphis

    • Civil War
    • Military
    • Military Conflict

    The Union needed to open the river to the sea to maintain the commerce of the Midwest. This contest along the ‘father of all rivers’ was a tremendous struggle. Victory would be achieved with new and improved ship designs and industrial superiority.

  • Burnside’s North Carolina Expedition: From New Bern to Beaufort

    • Civil War
    • Military
    • Military Conflict

    Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside’s invasion of the North Carolina inland seas was a major success. In seven days, Burnside, with the support of Flag Officer L.M. Goldsborough’s naval forces, had captured Currituck, Albemarle, Roanoke, and Croatan Sounds. This placed Burnside’s army in a position to capture his next objective, New Bern, North Carolina.

  • HRPE: The American Red Cross

    • Collections
    • Military
    • Photography

    The Red Cross played a vital role in maintaining morale and the mental health of those in the military, especially those abroad. During World War II, the Red Cross was the only civilian service organization authorized to work with overseas military personnel, and in fact began providing aid to civilian victims of the war in Europe before the US entered the war in 1941.

  • Burnside’s Roanoke Island Expedition: The Battle for the North Carolina Sounds

    • Civil War
    • Military
    • Military Conflict

    Major General George B. McClellan recognized the need for combined operations to overwhelm the Confederate war effort. With more than 3,000 miles of coastline to defend, the Southerners were often unable to protect their coastal territory effectively. The captures of Hatteras Inlet and Port Royal Sound were decisive actions that furthered General Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan

  • Hampton Roads during WWII: the WAVES

    • Military
    • Women's History

    Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) was the women’s branch of the Naval Reserves during World War II

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