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2 July 2024
Welcome back to our National Maritime Historical Society members and friends who share a love for naval history!
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Happy Birthday, America! Not only does Thursday mark the 248th birthday of the United States, but it also is the 247th anniversary of John Paul Jones hoisting the first “Stars and Stripes” on Ranger located at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Of note, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro took advantage of an early 4th of July celebration at the US Embassy in Spain to name a new frigate for a Spainard who helped the American revolutionary cause. Details below!
Many of America’s historic naval ships will offer premium viewings of some of the nation’s best fireworks displays, including the refloated battleship New Jersey, which completed a successful drydocking at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on June 20. For details on how you can view Philadelphia’s spectacular aerial display on the evening of July 3 visit: Battleship New Jersey. Congratulations to curator Ryan Szimanski for the successful oversight of the needed maintenance period.
Three weeks ago, we reported the passing of the first Black Navy SEAL, Retired Master Chief Petty Officer William “Bill” Goines. In this issue we offer a more in-depth review of this fine sailor’s achievements, courtesy NHHC.
Once again, congratulations to the North American Society for Oceanic History (NASOH)/Canadian Society for Nautical Research (CNRS) Conference for a successful conference at Brock University at St Catharines, Ontario. NASOH and CNRS presidents Paul Fontenoy and Tom Malcomson and their teams are to be commended on their collaborative effort. For NASOH, St. Augustine is a contender for next spring’s conference. CNRS has zeroed on next 22–24 May for its next annual conference on the shores of Lake Ontario at Port Hope. Expect to hear more about these two organizations in forthcoming editions of Tuesday Tidings. In the meantime, if you have not made plans for the 3rd weekend of July, consider coming to the annual meeting of the National Maritime Historical Society in Peekskill, New York, which will include a Hudson cruise, tours of West Point and Hyde Park, and informative sessions on the state of maritime heritage. For details visit: www.seahistory.org.
This week, for our Naval History Book Review graduate student Jessica Strazzella summarizes History of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 1915–2015. A reminder for our graduate student readers, a review in Tuesday Tidings is a C.V. builder!
Tuesday Tidings is compiled by Dr. David F. Winkler and Jessie Henderson as a benefit for members of the National Maritime Historical Society and friends of naval history.
As always, comments are welcome at nmhs@seahistory.org.
| ITEMS OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST | |
2 July 2024 – Navy Museum Roundtable
Then and Now: Executive Order 9981
With RADM Sam Cox, USN (Ret.); Kurt Graham, PhD; Eddie Valentin, PhD; Gilbert Elliott Jr.; Lori E. Chestang; Charles “Chuck” Dansby; Darren Skinner
(Facebook Live Stream)
2 July 2024 – World War II Discussion Forum
Delivering Destruction: American Firepower and Amphibious Assault from Tarawa to Iwo Jima
With Chris K. Hemler
8 PM (EDT) (Zoom)
10 July 2024 – Naval Order History Happenings: Marines in Crisis
With former Marine Corps Chief Historian Dr. Charlie Neimeyer
8 PM (EDT) (ZOOM)
12 July 2024 – USS Monitor Legacy Program: Siege of Port Hudson
With John V. Quarstein
Noon–1 PM (in person/Zoom)
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New Frigate to Honor Spanish Governor
Courtesy Department of the Navy
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MADRID – On 21 June, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that a future Constellation-class Guided Missile Frigate, FFG 67, will be named USS Galvez. Secretary Del Toro made the announcement while joining US Ambassador to Spain Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón and Chief of Staff of the Spanish Navy, Admiral Antonio Pineiro, in Madrid, Spain, for the US Embassy’s Fourth of July Celebration. The future USS Galvez honors Conde Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid and his service during the American Revolutionary War. This will be the first US Navy vessel named for Gálvez.
"Gálvez wasn’t just a supporter from afar—his actions directly influenced the course of the war and helped secure American Independence,” said Secretary Del Toro. “That is why, in his homeland, I am incredibly pleased to announce that our next Constellation-class frigate, FFG 67, will be named the USS Gálvez.”
During the American Revolution, Gálvez provided supplies, intelligence, and military support to the American colonists and led military victories for Spain against Great Britain. As governor of Spain’s territory in Louisiana, he covertly worked with American agent Oliver Pollock in 1777 to transfer money, gunpowder, and vital supplies to colonial forces.
In his direct service to Spain, Gálvez recruited an army of 7,500 men made up of Spanish, French, African American, Mexican, Cuban, and Anglo-American forces. In 1779–1780, his forces defeated the British in battle in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Natchez, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama. In 1781, he successfully seized Pensacola, Florida, and was wounded during the fighting. His contributions were recognized by George Washington as a decisive factor in the outcome of the Revolutionary War.
After the Revolutionary War, Gálvez led an effort to chart the Gulf of Mexico, including Galveston Bay, and served as the viceroy of New Spain. In 2014, the United States Congress passed Public Law No. 113-229, granting him honorary citizenship of the United States—one of only eight honorary citizens in US history. The future USS Galvez, the sixth of the new Constellation-class frigates, was appropriated in 2024. The other ships in the class are USS Constellation (FFG 62), USS Congress (FFG 63), USS Chesapeake (FFG 64), USS Lafayette (FFG 65), and USS Hamilton (FFG 66).
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First African American SEAL Passes Away
From NHHC’s Naval History Matters, 25 June 2024
Compiled by Brent A. Hunt, Naval History and Heritage Command Communication and Outreach Division
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The first African American to serve as a Navy SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) died on 10 June. Retired Master Chief Petty Officer William “Bill” Goines was 88 years old. Born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1936, as a child he moved with his family to Lockland in suburban Cincinnati. His father worked in the automotive industry and had a second job in a pool hall. While in Lockland, Goines attended the all-black Wayne High School. In his junior year, after seeing the movie The Frogmen, which depicted underwater demolition teams during World War II, he was motivated to join the Navy. Shortly afterward, he went to see a recruiter but was told to finish high school first. Goines accepted having to wait another year, because he knew his mother would never let him drop out of high school. After receiving his diploma, Goines enlisted in the Navy in 1955. Goines was promised training in underwater demolition, but plans changed, and he was sent to Malta, where 11 months later, he eventually would begin frogman training with four US Navy officers, 85 enlisted sailors, five US Army Rangers, and two foreign naval officers. After three weeks, most of the candidates had dropped out. Goines was one of only 14 to complete the challenging naval special warfare training. In January 1962, in response to President John F. Kennedy’s desire for the services to develop unconventional warfare, the US Navy established SEAL Teams 1, on the US West Coast, and 2, on the East Coast. Their mission was to conduct counter-guerilla warfare and clandestine operations in riverine and maritime environments. They were formed with personnel from underwater demolition teams. Goines was one of 40 chosen to join Team 2. At the time, he was the only African American Navy SEAL on either team. | |
Navy Parachute Team, circa 1984. Master Chief Bill Goines is pictured at the top right. He was the “Honor Student” for the team’s HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) jump. | |
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Goines went on to serve three tours during the Vietnam War with SEAL teams, twice with US platoons and once leading a Vietnamese unit. In 1976, at 40 years old, Goines was selected to become part of the Chuting Stars, a Navy parachute demonstration team, with which he served for five years, performing 640 free falls and 194 static line jumps. During one jump in Pennsylvania, he landed awkwardly on a hill and “smashed all the cartilage” in his knees. Goines retired from the Navy in 1987 after 32 years. During his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Presidential Unit Citation. Following his discharge, Goines relocated to Portsmouth, Virginia, where he was employed as the chief of police for the Portsmouth school system, serving 14 years.
Read more>>
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NAVAL HISTORY BOOK REVIEWS | |
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History of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 1915–2015 by Thomas C. Hone and Curtis A. Utz, Washington, DC: Naval History and Heritage Command, (2023).
Reviewed by Jessica Strazzella
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The History of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations offers a fairly in-depth look at the Chief of Naval Operation’s (CNO) history and its bureaucratic challenges in the 100 years covered in the book. While centered on the CNO, it also gives insight into the roles of the Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Federal Government and how they have changed over time.
Utz and Hone have provided readers with a basic understanding of the Navy’s leadership and a more profound insight into the upper echelons of the US Navy's organization and their influence on policy and strategy. The authors also demonstrate the impact of politics on the organization, particularly how legislation like the Goldwater-Nichols Act reshaped the structure of CNO’s staff referred to as OPNAV. One of the thought-provoking questions that emerged from this book was whether the CNOs, throughout the years, have restructured their staff and other groups within the Navy’s framework in the pursuit of optimization and cost-saving measures. Does the constant rotation of personnel and resources in the Pentagon hinder this? The office's political nature makes it susceptible to the influence of the president, Congress, and the secretaries of the navy and defense. From the insights shared in the book, it appears so. The CNO initiates changes that align with their service goals, but they have also implemented mechanisms to gather feedback from the fleet.
Overall, the text does a fantastic job of explaining the intricacies of the political game the CNO has to be involved with and shows when the outcome if the person in the role does not have the political acumen by stricter budgets (after the fall of the Soviet Union), having to fight for resources with the other branches (yearly budget requests), or justify part of its existence (naval aviation vs Strategic Air Command). It’s a must-read for those who want to understand the Navy’s top part of the chain of command and how strategy and fleet readiness are dealt with. The book also gives insight into some of the Navy’s more prominent scandals, such as the Tailhook scandal and race riots under Zumwalt, and how they were handled by the top brass.
Thomas C. Hone received a PhD in political science from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) in 1973 and has extensive past federal service, including serving as principal deputy director for the Office of the Secretary of Defense Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation, special assistant to the Commander, Naval Air Systems Command, assistant director for risk management, Office of Force Transformation, Office of the Secretary of Defense and teaching at the Naval War College, the National Defense University, and the George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies in Germany. Dr. Hone is the author of Power and Change: The Administrative History of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 1946–1986, and the co-author of American & British Aircraft Carrier Development, 1919–1941; Battle Line: The United States Navy, 1919–1939; Innovation in Carrier Aviation; and Vol. 1, Part 2 of the Gulf War Air Power Survey. Curtis A. Utz earned an M.A. in US history from the University of Maryland (College Park) in 1989 and has held several positions in the Naval History and Heritage Command and its predecessor, the Naval Historical Center (NHC), including leading the Naval Aviation History and Archives branches from 2003 to 2014. Mr. Utz authored Cordon of Steel: The US Navy and the Cuban Missile Crisis and Assault from the Sea: The Amphibious Landing at Inchon while with the NHC. He was a historian and analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency from 1994 to 2003 and has lectured in history at the University of Maryland, the Joint Military Intelligence College, and the Joint Military Intelligence Training Center.
Jessica Strazzella is a graduate student at the University of Portsmouth where she studies naval history.
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NAVAL HISTORY BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW | |
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Nimitz at Ease: How a Honolulu Couple Helped Nimitz Cope with the Stresses of Command
Premiered 27 June 2024 (Thursday, 1900 EST)
Captain Michael A, Lilly, USN (ret.)
Watch here>>
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49th Albert Reed & Thelma Walker Maritime Symposium
“Resurfaced”
Friday, 15 November 2024 (Bath, Maine)
The depths of the ocean hold mysteries yet to be revealed, however, there are truths waiting to be discovered beneath the surface. It is through diligent inquiry and open-minded exploration that we can begin to dive into the riches concealed below to enhance our collective understanding of the environment, our past, our creative endeavors, and our communities.
Maine Maritime Museum is pleased to announce its symposium “Resurfaced” on November 15, 2024. The symposium is interdisciplinary and seeks presenters from industry, science, and the humanities—including history, art history, nautical archaeology, ecology, maritime law, and other fields. We encourage presenters to approach the theme of “resurfaced” in broad and creative ways. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, how historical research champions underrepresented stories, how scientific data shifts understandings in marine ecosystems, how indigenous knowledge can inform waterway conservation, how archaeological discoveries provide cultural insights into the past, and how economic studies reveal the impact of maritime industries.
Abstracts
Abstracts should be 300 words or less and will be reviewed by the Program Committee. Decisions will be made by August 2, 2024.
Graduate Travel Stipend
Travel stipends of $250 are available to a limited number of graduate student presenters and are awarded on merit based on submitted abstracts.
Please send abstracts to abstracts@maritimeme.org by 15 July 2024
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The Society for Military History announces a call for papers for its 90th Annual Meeting in Mobile, Alabama, 27–30 March 2025, at the Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and the
Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel.
The Program Committee’s objective is to create a slate of panels that represent the breadth of expertise and interests as well as the overall diversity of the Society’s wide-ranging membership. Individual paper and panel proposals on all facets of military history broadly defined will be considered for inclusion. Members in the academic community, the armed forces and governmental agencies, museums and archives, and independent scholars, as well as international members, are encouraged to participate.
Priority will be given to individual paper and panel submissions that highlight the presentation of original research, new interpretations, topics of immediate interest to our membership, and cutting-edge trends and subject matter. Submission of roundtables is encouraged, but preference will be given to panels that present new, original research.
All submissions will be judged on their merit using the above criteria.
Submission Instructions:
Individual paper proposals must include a 250-word abstract of the paper, and a one-page vita with contact information and email address. If selected, individual papers will be assigned by the program committee to an appropriate panel with a chair/commentator.
Panel proposals must include a panel title and 250-word abstract summarizing the theme of the panel; paper titles and a 250-word abstract for each paper proposed; and a one-page curriculum vitae for each panelist (including the chair and commentator) that includes institutional affiliation, email address, and other contact information.
Roundtable proposals must include a roundtable title, the full name and institutional affiliation of each participant, a 250-word abstract summarizing the roundtable’s themes and significance, and a one-page curriculum vitae for each participant.
Members who wish to volunteer to serve as chairs and commentators should send a one-page curriculum vitae.
Send all materials to the Program Committee Chair before 18 October 2024 at smhconferences@gmail.com.
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For The Trafalgar Chronicle
Publication Date: FALL 2025
Theme: Naval Leadership in the Georgian Era
For the 2025 edition of The Trafalgar Chronicle, the editors seek carefully researched, scholarly articles on “Naval Leadership in the Georgian Era.” We invite essays that provide examples of exemplary and questionable leadership in the predominant navies of the Georgian maritime era (1714–1837). We are interested to know about unique and far-reaching ways in which naval officers and administrators made crucial decisions and took significant actions affecting their futures, men, fleets, enemies, combat tactics and strategies, ships, policies and regulations, and naval doctrine itself. Additional topics: We also seek general-interest articles with unique perspectives on the maritime and naval history of the Georgian era. We invite biographical portraits, articles about battles at sea, maritime economics, exploration of foreign shores, foreign relations, politics, etc. We also welcome well-documented reports on preservation efforts regarding the artifacts, graves, memorials, and monuments of the Nelson era. Proposal Submission Guidelines: Please submit a proposal/abstract of no more than 500 words and a paragraph about your background (a biographical sketch). Proposals are due by 1 September 2024. Applicants will be notified of acceptance status by 1 October 2024. Submit all proposals and inquiries to tc.editor@1805Club.org.
Detailed author guidelines are available upon request. Article Guidelines: Articles should be 3,000 to 5,000 words long in MSWORD (unprotected) following the New Oxford Style Manual. Please include three to six high-resolution illustrations, each in a separate file (jpeg, pdf, or tiff). Articles are due 1 February 2025, at which point they will be edited and, in some cases, submitted to peer review. Articles will be returned to authors for revisions by 1 April 2025.
Revisions are due by 1 May 2025. Publication will be Fall/Autumn 2025. While we do not pay our contributors, each author will receive a copy of The Trafalgar Chronicle upon publication. Non-members of the 1805 Club will receive a free one-year membership. All authors will also receive a PDF of their published article for their portfolio. Authors retain copyright of their articles. Our Contributors: We welcome articles from 1805 Club members and anyone with an interest in the history of the Georgian Navy and other navies of the period. Our articles have come from writers of varied backgrounds: historians, journalists, university students, military personnel, preservationists, and novelists. Contact tc.editor@1805Club.org for additional information. The Trafalgar Chronicle is the scholarly flagship publication of the 1805 Club, a charity registered in England and Wales (number1202272) with an international membership of scholars and enthusiasts of the Georgian maritime era. The 1805 Club takes its name from the iconic Battle of Trafalgar that gave Nelson his place in history and confirmed the role of the Royal Navy in asserting Britain’s sea power. Seaforth Publishing is our publisher.
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UPCOMING NAVAL & MARITIME HISTORY GATHERINGS | |
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19–21 July 2024: National Maritime Historical Society Annual Meeting, Peekskill, New York
16–19 September 2024: Historic Naval Ship Association (HNSA) Symposium, USS Midway, San Diego
9 November 2024: Steamship Society of America, Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA
27–30 March 2025: Society for Military History (SMH) Annual Meeting, Mobile, AL
9–11 April 2025: Council of American Maritime Museums Annual Meeting, Pensacola, FL
24–25 May 2025: Canadian Nautical Research Society Annual Conference Port Hope,
Ontario
18–19 September 2025: McMullen Naval History Symposium US Naval Academy
24–28 September 2025: 12th Maritime Heritage Conference, Buffalo, NY
| PREBLE HALL NAVAL HISTORY PODCAST | |
A naval history podcast from Preble Hall – the United States Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. Preble Hall will interview historians, practitioners, military personnel, and other experts on a variety of naval history topics from ancient history to more current events.
Click here for the latest episode: 233: David Patraeus on CONFLICT>>
Click here for all Preble Hall Podcasts >>
| DRACHINIFEL YOUTUBE CHANNEL | |
Welcome to Navy History Matters, Naval History and Heritage Command’s biweekly compilation of articles, commentaries, and blogs related to history and heritage. Every other week, they gather the top-interest items from a variety of media and social media sources that link to related content at NHHC’s website, your authoritative source for Navy history.
Click here for most recent article>>
| INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NAVAL HISTORY | |
The International Journal of Naval History (IJNH) provides a preeminent forum for works of naval history, researched and written to demonstrable academic standards, with the goal of stimulating and promoting research into naval history and fostering communication among naval historians at an international level. IJNH welcomes any scholarly historical analysis, focused on any period or geographic region, that explores naval power in its national or cultural context. The journal is independent of any institution and operates under the direction of an international editorial board that represents various genres of naval history.
Click here to read the February 2023 edition and archived issues on the IJNH website >>
| SUPPORTING US NAVAL HISTORY & HERITAGE | |
With the 250th anniversary of the US Navy on the horizon, NMHS seeks your support as we plan to honor those who have provided for our maritime security.
Click here to donate today >>
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