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Pull Together Spring 2014 Preservation, Education, and Commemoration Vol. 53, No. 2 Spring 2014 PULL TOGETHER Newsletter of the Naval Historical Foundation Operation Sea Orbit 50th Anniversary Join Us in Norfolk! Details Page 10 News from Our Shipmate, the Director of Naval History: Page 3 Also in this issue: Submarine Seminar Recap, pp. 7-9; Navy Museum News STEM-H Update, pp. 11-14; News from the NHF, pp. 16; NHF Annual Report, pp 19-22; Thank You End-of-Year Donors! p. 23 Message From the Chairman If you were surprised to fi nd this early spring Pull Together in your mailbox, we hope it was a pleasant surprise! There is much activity occurring at your Naval Historical Foundation— and at the Naval History and Heritage Command, whose programs and museum we support. With the pending retirement of the Director of Naval History, Capt. Henry J. (Jerry) Hendrix, this summer, we thought it would be appropriate to feature his views on the progress the com- mand has made over his two-year tenure. We congratulate Captain Hendrix on a fi ne career and commend him for what he has been able to accomplish. Coming up quickly on April 3 is the annual Submarine History Seminar that is the out- growth of a continuing partnership with the Naval Submarine League. Dr. David A. Rosenberg has taken over the direction of this year’s seminar, following Rear Adm. Jerry Holland’s de- cade of great programs. Dave has assembled an outstanding panel to discuss “A Century of US Navy Torpedo Development.” There are details in this issue; I hope to see you there! Dr. Dean Allard, former Director of Naval History, and his wife Connie are the latest mem- bers of our recently formed Holloway Donor Society. They will be formally welcomed into this group at an exclusive luncheon at Decatur House in downtown Washington, D.C., near the White House on April 22. NHF historian Dr. Dave Winkler’s article in last summer’s Pull To- gether about Fleet Admiral King describes the role that NHF played in saving and preserving this unique Washington landmark. We are pleased to add the Allards to this prestigious group and encourage others who support our naval history mission to consider joining the Society and honoring our chairman emeritus—who turned 92 in February! This spring the Foundation is hosting another of our member recognition events. Last year we got together with members from Southern California on board retired aircraft carrier USS Midway in San Diego, Calif.; this year, on May 6 we will gather with Hampton Roads-area members in Norfolk, Va., at Nauticus to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Operation Sea Orbit—the round-the-world cruise of the Enterprise, Long Beach, and Bainbridge—and celebrate the legacy of a half-century of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers operating forward in support of our nation’s interests. It will be great to see as many of you as possible at that Tidewater event—members, please bring your friends! June looks to be a busy time for naval history. First, the annual national capital region Bat- tle of Midway Commemoration Dinner will be held on June 4 at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. The dinner, sponsored by nine Navy-support nonprofi ts including NHF, will feature retired Adm. John Harvey as the keynote speaker. On June 10, the NHF has agreed to join with the National Maritime Historical Society to host a reception at Fraunces Tavern in New York City prior to the inaugural John Barry Book Award presentation that is sponsored by the New York Navy League Council. Four days later, on Saturday June 14, we will host our Annual Membership Meeting at the Navy Museum here at the Washington Navy Yard. Steven Vogel, author of Through the Perilous Fight, has agreed to be our David T. Leighton lecturer, as we remember the burning of the White House, Capitol and the Navy Yard 200 years ago this summer during the War of 1812—as well as the subsequent Battle of Baltimore that halted the British offensive and gave us our national anthem. Finally, the NHF is playing a leading role in the 10th Maritime Heritage Conference sched- uled for Norfolk from September 17 to 21. Your next edition of Pull Together will feature the program for this great event. Included in this edition is our annual report and an acknowledgement page recognizing all of you who made a year-end donation. We really appreciate that and we will continue to work hard to earn your continuing support. Bruce DeMars Cover: Includes the recently unveiled new logo for Naval History and Heritage Command. 2 Pull Together • Spring 2014 Standing the Test of Time Capt. Henry J. Hendrix, Ph.D. Director, Naval History and Heritage Command s I enter the fi nal months Decades—centuries really— ing. The institutional undervaluing of my tour here, I wanted passed, and the Navy’s commit- of our naval history holdings mani- to offer my perspective on ment to its own history and heri- fested itself in rampant dilapidation Awhere our Naval History tage was truncated at best. The and encouraged a culture of insular and Heritage Command (NHHC) en- importance the institution assigned behavior where there was a certain terprise has been, and where I think to the headquarters charged with expediency of being out of sight, and it is going. It’s also my hope as I pre- managing it was often in word thereby out of mind. pare to depart that the institutional only. What resulted, predictably, was That all began to change in 2006 lessons we’ve learned previously a nucleus of highly committed, pas- when naval museums were consoli- are accepted into our collective con- sionate historians, curators, museum dated and reassigned to the NHC. sciousness as to prevent a return to specialists, librarians, volunteers, Two years later, the Center was re- the shoal waters of a few years ago. and enthusiasts who wrung every designated to the NHHC. In very Before I get too far into the ret- short order, a small group of proud rospective, I’d be remiss if I didn’t and committed professionals set fi rst recognize and thank the commit- course to reverse generations of ne- ted nonprofi t partners and individual glect and isolation. While the efforts donors who have remained alongside were genuine, in reality, passion and the effort all these years. This past determination will only go so far. December alone, 235 Naval Histori- When the Navy’s Inspector General cal Foundation (NHF) members col- (IG) objectively but exhaustively lectively gave year-end contributions assessed the relatively new enter- totaling more than $45,000—not in- prise top to bottom a few years later, cluding a generous donation by pre- the systemic neglect resulting from vious Naval Historical Center (NHC) underresourcing was immediately Director of Naval History Dean Al- evident. Restoring―in some cases lard early in 2014! Through the 20th salvaging―Navy historic treasures century, naval history’s nonprofi t demanded institutional investment. partners like NHF have not only con- Having long been a customer of tributed millions but also dedicated the people and resources at the com- their time and attention to any and all mand, I recognized my assignment endeavors to prop up that which we here in May 2012 was a mixed bless- all hold most dearly: our naval his- ing. It was not unlike buying an un- tory. bit of value out of the holdings they published manuscript from a famous But naval history cannot survive maintained, but without the benefi t of author in an auction―and then being merely on the generosity of others. sustained support. That body of dedi- asked to get it edited and ready for It was no secret that NHHC was cated devotees eventually became the publication in a short period. That a chronically underfunded institution Naval History Center in the 1970s. being said, I was a proud owner. I can whose important tasking did not re- The sad reality was that the dis- truthfully say that I haven’t worked a ceive the resources necessary to safe- parate elements of the Navy’s his- day since reporting onboard on May guard the Navy’s treasures. From my tory holdings were strung together 12, 2012. Every day I have done what perspective as an active-duty Navy merely out of convenience. Form I love to do for a cause I believe in. captain, I can understand how we following function found no place Working with the experts at the got where we were. The Navy has al- within the Navy history enterprise. NHHC has been a privilege, requir- ways had more demands than dollars The museums didn’t even enjoy that ing detailed care, expert guidance and has had to husband its resources minimum cohesion. Most naval mu- and support, nimbleness and―as carefully to fi eld the best fl eet pos- seums, which had uneven fortunes with any real labor of love―a tireless sible. When push came to shove, it depending on the circumstances and amount of sweat equity. Of course, historically has always placed avail- benefactors around them, eventually it would be impossible without the able dollars against its most pressing became orphaned under a framework commitment of Navy leadership, and combat needs—typically toward its that recognized them chiefl y as a in that I had the benefi t of a unique forward deployed fi ghting forces. drain on vanishing facility fund- alignment of stars: focused, Big Pull Together • Spring 2014 3 Navy leadership backing; the real work ahead.
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