When I take an out-of-town trip, I always try to squeeze in at least a brief visit to a historical site—be it a museum, ship, or battlefield. Naval History readers, I suspect, try to do the same.
To help you plan trips to historic nautical destinations, or just to take you on an armchair visit to them, we publish Museum Report in each issue. The one-page articles often can only scratch the surface of a particular location's naval history, but in this issue, we're giving you more.
Tom Huntington's article about the Charlestown Navy Yard and the USS Constitution is the first of periodic longer feature stories that will delve into the history of a particular travel destination while providing the logistical information to help you plan a visit there. The former editor of Historic Traveler and American History magazines, Tom has vast experience in mixing history and travel, and the Boston area—home of the Constitution and the navy yard—is arguably America's maritime heritage hotbed. Complementing Tom's article is frequent Naval History contributor retired Commander Tyrone Martin's account of his stint as a modern-day captain of the Constitution, which is the world's oldest commissioned warship still afloat.
While Commander Martin is one of the leading authorities on the Constitution, Dr. James Bradford and retired Navy Reserve Rear Admiral Joseph Callo are noted experts on John Paul Jones, who was memorialized by President Theodore Roosevelt and other dignitaries at the U.S. Naval Academy 100 years ago. Dr. Bradford marks the centennial of that event with an article about what a present-day Roosevelt might say about Jones and his life's lessons, and Admiral Callo recounts the naval hero's service in the Russian Navy and how he fared in battle against the Turks. Admiral Callo's biography of Jones, John Paul Jones: America's First Sea Warrior, is due out in March from the Naval Institute Press.
Another noteworthy Naval Institute Press release is Black Shoe Carrier Admiral: Frank Jack Fletcher at Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal, by World War II naval aviation expert John Lundstrom. The book is scheduled to be released in May, but you can get an early look by reading the excerpt in this issue about the tension-filled morning of 7 May 1942 that climaxed with the sinking of the Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho.
Finally, this issue marks the arrival on the Naval History staff of Senior Designer Kelly Erlinger and the return of former Editor-in-Chief Fred Shultz. Fred left the Naval Institute in March 2005, and after trying his hand at editing less engaging material, he's back home. Most of his work time is now devoted to the Naval Institute's Proceedings, but he'll be helping with Naval History as time allows. Besides Fred's sharp editing skills, his sage advice will greatly help me ensure that Naval History maintains and exceeds the high standard of quality he helped establish.
—Richard G. Latture, Editor-in-Chief
