A quarter-century ago, the U.S. Naval Institute recommitted itself to one of its core missions—preserving and celebrating the history of America’s sea services—by launching Naval History. From a single issue published in 1987, we’ve grown to a quarterly and now a bimonthly magazine.
While 25 years in print is an auspicious milestone for any publication, Naval History’s longevity pales in comparison with our sister magazine’s. Proceedings dates back to 1874, the year after the Institute was founded by a group of naval officers concerned about the decrepit condition of the post–Civil War U.S. Navy.
Beginning with its first issue, Proceedings focused on the present and future of the sea services but regularly included naval history articles. The popularity of those features—as well as a story bank bulging with accepted history submissions—led to the decision to spin off an entire magazine devoted to the subject.
Its rich lineage is just one of several factors that differentiate Naval History from most other history magazines. Another is that we’re published by a nonprofit, membership-based organization. Subscribers to Naval History, as well as to Proceedings, are members of the Naval Institute.
Along with membership come responsibilities, the foremost of which is helping steer the direction of the organization and maintain the Naval Institute’s vitality by annually voting for its Board of Directors and Editorial Board. The Board of Directors is the Institute’s governing body, while the Editorial Board helps guide Naval History, Proceedings, and the Naval Institute Press. In the words of our CEO, retired Vice Admiral Peter H. Daly, it’s a member’s “right, duty, and obligation” to participate in this process.
Biographies of the 2012 board candidates appear on pages 68 through 71 of this issue.
• If you subscribe to Naval History but not Proceedings, you should vote using the ballot enclosed in your copy of this magazine. Mail in your ballot using the provided envelope.
• If you subscribe to both magazines, your ballot will be enclosed in your January issue of Proceedings.
• Ballots must be postmarked by 12 March to be counted.
• Members may also vote online at www.associationvoting.com/usni.
If you are not a Naval Institute member, please join us. Go to www.usni.org/join to review the many benefits of membership. In addition to receiving Naval History in your mailbox every other month, membership includes discounts on Naval Institute Press books and Naval Institute Photo Archive prints, and exclusive online access to Naval History and Proceedings content. But most important, by joining you’ll be supporting the Naval Institute’s crucial mission of providing an independent forum for the discussion of present-day as well as historical naval issues—a conversation that takes place in our publications, at our conferences, on our website, and in our blogs.
While Naval History is celebrating its silver anniversary this year, 2012 marks the golden anniversary of the Navy’s Sea, Air and Land Teams. Dick Couch’s “SEALs: Fifty Years and Counting” examines the teams’ World War II roots, their formation in early 1962, and their trial by fire in the Vietnam War. But when discussing the SEALs, it’s virtually impossible to ignore their headline-grabbing present-day exploits, and Mr. Couch continues their story to the war on terrorism and their takedown of Osama bin Laden.
Among this issue’s other offerings, Giles Healy’s article, “Into Battle on Board the Invincible,” includes a transcript of the historical treasure he found hidden in a suitcase of old camera equipment purchased at auction, and in “The Resurrection of John Paul Jones,” retired Navy Captain Patrick Grant documents an American ambassador’s six-year personal quest to locate the remains of one of the Navy’s greatest heroes.