High-Flying Happy 75th to the Blue Angels
The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels turn 75 years young in 2021, and to mark the occasion, the renowned squadron will perform 56 flight demonstrations at 29 locations, beginning this April.
Soon after World War II, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Chester W. Nimitz ordered the formation of a flight demonstration team to keep the public interested in naval aviation.
The team performed its first demonstration on 15 June 1946 at its home base, Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Florida, flying the F6F Hellcat. The team was first introduced as “the Blue Angels” at a show in Omaha, Nebraska, in July 1946.
That first year, the team also employed a North American Aviation SNJ-5 Texan (later known as T-6), which was painted and configured to simulate a Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero and flown to simulate aerial combat. It was painted yellow and affectionately named “Beetle Bomb.” The team continued to use the Beetle Bomb in its performances but later traded it in for a Grumman F8F-1 Bearcat, the same aircraft the team transitioned to
in August 1946.
In 1947, Flight Leader Lieutenant
Commander Robert “Bob” Clarke introduced the now-famous Blue Angels Diamond Formation. With the new formation, the team introduced two new maneuvers: the Diamond Loop and the Diamond Barrel Roll—maneuvers still performed today.
Since 1946, the Blue Angels have performed for nearly 500 million fans. And in this, their 75th-anniversary year, they will continue to add to those numbers. The announced 2021 air show schedule follows:
April: 10–11, NAS Jacksonville, Florida; 17–18, Lakeland, Florida; 24–25, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, South Carolina
May: 1–2, NAS Corpus Christi, Texas; 8–9, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; 26–28, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland; 29–31, Latrobe, Pennsylvania
June: 5–6, Lake Charles, Louisiana; 12–13, La Crosse, Wisconsin; 19–20, Niagara Falls, New York; 26–27, Duluth, Minnesota
July: 3–4, Kansas City, Missouri; 10, Pensacola Beach, Florida; 24–25, Fargo, North Dakota; 31, Eielson Air Force Base (AFB), Arkansas
August: 1, Eielson AFB, Alaska; 7–8, Seattle, Washington; 14–15, Owensboro, Kentucky; 21–22, Chicago, Illinois; 28–29, London, Ontario
September: 4–5, Joint Base Cape Cod, Massachusetts; 18–19, NAS Oceana, Virginia; 25–26, MCAS Miramar, California
October: 2–3, Huntington Beach, California; 9–10, San Francisco, California; 16–17, Loveland, Colorado; 23–24, Alliance Fort Worth, Texas; 30–31, Rome, Georgia
November: 6, NAS Pensacola, Florida
For more information about the Blue Angels’ 2021 air show schedule, visit www.blueangels.navy.mil.
New Navy History and Heritage Awards Program Announced
The Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) has announced a new awards program to recognize the work of organizations, museums, and individuals who use NHHC publications, documents, and artifacts in exhibits, published research, preservation, or lectures to publicly share the story of the U.S. Navy.
The objective of the Navy History and Heritage Award (NHHA) is to encourage and publicize scholarship about U.S. naval history.
“There are many private, nongovernment museums telling great stories about the history of the U.S. Navy to the American public,” said retired Rear Admiral Sam Cox, director of NHHC. “These awards are for those museums that serve as force multipliers in informing the public of our Navy’s history.”
The program will have three award categories:
- The Navy History and Heritage Excellence Pennant for large, medium, small, or other-sized artifacts, recognizes overall excellence in telling compelling and accurate stories of service at sea.
- The Maintenance Excellence Pennant for large, medium, small, or other-sized artifacts, recognizes excellence in preservation of macro artifacts such as ships and aircraft.
- The Curatorial Excellence Pennant recognizes those who go the extra mile to interpret and curate Navy artifacts.
The deadline for submission in this inaugural year of the awards, covering calendar year 2020, is 1 June 2021. For more information, visit www.history.navy.mil/get-involved/nhhc-awards-program.html.
Got an extra $125K? A Dive on the Titanic Awaits You
In April 1912, one of the greatest sea tragedies of all time occurred when the mighty transatlantic liner Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage.
mounted on the Mir I submersible.
NOAA/RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
In 2021, the Canadian outfit OceanGate Expeditions is leading six deep-sea voyages to the famous shipwreck, located 12,600 feet down some 400 miles off Newfoundland. Plagued by the ravages of time, tide, and extremophile bacteria, the Titanic is deteriorating at an alarming rate. For those who participate, this likely represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
But as with most things, you have to pay to play: To join one of the 2021 dives, scheduled from May through September, you have to pony up a cool $125,000.
You’ll get a private cabin on the eight-day cruise from Canada to the wreck site, and you’ll have an opportunity to pilot a five-person submarine during the 90-minute descent to the Titanic’s remains.
Beyond any fiscal considerations, other requisites apply: You must be able to board a Zodiac in rough seas. You must be able to succeed in basic strength, balance, and mobility testing. You must pass muster in a preliminary Skype/Zoom interview. You must have a valid passport and the legal capability to travel internationally. Furthermore, you must be 18 or older.
At press time, a handful of the 54 slots were still available. To learn more, visit oceangateexpeditions.com/how-to-join.
In the Age of COVID, A Virtual Event Celebrates WWII Sailor’s 100th Birthday
Sailors from Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Raleigh, North Carolina, produced a surprise 100th-birthday video in December for Warren Shepard, a
U.S. Navy veteran who served on board the Cannon-class destroyer escort USS Riddle (DE-185) during World War II.
The original concept had been for sailors to celebrate the occasion near Shepard’s home in Wilson, North Carolina. But keeping in line with COVID-19 safety precautions, Commander Roger “Lee” Huffstetler, commanding officer of NOSC Raleigh, decided that the in-person event was not possible. “I wanted to do something to honor him, but I have to make sure we’re keeping everyone safe,” Huffstetler said.
Working with the NOSC’s executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Allison Moon, and senior enlisted leader, Senior Chief Petty Officer Donald Bailey, the team decided to make a personal video message instead, to be recorded following their annual dress blue uniform inspection and morning muster on 9 December.
In the video just for Shepard, his family, and friends, Huffstetler called the NOSC crew to formation, rendered a salute to Shepard and his years of service, and then wished him a happy birthday. Afterward, each sailor took time to recite lines from a short script written by Moon.
“We developed the video concept as a contingency plan as COVID-19 cases really started to rise locally and we weren’t sure if the birthday celebration was going to happen—or if we would be able to attend if it did,” said Moon.
“We were especially glad to have the video done in time for Mr. Shepard to watch it on his big day, since his celebration ended up being postponed due to COVID.”
“This is important, and it’s rewarding,” Bailey said. “I wish we could do it for every one of our veterans.”