Last Regular Ration
Henry Voris
Louis Norton’s article in the April issue (“Rum: The Spirit of the Sea,” pp. 20–23) dredged up a fond memory. At the time of “Black Tot Day” (31 July 1970) my father was the medical officer for CINCPAC with his flag at Pearl Harbor. A few days earlier a small group of British warships had arrived at the harbor. Invitations went out to the flag officers and their families to come aboard the British flagship and partake in the last issue of grog. These ships were located the farthest west of any British warship. We were informed that they were the last Royal Navy warships to issue grog that day.
I can attest that my efficiency was sorely affected by the rum. But it made for a pleasant hour or so on deck.
“To the Queen. God Bless Her.”
Naval Preservation News
Captain Bill Heard, U.S. Naval Reserve (Retired)
Readers of Naval History will be pleased to learn that the Nashville Parks and Recreation Department plans to renovate and provide proper interpretation for the USS Tennessee monument located in the city’s Centennial Park.
The decision to restore the monument—the armored cruiser’s bow scroll, whose decorative escutcheon, scroll, and mounting have deteriorated badly over the years—was made following the publication in Naval History of two articles about the historic ship: Andrew C. A. Jampoler’s “The Short Life and Hard Times of an Armored Cruiser” (August 2016, pp. 42–48), and an “In Contact” letter, “Armored Cruiser’s Other Tragedy” (October 2016, p. 8), which I wrote as a follow-up.
In a recent email, Metro Parks Assistant Director Tim Netsch told me “restoration and interpretation of the monument” is one of the goals in his agency’s new master plan. He said funding and timing of the USS Tennessee project are still to be determined, but “we are committed to its preservation and honoring its legacy.”
One day in the not-too-distant future, we can hope to see the USS Tennessee monument resume its place as an appropriate historical marker—one that will honor the ship and the sailors who have sacrificed so much for our nation.
The Real Vice Admiral Bieri
Several sharp-eyed readers pointed out that we misidentified an officer as Navy Vice Admiral Bernhard H. Bieri in an April issue photo (p. 4). Nostra culpa. The photo is of his son, Rear Admiral Bernhard H. Bieri Jr., Supply Corps, U.S. Navy.
Changes to Naval History
Lieutenant Commander Michael Hays, U.S. Navy (Retired)
My relationship with the Naval Institute began in the 1980s as a gift membership when I became a commissioned Mustang. Church excepted, I have enjoyed this membership more than any other and in turn have directed others to the Institute, especially to Naval History.
The recent changes to Naval History spur me to urge a reconsideration of the editorial decision to reinvent the magazine for a younger readership. Dumbing down the content to accommodate the marginally literate with short attention spans may not best serve existing readers or the magazine’s prosperity in the short or long runs. One walk down the well-stocked magazine racks in a large grocery store will show you a considerable variety of military-themed mags aimed at the lowest common denominator of reader with lots of large-format photos, minimal informative text, and plenty of glitz and color. None of these mags—including the remodeled Naval History—would warrant more than a quick flip-through from most adults with an amateur or academic interest in military history.
If any change is needed in Naval History it should be to target the well-read historian with deeper stories of lesser known naval incidents, development of technology and tactics, and biographies of almost forgotten officers and ratings who represented the best of our naval tradition. Now that would be a history magazine that could command attention and respect above the crowd on the racks in stores and libraries. We don’t need another comic book, but serious civilian and military readers do deserve a history magazine that shows the fruits of clever scholarship and unique research and presents valuable lessons learned that can be applied to the Sea Services of the present.
Editor’s Note: Thank you for engaging! The changes being made do not constitute a dumbing down of Naval History. By tightening articles from an average of eight pages to six, for example, we are making the magazine more readable without sacrificing our standards for original scholarship, unique research, and valuable lessons learned for the Sea Services. The new one-page “As I Recall” and “Bluejacket’s Manual” columns tap into real history and educate our readers. Moreover, this issue’s solid lineup of articles is evidence that our editorial standards are high, and that’s where they’ll remain.
Yes, we are throwing in the with the enormous popularity of graphic novels because research tells us they are a compelling medium and could spark an interest in history across generations, younger and older. More than comics, they’re historically accurate graphic representations. Would reading the text of a Naval History article be a more thorough way to learn? Yes, but you might not find a more convincing way to invite a wider audience to explore naval history and to draw readers into the rich content of the magazine.
The mission of the Naval Institute demands that we do more than target well-read historians. We aim to keep the lessons of naval history alive to benefit current and future generations. Our efforts to improve Naval History already are bearing fruit, as we are beginning to partner with naval museums and Navy and Marine Corps JROTC units to bring naval history alive to new audiences. We welcome all Naval History readers’ suggestions as we strive to make the magazine even better.