Editor's Page

This month we launch our redesign of Proceedings with a more dynamic, colorful, and contemporary look befitting the tradition and dignity of a publication well over a century old.

Why'd we do it? Well, first, it seemed about time—this is the first complete revamping in many years. But more important, we changed because of you. We know there are a lot of demands on your time—so we have tried to make the articles more accessible. Now you can see at a glance which story you want to read first. We have gone the extra mile to find the best possible photos and make sure every element on every page—from the headlines and subheads and pull quotes down to the photo captions—all work together to help tell the story better.

You'll see changes from bow to stern—some subtle, some a little more dramatic, none drastic. For a start, on the cover, our logo has changed—but subtly. Our aim was to play up the strengths of the 134-year-old institution the magazine represents by giving more prominence to the Naval Institute and its standing as an Independent Forum on National Defense whose reputation derives from its willingness—indeed its dedication—to air issues that matter and to remain independent of anyone besides our readers. As for the title—we changed that, too, at least its typeface, but you may have a hard time seeing the difference. We tried out more than 700 different fonts for Proceedings, and in the end selected a new typeface that was very much like the old, strong and bold, just a little more modern and streamlined. Hey, if it ain't broke, all you need to do is tweak it.

 

We've made the type easier to read throughout—and the Table of Contents easier to find the stories you want. The Departments are livelier and we've introduced more pull quotes so that you can quickly zero in on the messages of our expert columnists. And the new consistent layout and design unifies the front of the book and the back of the book into one coherent whole.

The biggest changes come in the feature well—the center of the book, the heart of the magazine. We have expanded our contacts with the most talented writers, analysts, and photographers—in and out of the Sea Services—to present the strongest and timeliest views on the issues. And the new bolder, more colorful double-spreads throughout the well underline our mission: to tell stories without pulling punches, with coherence and clarity, with heat when called for, but with light always. Finally, we hope you notice our dramatic last page—with its powerful, full-blown photo from the Naval Institute's Archives that tells its own story—and a quotation, usually thoughtful, at times lighthearted—that together remind us how keeping in touch with our past can give us insight for our conduct in the present and future.

Directing our efforts has been veteran journalist and New York publishing guru Susan Seliger of NetSuccess Consulting, ably assisted by our in-house design team of Kelly Erlinger, Jen Mabe, and Amy Voight. None of this is cast in concrete, so let us know what you like and what you don't. Write to us at [email protected].

The month of May brought the loss of one of the Naval Institute's dearest friends and most prolific authors, retired Marine Brigadier General Edwin H. Simmons, Director Emeritus of Marine Corps History. General Simmons was the institutional memory of the Corps and a combat veteran of three wars. His friend, co-author, and fellow Marine Joe Alexander pays tribute to him on page 54.

The past month or so has seen other deeply felt losses. On 21 April, Lieutenant Commander Kevin J. Davis, 32, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, died when his F/A-18 Hornet plunged into a Beaufort, South Carolina, neighborhood during a Blue Angels air show. Not long after, on 2 May, Navy Captain Walter M. Schirra, one of the original seven Mercury astronauts, passed away. Finally, author David Halberstam, acclaimed chronicler and unraveler of Vietnam War decision-making, was killed in a car crash on 23 April.