Pieces of the past 8-21

Pieces of the Past

Seventy-five years ago this July, mushroom clouds—billowing, towering, weirdly majestic in their terrible magnitude—filled the sky for the first time since the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings that had ended World War II ...

Eric Mills
July 2021
U.S. Mint, coin collecting

Pieces of the Past

Americans have always been a seafaring people, and U.S. coins reflect that history. The first “ship coins” were minted in 1892 and 1893.

April 2021
U.S. NAVAL INSTITUTE PHOTO ARCHIVE

Pieces of the Past

A movement sprang up to show support for the POWs and those missing in action. The effort grew to be an early-’70s cultural phenomenon: the Vietnam POW/MIA bracelet.

Eric Mills
February 2021
Pieces of the Past

Pieces of the Past

If you’re a naval-oriented collector, perhaps you own a battleship model, be it a plastic Revell or a handcrafted beauty worth hundreds of dollars.

Eric Mills
October 2020
BATTLESHIP MISSOURI MEMORIAL

Pieces of the Past

“First copy signed with the Woo gift pen and second copy signed with my old green Parker pen.” Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz penned these words in a letter to ...

October 2020
COURTESY LLOYD MCCAFFERY

Pieces of the Past

What lover of nautical artifacts hasn’t ever wanted to own a ship’s figurehead? Or why not a whole array of them?

Eric Mills
August 2020
Pieces of the Past

Pieces of the Past

A flag, an Iron Cross, and a photograph reflect war-torn years when German Navy ships sailed the skies.

Eric Mills
June 2020
The Hunt for Red October

Pieces of the Past

This March marks the 30th anniversary of a Hollywood blockbuster movie premiere near and dear to the U.S. Naval Institute’s heart.

Eric Mills
March 2020
The Mark 42 firing mechanism was used to convert bombs into mines.

Pieces of the Past

An examination of a most unusual naval artifact: a Mark 42 firing mechanism, used to convert bombs into mines.

January 2020