On Our Scope

By Fred L. Schultz Editor-in-Chief
February 2002
Much has been reported about heroism in the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. But other unsung heroes are in our midst. There to ...

Security Isn't Free

By Commander C. Douglas Kroll, U.S. Naval Reserve
February 2002
Homeland defense is not new. With communist infiltration a threat in the 1950s, the Coast Guard is charged with "draining the swamp" in U.S. ports.

Farewell to Midway’s Best

By Barrett Tillman
February 2002
Richard Halsey Best, the longest surviving squadron commander in the Battle of Midway, passed away on 28 October 2001. He was 92. Best was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy ...

How We Targeted the Nukes

By Vice Admiral Jerry Miller, U.S. Navy (Retired)
February 2002
A naval aviator on the scene takes us to the inner sanctum of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, which decided the disposition of such strategic weapons as Navy Polaris ...
Slade Cutter

A Hero Still Among Us

By Paul Stillwell
February 2002
One of the foremost pleasures of working in the field of naval history is the opportunity to know a number of the history-makers. Thus it was enjoyable during the week ...

In Contact

February 2002
“Death of the Arizona” (See J. Rodgaard, P. Hsu, and A. Biache, pp. 22-28, December 2001 Naval History) Tom Taylor I have been developing an in-depth timeline on the ...

Historic Fleets

By A. D. Baker III, Editor, Combat Fleets of the World
February 2002
Designed in the late 1930s, the 96 destroyers of the Benson (DD-421) and Gleaves (DD-423) classes were similar in appearance, the principal distinction being the flat-sided stacks on the 30 ...

“Spruce Goose”

By Norman Polmar, Author, Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet
February 2002
The so-called Spruce Goose was the largest aircraft built in World War II, but it did not fly until two years after the war and then for only one minute ...

Naval History News

February 2002
New Olympia Exhibit Opens The Independence Seaport Museum’s newest permanent exhibit, “Olympia: Launching the American Century,” opened to visitors at Philadelphia’s historic Penn Landing on 19 October 2001. (See our ...

Reviews

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Seamon, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (Retired) & Glenn Gordinier
February 2002
Video Review Camera Martyrs of Vietnam Navy Corpsmen: Blood Angels Produced by Lou Reda Productions. 60 minutes each. Both premiered in December 2001 and are showing currently on the History ...

Salty Talk

By Commander Tyrone G. Martin, U.S. Navy (Retired)
February 2002
Many things in this world are recognized as being of a particular national or cultural origin by the way they look. A teepee will immediately be identified as a Native ...