US Navy’s 240th birthday
Today marks the 240th birthday of the US Navy when the Continental Congress decided it needed a force to protect the harbors and defend the coasts of the new nation on October 13th, 1775. The first warships were built at Whitehall, New York on October 11th, 1776 under the direction of Benedict Arnold for an assault up Lake Champlain. Arnold built 16 ships and confronted the British at Valcour Island, New York where he delayed the British long enough that they abandoned their plans to invade the colonies from Canada for a year.
The Navy was disbanded after the Revolution, relying on the Revenue Cutter Service (the Coast Guard) for damper security but the Navy was reestablished in 1794 in response to the Barbary pirates, half a world away.
Category: Navy
Happy Birthday, Squiddly Diddlies! Honored to have served alongside some of yas (even though you do some weird things :)). A round of mandatory briefings for everyone, on the house!
A bit of historical trivia: 13 October 1775 was a Friday (the UK and her colonies transitioned to the Gregorian calendar in 1752).
Happy birthday from the eldest US armed service, Navy. (smile)
Who’s that pictured?
SECNAV Mabus.
In honor of the event, I will share this story that happened a few years ago (before kids took over my life)
We were over at my parents for dinner and the conversation between my dad and I turned toward our days in the military.
ME: So here we are, washing down the bulkhead which has about 30 years of smoke buildup on it…
MOM: Why do you call it a bulkhead?
DAD: Because that’s what it is.
WIFE: But don’t you call the bathroom a ‘Head’?
ME: Yep.
Confused looks pass between my wife and my mom as dad and I sit there grinning.
MOM: Why don’t you just call it a wall like everyone else instead of making it so confusing?
ME: Well, we really do it just to mess with the Marines.
LMAO
Happy Birthday to all my Navy brothers and sisters! As long as you’re wet…keep the soap handy and don’t drop it.
You kiddin’? All the squids I’ve met would jump and grab their ankles if they dropped the soap. 😛
I kid. Happy birthday, Navy types.
Happy 240th Birthday to all my Shipmates past and present. To all of you Fair Winds and Following Seas….from a former AMH2, USN (1988-1997).
At Least nobody has mentioned The Village People yet.
For everyone who has heard “General Quarters, this is NOT a drill” at least once.
https://youtu.be/MXeLfMO9q4c
By the way, most of Arnold’s Navy is still at Valcour Island.
Hondo, I don’t mean to start another Civil war between us, but lets see if we can’t settle this little matter of which branch of the US armed servie is the oldest. It apears by your tread above that the oldest was the Navy, right???????. I say the Army was.
Where the tall corn grows
Negative, Sam. I think you misinterpreted my last sentence above. That sentence wished the Navy happy birthday, not called them eldest.
The US Army is indeed the United States’ eldest military service. It’s the only US military service that’s been in continuous existence since 1775.
If I had it to do over again, would I?
Yes, I would.
That is all.
On our birthday we get an announcement regarding unisex uniform change
“Both men’s and women’s uniform pants will have the traditional 13 buttons but those are just for show — “they will not be functional,” the Navy said.”
So apparently our uniforms are being made by the LCS designers……all show; no function.
One more comment before you guys bring out the big guns.
There were four in our family that served in the Armed services during world war 2, and the Korean war.
Three brothers, one in Germany, one served on Okinawa, and one on the USS Omaha, a four stacker light crusier, and myself, the Korean war. I lost a brother in-law over in the South Pacfic, served on the Submarine USS Cisco, sunk by a Jap patrol plane in the Red sea, so as you see, I don’t have any certain branch to choose from, I am only going by what info I gathered from the internet (Google). Be happy to send you the link. Right now I have 80 rows of corn that needs to be picked, I’ll be back this evening if any of you would like to take a few shots at me, “HOPE YOUR USEING BLANKS”
Where the tall corn grows
As Navy ground guy here and never on a ship because someone has to build the nice shit for the ground pounders. Loved it and would do it all over again.
Navy Seabees we build we fight…. Can Do….
140 years older than the Coast Guard. (Yeah, I’m starting shit again. That’s what I do. It doesn’t pay well but it does give me a fleeting sense of satisfaction.)
And Zero, there is no longer a need for the Village People and their Navy song. It’s not funny any longer because sodomites and transgenders are A-okay not only in the Navy but all branches today!
Sad, but true……
But did you have to use a photo of Mabus? I know it’s you blog and all, but that really hurt. WAAAAAAAH!
From Benedict Arnold to Ray Mabus – a long strange journey back to the beginning.
Would it be inappropriate of me to point out that the first US naval engagement was fought by an Army officer?
Where’s MCPO? Out celebrating?
Navy screwed up letting Bernasty in but they made up for it by never making him a CPO of any kind.