USS Thresher Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/17/2008 - 20:05
Description

John McNish, a former Captain on the USS Thresher, talks to Gwen Wright of PBS's History Detectives about life on the submarine.

USS Indianapolis Survivor Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/17/2008 - 15:41
Description

Wes Cowan of PBS's History Detectives interviews USS Indianapolis survivor L.D. Cox, who relates his memories of the ship's sinking.

Local War Stories: Francis Murphy Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/04/2008 - 14:03
Description

World War II U.S. Navy veteran Francis Murphy talks about his experiences during the war, in the Atlantic theater.

Audio and video options are available.

Local War Stories: Gerald Halderman Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/04/2008 - 14:03
Description

World War II U.S. Navy veteran Gerald Halderman talks about his experiences during the war, in the Pacific theatre.

The audio of this clip is available as a downloadable MP3 file.

USS Constitution [MA]

Description

The USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides," is the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat in the world. Built in 1797, the wooden ship saw active service until 1881, taking part in the War of 1812 and, as a training ship, in the Civil War.

Today, visitors may tour the Constitution.

Navy Museum [DC]

Description

The Museum presents an overview of U.S. naval history. Permanent and temporary exhibitions commemorate the Navy's wartime heroes and battles as well as its peacetime contributions in exploration, diplomacy, space flight, navigation, and humanitarian service.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events.

U.S. Naval Academy Museum [MD]

Description

The U.S. Naval Academy Museum presents the historical and modern role of the United States Navy—both in times of war and in times of peace. Emphasis is placed on artifacts related to Naval officers and Naval Academy alumni. Artifacts on display include those related to the USS Constitution, the USS Monitor, Edward Preble, Isaac Hull, John Dahlgren, and William Halsey. Other collection highlights include ship models made in the 18th century.

The museum offers exhibits.

National Naval Aviation Museum

Description

At the Museum, visitors can experience hands-on history displays on naval aviation and see more than 150 restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aviation. They can feel the sensations of flight in a flight simulator or visit the Naval Aviation Memorial Theater and view an IMAX film.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, film screenings, and educational and recreational programs.

Women of World War II

Image
Poster, date unknown (World War II)
Annotation

In 1943, at the peak of World War II, the United States military inaugurated the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP, program. The program was designed to bring women pilots into the Air Force in light of the growing shortage of male pilots. More than 1,000 women served in non-combat positions, and eventually flew more than 60 million miles for the war effort. In March 2010, these women received the Congressional gold medal, among the highest civilian honors for courage, service, and dedication.

This website presents more than 250 photographs of women in the service during World War II, including 30 of the WASPs. The Women's Army Corp (WACS), Coast Guard SPARS, Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), Army nurses, and women Marines are also included. There are photographs of nine "notable women," such as Jacqueline Cochran, the founder of the WASPs program, and Lieutenant JG Harriet Ida Pickens and Ensign Frances Wills, the Navy's first African American WAVES officers.

Accompanying these photographs is a selection of close to 100 recruiting posters targeted at women. While other websites document the role of women during World War II, this website stands as one of the largest repositories of contemporary photographs of their military efforts.