Navy Day: Unheard Facts of US’s Pride

October 27th is a special day in the United States. Navy Day is a day to salute all of the women and men who have served, both past and present, in the United States Navy. The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States.

This branch of the armed services offers a lot of interesting facts as well as Navy trivia.

In regards to its birthplace, the Navy takes no position.

To this day the U.S. Navy is still not in agreement about its birthplace. Some believe it was born in Beverly, Massachusetts while others argue it was in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Each town claims the homeport of Hannah, the schooner. Other cities claim to be the birthplace of the U.S. Navy including Providence, RI, Philadelphia, PA, and Whitehall, NY.

The Continental Navy - The Original Name

The U.S. Navy was originally named The Continental Navy. It was created on October 13th, 1775. This was about six months after the beginning of the Revolutionary War. However, following the war, they disbanded. The U.S. went without a navy for nine years. The Naval Act of 1794 recreated the group, and the U.S. Navy was formed, making it the second time when it was born.

U.S. Navy is the largest in the world

In terms of manpower, the U.S. Navy is the largest in the world. There are roughly 323,000 active members along with 109,000 personnel. This makes it the largest in the world in terms of manpower. The navy has 288 battle force ships, 22 cruisers, 62 destroyers, 10 aircraft carriers, nine amphibious assault ships, 3,700 aircraft, 72 submarines, and 17 frigates.

U.S. Navy Played A Vital Role In WWII

The U.S. Navy was the proud branch that six U.S. presidents chose to defend their country during WWII. They were John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon.

NCIS is the part of U.S. Department of the Navy

Most people think of the NCIS as a television program; however, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is the major law enforcement agency within the U.S. Department of the Navy. This team has 1,200 Special Agents. There are 900 civilian professionals and more than 200 military members who operate from 140 locations throughout the world. Their collective goal is to prevent terrorism, reduce crime, and protect secrets.

The naming of the ships to date is done by the Secretary of the Navy

The Secretary of the Navy, in 1819, was given the task of naming the ships. This power continues to be enjoyed to date. Generally, the Naval Historical Center compiles names from suggestions made by the public, retirees, sailors, and naval history.

Battle of Leyte Gulf and U.S. Navy

The Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 23-26, 1944, is the largest naval battle in WWII. The battle involved more than 200,000 naval personnel combining American and Australian forces against the Imperial Japanese Navy. This was a part of the invasion of Leyte to isolate Japan from countries it had previously occupied in Southeast Asia.

SUMMING UP

Navy Day is to honor those men and women in uniform. It is focused on those who have sacrificed their lives is specifically about military service. The U.S. is one of many countries that celebrates its own Navy Day. Many people buy country flags to celebrate and it is popular for people to buy flags online.

The Military World Games is another time when people buy their country flags to celebrate. Beginning in 1995, The Games originated in Rome and are held every four years. Just like the Olympics, military participants enjoy a wide variety of sporting activities. The Naval Pentathlon is an activity the U.S. Navy looks forward to each game. This is an individual and team competition, for men and women, including five events from swimming to seamanship. The grueling competition concludes with the amphibious cross-country 2,500m run. It is interspersed with three additional tasks that include shooting, rowing, and grenade throwing.

Best wishes to the U.S. Navy on Navy Day and thank you to our brave former and current men and women who have served our country. Flags.Com is a flag store online that has a wide collection of flagpoles, state flags, military flags, country flags, and American flags. You can buy your Navy flag to support the USA at Flags.com.