A tale of sacrifice and survival, the USS Taylor and USS Blakeley, two Wickes-class destroyers, exemplified the bravery and resilience of the US Navy during World War II.

Despite early challenges to women’s place in the Navy, the WAVES’s establishment as a part of the Navy itself, not a corps or auxiliary like the WAACs, was “precedent-breaking.”

The USS Stewart, a Clemson-class destroyer, earned the nickname after having the unique distinction of serving under both the American and Imperial Japanese navies during World War II. 

The loss of Johnnie David Hutchins was devastating to his family, but his moment of bravery almost certainly saved other parents and siblings from experiencing that same loss in the fall of 1943.

Navy Ensign John Joseph Parle risked his own life to save a ship and ensure a successful Allied amphibious invasion of Sicily in 1943. 

Bravery—even unto death—was evident everywhere as Imperial Japan’s air and sea forces struck the US naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

October 26 marks the National Day of the Deployed. The day honors all servicemembers who have been deployed in the service of the United States. It also honors the sacrifices their families have made during deployments.

Often overshadowed by the Battle of Midway, the hard-fought carrier naval battle in May 1942 in the waters of the Coral Sea north of Australia marked the end of the phase of Japanese triumphs in the Pacific War and proved to be of strategic significance.

Naval Reserve officer Grace Hopper was a pioneer of computing during World War II, laying the foundation for today’s technology.

For Allied leaders, 1942 was a year of incredible danger and anxiety in the Battle of the Atlantic.