Navy

U. S. Navy

The mission of the U. S. Navy is to defend the sea lanes surrounding our nation. This mission is extended via treaties to include our allies and other friendly nations.

 

The Navy traces its lineage to the Continental Navy of the American Revolution. Since then it has served with distinction in all America's wars. It was at Hampton Roads in the Civil War, Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War, and the Coral Sea in World War II. Its aircraft carriers were the key to victory in the Pacific in World War II where later in the War they endured the terror of kamikaze suicide attacks by Japanese airplanes. Later the Navy's nuclear submarines became a vital part of our deterrence strategy to avoid nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

 

In the Navy Exhibit you will learn about the various types of ships using by the U. S. Naval Forces, such as landing craft and aircraft carriers and about the kamikaze attacks.

 

Seabees

 

The Seabees are the Navy's Construction Battalion whose official motto in Latin is "Construimus, Batuimus"— which translates as "We Build, We Fight." . In the Pacific during World War II, where most of the construction work was needed, the Seabees landed soon after the Marines and built major airstrips, bridges, roads, gasoline storage tanks, and Quonset huts for warehouses, hospitals, and housing. In Korea they landed at Inchon with the troops and built desperately-needed causeways within hours. The Seabees continued their heroic work in Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.