United States Navy

The Battle of Lake Erie, otherwise known as the Battle of Put-in Bay, was one of the crucial turning points of the War of 1812.

Explore the World War II effort through the experiences of three women who served in the United States Naval Reserve, better known as the WAVES, at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York. 

The National Park Service (NPS) was only 26 years old when the United States entered World War II. The young bureau faced very real threats to its mission, with increasing pressure to contribute its natural and cultural resources to the war effort even as its budget and staff were slashed. Under the leadership of Director Newton B. Drury, the NPS was able to do its part for the war while maintaining its public trust responsibilities to the American people.

Discover some first-hand accounts of areographers, who made weather observations to help keep military personnel safe.

A native of Birmingham, AL, Al spent time at a number of state-side bases before being sent to the Aleutians, where he reached the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Learn more about his war experiences.

On long voyages far from home, National Park Service employee and Navy veteran Jim Haas said he often looked to the stars for comfort and inspiration. Haas chatted with communications specialist Julie West of the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division about his years of service in the Navy on board ships near and far from home under starry skies.

Allan Rohan Crite was an extraordinary employee at the Charlestown Navy Yard during World War II and the post-war years. Crite worked as an Engineering Draftsman and Technical Illustrator in ship design for over thirty years, and at the same time he pursued his passions for art and for religion.

When the War of 1812 came in full force to the Chesapeake Bay region, it created new opportunities for slaves who wanted to flee with the British to freedom. During April 1814 Admiral Alexander F. I. Cochrane issued a bold proclamation freeing enslaved people who joined the British cause; this was similar to Lord Dunmore’s attempt to mobilize Virginia blacks during the American Revolution.

After capturing the British frigate Macedonian in a brutal engagement, Stephen Decatur and his crew came home to a hero’s welcome, sharing $300,000 in prize money. Though strategically insignificant, the loss of the Macedonian was a major blow to the Royal Navy’s prestige and aura of invincibility.

Confederate defenders of Fort Sumter defeated a direct assault by Union sailors and Marines on September 8, 1863. This constituted the only direct assault on Fort Sumter in its history and allowed the Confederates to retain Fort Sumter until Charleston's evacuation in February 1865.