b/w photo of submarine partially emerged from water

A Modern Submarine on Eternal Patrol – A Tribute to the USS Thresher (SSN 593)

This April 10th marks the 60th Anniversary of the loss of the USS Thresher (SSN 593). The Thresher was the first of two nuclear submarines lost during the Cold War,  the other being the USS Scorpion (SSN 589) in 1968. Bow View of the Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine USS Thresher (SSN-593), July 24, 1961 (Local ID: … Continue reading A Modern Submarine on Eternal Patrol – A Tribute to the USS Thresher (SSN 593)

8 May page from USS Lexington deck log, list of casualties

The Death of a Lady: The USS Lexington (CV-2) at the Battle of the Coral Sea, Part I: The Log

Today's post was written by David Langbart, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. This is the first post in a three-part series. After the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, imperial Japanese forces seemed unstoppable, winning battle after battle in the Philippines, and other places in the Pacific – Wake Island, Guam, … Continue reading The Death of a Lady: The USS Lexington (CV-2) at the Battle of the Coral Sea, Part I: The Log

Know Your Records: U.S. Navy Deck Logs

By Onaona Guay Know Your Records: U.S. Navy Deck Logs U.S. Navy deck logs and muster rolls are among the most popular U.S. Navy records in our holdings. Archivists here at Archives II frequently consult these records to answer researcher requests. Considering their popularity, we thought it might be helpful to dive a little deeper … Continue reading Know Your Records: U.S. Navy Deck Logs

Searching for a Shellback Ceremony in the Navy Deck Logs

Today's post is written by Archives II volunteer Jan Hodges. Do you know what a shellback ceremony is? Chances are that unless you’re a Navy man or a relative, you probably don’t. It’s a ritual conducted aboard ship after it crosses the equator. And not just any old ceremony--one that becomes part of the sailor’s permanent record. The Reference Unit … Continue reading Searching for a Shellback Ceremony in the Navy Deck Logs

The Navy Deck Logs: Personal Experience

Today's post is written by Anwar Thomas, an archives technician at Archives II. Processing and consolidating the Navy Deck Logs (National Archives Identifier 594258), in Record Group 24: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, was an interesting project in my large criteria of archival experience.  These logs are filled with many interesting hidden facts … Continue reading The Navy Deck Logs: Personal Experience

The Navy Deck Logs: Personal Connection

Today's post is written by student technician Robert Finch. While working on the Navy Deck Logs (RG 24, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel) project I called my uncle and asked him which ships his father-in-law, “Mr. W.”, served on during World War II. “Mr. W.” was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 … Continue reading The Navy Deck Logs: Personal Connection

The Navy Deck Logs

Today's post is written by Carrie Jones, Student Employee at the National Archives in College Park, MD. I have been with NARA for a year as a student and since I started, I have been working on the team that has been processing and consolidating the Navy deck logs in RG 24, Records of the … Continue reading The Navy Deck Logs

If I Was in Charge…

By Denise Henderson We want to hear from our researchers!  Here’s your chance to tell us what record groups you would like to see us working on…if you were in charge! In the last few years, the archivists working in the Textual Archives Services Division at Archives II  have been involved in several large-scale processing projects.  … Continue reading If I Was in Charge…