NAVY DAY

Navy Day

Navy Day on October 27th salutes all of the military personnel who have served, both past and present, in the United States Navy. Hooyah!

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. The U.S. Navy currently stands as the largest, most powerful navy in the world, with the highest combined battle fleet tonnage. The service engages over 340,000 personnel on active duty and more than 71,000 in the Navy Reserve.

Throughout the Revolutionary War, the Navy's importance grew. Today, the United States maintains 40 naval bases across the country, including the world’s largest Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia.

Below the sea, submarines became a part of the Navy during World War II. While experiments began in the late 1800s and during the Civil War, they did not join a large part of the Navy inventory until World War II. At that point, subs became necessary for surveillance and rescue, even though they were also armed.

With the advent of the airplane, the Navy became vital stations for the Airforce as well. As a result, the Navy modified ships into floating landing strips. Today, joint Naval and Air Bases such as Pearl Harbor-Hickam provided necessary fleets of the sea and air defense.

Theodore Roosevelt and the Navy

Between 1922 and 1972, the Navy celebrated its birthday on October 27th in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt's birth. He elevated the U.S. Navy to a premier fighting force. During his term as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, he built up the power and strength of the U.S. Navy. Roosevelt's pursuit of the naval aircraft advanced the U.S. Navy. As president, Roosevelt was the first president to submerge in a submarine and also the first to fly. His support of the Navy led the former Secretary of the Navy, John F. Lehman, to say, Theodore Roosevelt, "was one of the architects of our modern Navy."

6 WAYS TO CELEBRATE NAVY DAY

Recognizing Naval service members and their dedication to their country is easy to do. Pick one of these celebration ideas and use the hashtag #NavyDay to post how you celebrate social media.

  1. Spend some time learning about the Navy's rich and storied past. Visit a local maritime museum, a museum ship like the USS Constitution or the USS Midway, or watch a documentary on a key naval battle or era. Understanding the history behind the service is a powerful way to honor it.

  2. Host a movie night featuring the Navy on the big screen. From Top Gun or Top Gun: Maverick, to The Hunt for Red October or Crimson Tide, we are sure you can find a movie to celebrate!

  3. Show your support by proudly flying the American flag and, if you have one, the U.S. Navy flag. Go further and embrace the official Navy colors by wearing blue and gold for the day. It's a simple yet highly visible gesture of solidarity and respect.

  4. Thank a Navy veteran or an active-duty sailor by reaching out with a personal message of gratitude. Remember their families, too—organizations like the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society provide incredible support, and a donation in honor of the day is a wonderful tribute.

  5. Spend some time learning about the incredible technology that the Navy operates. Discover the massive aircraft carriers that are essentially floating cities. The stealthy nuclear submarines are a great way to appreciate the skill and intelligence required to be a modern sailor.

  6. Visit a park or memorial dedicated to veterans. Paying your respects is the perfect way to observe the day and reflect on the sacrifices made by sailors throughout history.

NATIONAL NAVY DAY HISTORY

The Navy League of the United States organized the first Navy Day in 1922, choosing October 27th to honor the birth of President Theodore Roosevelt. Navy Day received particular attention from President Warren Harding. Harding wrote to the Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby:

“Thank you for your note which brings assurance of the notable success which seems certain to attend the celebration of Navy Day on Friday, October 27, in commemoration of past and present services of the Navy. From our earliest national beginnings, the Navy has always been and deserved to be an object of special pride to the American people. Its record is indeed one to inspire such sentiments, and I am very sure that such a commemoration as is planned will be a timely reminder.”

In 1949, the Department of Defense Secretary Louis A. Johnson directed the United States Navy’s participation on Armed Forces Day in May. Although, as a civilian organization, the Navy League was not affected by this directive and continued to organize Navy Day celebrations as before.

Then, in the 1970s the “birthday” of the Continental Navy was found to be October 13, 1775. CNO Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt worked with the Navy League to define October 13th as the new date of Navy Day. However, Navy Day in the United States remains primarily recognized as October 27th.