Congress awards its highest honor to USS Indianapolis crew
WASHINGTON Congress has awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, its highest honor, to surviving crew members of the USS Indianapolis, the ship that delivered key components of the first nuclear bomb and was later sunk by Japan during World War II. So to her crew members who are still standing watch: Your Congress and your nation say thank you.'' He called the crew members among the best the United States Navy has to offer.'' None of the crew members would call himself a hero, Toti added, "but they would all say they served in a crew of heroes.'' The crew members epitomized the Navy's ethos of service above self, Braithwaite said.
It's the US Navy's birthday
U.S. Department of the Navy(CNN) - Salute to the United States Navy, which celebrates its 244th birthday on Sunday. In 1972, nearly 200 years after its founding, Adm. Elmo Zumwalt designated October 13 as the Navy's official birthday. After the US won its independence in 1783, the Continental Navy was disbanded and its remaining ships were sold. The Navy's newest ship, the latest model of destroyer, is the USS Zumwalt, named after that admiral that designated its birthday. NCIS special agents deploy aboard Navy vessels and conduct security assessments ahead of US Navy ships docking in foreign ports.
US tested new missile in the Pacific as China paraded weapons
The Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is a sea-skimming cruise missile that is difficult to spot on radar, and can maneuver to avoid enemy defenses. HAGTA, Guam - As China paraded some of its most powerful weaponry during celebrations marking the Communist state's 70th anniversary on Tuesday, the United States Navy tested its newest piece of firepower in the Pacific. In the waters off Guam, the USS Gabrielle Giffords fired off a Naval Strike Missile (NSM), a sea-skimming cruise missile that is difficult to spot on radar, and can maneuver to avoid enemy defenses. The Giffords is the first US Navy ship to deploy with the Naval Strike Missile, and analysts say it helps even the equation in the Pacific, where China has been increasing its missile arsenal in terms of quality and quantity. China now enjoys a 3-to-1 advantage in cruise missiles over the US, but the Naval Strike Missile can eventually "change the game," said Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain now an instructor at Hawaii Pacific University.
On this day: July 5
2005: Vice Admiral James Stockdale, one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the United States Navy and Ross Perot's vice presidential running mate in 1992, dies of Alzheimer's disease at age 81 in Coronado, California. Stockdale, who was awarded 26 personal combat decorations, including the Medal of Honor and four Silver Stars, was the highest-ranking naval officer held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He is perhaps best remembered today for introducing himself to the country during the 1992 vice presidential debate by joking "Who am I? Why am I here?" Hide Caption