Black felt, grosgrain ribbon, ostrich feathers, and gold cockade, which is a ribbon rose or knot.
Specific History
Admiral Dewey is often pictured wearing his chapeau bras.
General History
A chapeau bras is a type of hat made to be compressed and carried under the arm without injury. It translates literally as “hat arm.” Such hats were a popular style worn on dress occasions by gentlemen in the 18th century. Admiral (the Commodore) George Dewey was in command of the U.S. Navy’s Asiatic Squadron based in Hong Kong in 1898 when the United States declared war on Spain. Commanded to sail to Manila and capture or destroy the Spanish fleet based there, he engaged the fleet in Manila Bay early May 1 and completely destroyed it by noon, without a single loss of American life. The Battle of Manila Bay was one of two major American naval victories in the Spanish-American War. The complete and final victory ended any threat from the Spanish naval forces. All major Spanish ships were destroyed or captured, without any significant damage occurring to the American Forces. The battle is perhaps best known as the occasion when Dewey uttered one of the most famous statements in American naval history: “You may fire when you are ready, Gridley.” Captain Charles Gridley was commander of the USS Olympia.
"Norfolk"-style jacket of navy blue with gold buttons and navy A-line cloth skirt. Wide-brimmed, flat-crowned, "sailor"-style hat of navy blue felt.
Specific History
Donated by Gertrude French Howalt, who is believed to have worn the uniform while serving as a yeoman in World War I.
General History
In 1917 as the United States prepared for World War I, the navy faced a crisis: skilled clerks and secretaries were desperately needed, but men didn't possess these skills in the numbers required. Secretary of the navy Josephus Daniels asked his staff "Is there any law that says a yeoman must be a man?" The Naval Reserve Act of 1916 did not specify gender for members of the Naval Coast Defense Reserve, and the navy began enlisting women in March. While most women were in secretarial or clerical jobs, other skills needed included telegrapher, draftsman, translator, mess attendant, ship camouflage designer, and recruiting agent. The women were only permitted to serve at shore stations, but confusion occurred when some of the women were given orders for sea duty. To avoid this error the navy added the suffix (F) for female after yeoman to make it easier to separate the women from the men. The work done by about 11,000 women in the navy was highly regarded, but all women were discharged by July 1919 as the navy returned to peacetime activities. To compensate for the sudden loss of administrative talent, the navy got special permission to expedite hiring of some women veterans through the Civil Service. The navy nurses, who were employed as civilians with the navy, continued to serve during the period between the two world wars. Women were not "in" the navy again until World War II.
The national dread of spies and saboteurs in the early days of the war prompted many informant programs. In March 1942, J. Edgar Hoover reported that the FBI had 17,000 informants in the United States; 2,400 were in industrial plants. An extreme result of this fear was the forced internment of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast of the United States.
Guarding against information leaks was something that the folks at home could do, and at least with the posters, they did it with vigor. This poster is part of the "loose lips" series and depicts anger and accusation in its message.
General History
Posters during World War II were designed to instill in people a positive outlook, a sense of patriotism, and confidence. They linked the war in trenches with the war at home. From a practical point, they were used to encourage all Americans to help with the war effort. The posters called on every man, woman, and child to endure personal sacrifice and domestic adjustments to further the national agenda. They encouraged rationing, conservation, and sacrifice. In addition, the posters were used for recruitment, productivity, and motivation as well as for financing the war effort. The stark, colorful graphic designs elicited strong emotions. The posters played to the fears, frustrations, and faith in freedoms that lingered in people's minds during the war.
The first safety razor was patented by King Gillette in 1901. It was created as an alternative to the straight razor, which required skill to wield, making a shave the purview of the local barber. Gillette's invention, which used disposable blades, eliminated the need for sharpening the blade and allowed the user to shave himself without fear of serious injury. He founded the American Safety Razor Company that same year. The Gillette Company was a player in the market for 101 years, until is was purchased by the Proctor & Gamble Company in 2005. Savvy marketing by the company, plus a good product, was the reason for the longevity.
One of those products, the U.S. Service Set, was introduced by the Gillette Safety Razor Company (as it was known then) during World War I. There were two versions, the khaki set and the metal set. The Gillette khaki set was issued to the soldier, but the metal set was available for the purchase price of five dollars from retailers such as Sears Roebuck and Company. It was marketed as the gift the soldier in service would like to have, and many were purchased by family and friends. The metal tin came with a handle, razor head, a pack of blades, and a mirror on the interior of the lid. The exterior of the lid was embossed with U.S. Army and Navy insignia.
This pin was made in Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas. Crafts like this pin served to create or reinforce connections and relationships between people imprisoned at the camps. On the back of this pin, featuring two lovebirds perched on a heart, are the initials "HGK/45". Perhaps in 1945, someone gave this pin to their sweetheart as a token of love and affection.
New Testament owned by James H. Stetson, who was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg.
General History
The Battle of Gettysburg was a critical turning point in the American Civil War. During the first three days of July 1863, over 172,000 men and 634 cannons were positioned in an area encompassing 25 square miles. An estimated 569 tons of ammunition were expended and, when the battle had ended, the losses toped 51,000 in dead and wounded soldiers on both sides. While the Confederate army retreated after Gettysburg, the war would drag on another two years. It would be the most costly battle ever fought on U.S. soil. The battle was commemorated by Abraham Lincoln’s legendary address. Lincoln stated: “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who died here that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” The world has remembered both the battle and Lincoln’s eloquent words.
In 1943, the procurement division of the army inquired about the possibility of obtaining a heat-resistant chocolate bar with an improved flavor. After a short period of experimentation, Hershey's Tropical Chocolate Bar in both one- and two-ounce sizes was added to the list of war production items. This bar was destined to exceed all other items in the tonnage produced. The Army-Navy "E" Production Award was given to Hershey Chocolate Corporation on August 22, 1942, in recognition of its outstanding war effort. The corporation received a flag to fly above the chocolate plant and a lapel pin for every employee. The award was presented for exceeding all production expectations in the manufacturing of an Emergency Field Ration. The “E” production award was not easily won nor lightly bestowed. The award recognized companies that consistently met high standards of quality and quantity in light of available resources. Major General Edmund Gregory said of Hershey, "The men and women of Hershey Chocolate Corporation have every reason to be proud of their great work in backing up our soldiers on the fighting fronts." In all, the Hershey Chocolate Corporation received five Army-Navy "E" awards.
Abridged Prayer Book for Jews in the Armed Forces of the United States, in drab green boards, 360 pp.
Specific History
This prayer book was owned by Sergeant Jules Herstein. He listed his military service on the inside back cover. He served five years from his induction in June 1940 until his discharge on December 5, 1945.
This combat helmet was used by NBC photographer Greg Mathieson in 2003, during the beginning of the ground war in Iraq. It is a Personnel Armor System Ground Troops (PASGT) helmet, also known as a "K-Pot" or a "FRITZ", which was developed by the US military in the 1970s to replace the M1 helmet worn by soldiers during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The PASGT helmet was designed to fit the individual soldier, unlike the "one size fits all" M-1; it comes in four sizes: extra-small, small, medium, and large1;. The shell of the helmet is made of Kevlar to provide increased ballistic protection. As is common practice for soldiers in combat, the user's blood type, "B", is written on the cover.
The pattern of the helmet cover is a pixilated camouflage pattern known as Marine Disruptive Pattern (MARPAT), created by the United States Marine Corps for use with the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform (MCCUU). MARPAT became standard issue in 2002. This is the desert pattern as is the woodland pattern, but the urban pattern has not been authorized by the Marine Corps for wear.
Atop the helmet is mounted an AN/PVS-14 Monocular Night Vision Device (MNVD). This devise is used in observation and command and control missions, and may be hand-held, head-mounted, helmet-mounted, or attached to a rifle. In this instance, the night vision was employed by the user, a news photographer, to produce nighttime video footage of combat actions.
1 According to the book, The Personnel Armor System Ground Troops (PASGT) Helmet (Schiffer Military Press, 1999), the helmet fits 98 percent of all U.S. Army personnel, with the medium size fitting approximately 50 percent of all soldiers.
This fife from the period of the American Revolution was unearthed on Red Bank battleground in 1800 near the New Jersey Monument.
General History
A fife is a small transverse flute, pitched to B-flat. There are six holes and no keys.
"The drum and fife regulated the Revolutionary War soldier's life. By commands of music, the soldier was notified when to awake in the mornings, when to attend drill, when to stop for meals, and when to report for pay. While on the march, music assisted with cadence and order, helping men to march in time. Music encouraged soldiers to press a march or attack with vigor."
"Orders were also given using whistles, blowing horns, and bagpipes. Music and songs in camp lifted soldiers' spirits following exhausting duty. They helped build fellowship in the regiments."
"Drums have been used to convey commands since ancient times. They provide distinct sounds that can be heard for great distances. The drum was the very voice and tongue of the commander. After the adoption of firearms, the fife came into use. Its peculiar piercing sound transcended the noise of men and gunfire, and added melody to the drumbeats. By the Revolution, armies had adopted a system of commands given by the drum and fife, which could rapidly communicate orders to whole armies at one time."
From National Park Service Collections American Revolutionary War: Guilford Courthouse.
Housewife sewing kit of blue wool with needle, thread, and buttons. Tobacco twist. Sugar bag, coffee bag and metal can, circular lamp, and camp stove.
General History
A vivandière, a woman who traveled with soldiers, often provided creature comforts to the men, including sugar, coffee, and tobacco. A housewife, or hussif, was a cloth sewing kit that soldiers carried into battle. Usually made of cloth or leather, it contained needles, thread, and a thimble for mending uniforms. While it was often difficult for the public to obtain tobacco, soldiers in the Civil War found it plentiful. The U.S. Navy supplied sailors with tobacco rations and in 1864, the Confederate government did the same for its soldiers. Confederate officers did not receive a tobacco ration as they were more likely to smoke the more fashionable cigar. Sugar and coffee were generally distributed to soldiers on an individual basis and carried in bags. Coffee cans were issued as part of a mess kit for cooking or boiling, as were oil lamps and camp stoves.
Olive-drab material with a close-fitting body, a stitched, semi-rigid visor, and a narrow front strap. The cap is peaked in front and reinforced with haircloth to support the weight of the full-sized officer's hat insignia depicting the Great Seal of the United States. The cap was also made of other materials to match the summer beige or white dress uniforms.
Specific History
This service cap was specifically designed for the Army Nurse Corps in 1942. Known at the time as the "new service cap," it was made of different types of materials to match either the winter olive drab, summer beige or dress white uniforms. This cap was worn with the winter uniform. The Army Nurse Corps cap is a distinctive item for nurses only; a different hat was worn by members of the Women's Army Corps (WAC). The uniforms of WACs and nurses were later standardized, and the nurses and WACs then wore the same cap.
General History
While the Nurse Corps was founded in 1901 as a component of the army, women have served as nurses and caregivers in American conflicts from the colonial period on. By World War II, the Army Nurse Corps was poised to take on increasing responsibilities. With fewer than 1,000 nurses on December 7, 1941, more than 59,000 nurses would serve before the war ended. Because of an acute shortage of nurses, a plan was developed to meet the demand through a draft. However, the war ended before this plan was implemented. Nurses served throughout the world, in all theaters, on land, sea, and air, and under combat conditions. Among those captured when US forces surrendered in the Philippines were sixty-seven nurses. They were liberated in February 1945. Sixteen nurses died as a result of hostile fire. Four nurses were awarded the Silver Star Medal for gallantry under fire at Anzio; one award was posthumous. During World War II only females could serve in the Army Nurse Corps. An early quota limiting the number of African American women who could serve as nurses was eliminated, but these nurses faced discrimination until segregation in the military services was ended by President Harry Truman's Executive Order in 1948. Although nurses were in the army, their status was not equal to those of male officers. The inequities of rank remaining were removed with the passage of the Army-Navy Nurses' Act of 1947 (Public Law 36) allowing nurses to become part of the regular army.
Ceremonial baton, inscribed with "von Blomberg," decorated with Nazi swastikas and German national eagles, on blue velvet covering.
Specific History
Werner von Blomberg was born in Stargard, Germany, on September 2, 1878. He joined the German Army and served as a second lieutenant in the Seventy-third Fusilier Regiment. He attended the War Academy (1904-07) before joining the General Staff in 1908. On the outbreak of the World War I, Blomberg was General Staff officer with the Nineteenth Reserve Division. He served on the Western Front where he won the Pour le Mérite. By the end of the war he had reached the rank of major. Blomberg's two brothers were killed in the conflict. Blomberg remained in the army and in 1920 was promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed chief of staff of the Doeberitz Brigade.
Four years later General Hans von Seeckt appointed him as chief of army training. In 1927 Blomberg was promoted to major general and appointed chief of the Troop Office. In this position he clashed with Kurt von Schleicher and in 1929 was sent to East Prussia to serve under Walther von Reichenau. In 1932 Blomberg was head of the German delegation at the Geneva Disarmament Conference. The following year Adolf Hitler appointed him minister of defense and in 1935 minister of war and commander-in-chief of the German Army. It was Blomberg's idea to get all soldiers to pledge an oath of personal loyalty to Hitler.
In April 1936 Blomberg became Hitler's first field marshal. He was outmaneuvered, however, by Hermann Goering, who was jealous of Blomberg's power and used the Gestapo to obtain embarrassing information about his pretty young second wife, who turned out to have been a prostitute with a criminal record. In January 1938, Blomberg resigned when he discovered Goering was planning make this information public. Blomberg and his wife were ordered to spend a year in exile on Capri. The scandal allowed Hitler to take direct control of the army. After the war Blomberg was captured by Allied troops and gave evidence at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial. Werner von Blomberg died while being held in detention on March 14, 1946.
This particular hat is from the War Department collection, and is in unissued condition. It conforms to specifications within close tolerances and carries the maker label "W.H Hurlbut/Contract? Sept. 29th 1890./737 Broadway, New York" on the inner side fo the 1 3/4 inch sweat. The edge of the brim carries three rows of stitching. The hat cord also conforms to the specifications.
General History
In 1866 the Congress in reestablishing the peace-time Army authorized the President "To enlist and employ in the Territories and Indian country a force of Indians, not to exceed 1000, to act as scouts, who shall receive the pay and allowances of cavalry soldiers, and to be discharged whenever the necessity for their employment is abated...."
As of October 1868 there were 412 such scouts in the service. Over the years these scouts were enlisted for periods varying from three months to six years, the greater majority being for six months (this latter period later becoming the allowable maximun) and receiving in addition to pay and allowances forty cents a day extra if they furnished their own horse and horse equipment.
In the later winter of 1889 - 1890 Lt. E. W. Casey, 22nd Infantry, commanding a company of scouts at Fort Keogh, Montana, conceived the idea of a distinctive uniform for the scouts to attract them to the service and improve morale. When the concept was approved, Casey submitted his recommendations in detail including a variant campaign hat, hat cord, insignia, overcoat, and guidon, plus a distinctive facing for the issue dress coat. The Secretary of War approved and directed the Quartermaster General to initiate procurement. The hat and trimmings were described in Circular No. 10, Headquarters of the Army, 11 August 1890:
Fatigue Hat: Of black felt, brim 3 1/2 inches wide, crown 3 1/2 inches high; brim to be well stiffened.
Hat Cord: Of white worsted cord, one strand of scarlet, terminating in two tassels 1 1/4 inches in length, same color and material as the cord.
Hat Ornament: Two arrows crossed, to be made of nickel or some white metal, 3 inches in length, the letters U.S.S. in the upper intersection."
from United States Army Headgear 1855-1902. Catalog of United States Army Uniforms in the Collections of the Smithsonian Institutuion, II by Edgar M. Howell, Smithsonian Instiutiton, 1975.
Jacked leather with a painted front plate. At the top of this miter is the motto "Hope." Below is the British royal cipher or monogram, "GR" for Georgeus Rex or King George. It flanks a Rhode Island anchor. In the center of the plate is a female figure labeled "America" standing on a broken chain and a belt bearing the inscription "Patria cara, carior Libertas" or "Nation is dear, but Liberty is dearer."
Specific History
On October 28, 1774, the Rhode Island General Assembly chartered the Newport Light Infantry as a voluntary association of local citizens. These citizens wanted to form a company to obtain better military training than the colonial militia provided. The infantry, 100 strong, demonstrated its patriotic fervor and could be seen around Newport uniformed and armed. With the occupation of Newport by the British in 1776, the company ceased to exist.
Ensign George H. Gay, Jr. of Waco, Texas was the pilot of a Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber assigned to Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8) aboard the carrier USS Hornet (CV-8). On June 4, 1942, Gay, his rear gunner/radioman, Aviation Radioman Third Class Robert K. Huntington of Los Angeles, California, and fourteen other aircraft of his squadron took off to attack the Imperial Japanese Navy carrier battle group attacking Midway Island. This was the squadron’s first combat mission and the first time the men ever carried torpedoes.
When the squadron located the enemy carriers, Japanese Zero fighter planes swarmed over the slow, cumbersome torpedo bombers. The fighters shot down and killed all of Gay’s and fatally wounded Huntington. Alone, Gay managed to launch his torpedo against the Japanese carrier Sōryū but the torpedo failed to hit the carrier and Gay was subsequently shot down, receiving bullet wounds in the left arm, left hand, and flash burns on his left leg. Of the 30 aircrew of Torpedo Squadron Eight, Gay was the sole survivor. Gay’s khaki flight jacket he wore on this mission is on display in the exhibit “Price of Freedom: Americans at War” in 3 East. The left sleeve near the elbow has a tear where the machine gun bullet struck him.
While adrift amidst the Japanese carriers Gay witnessed three squadrons of American dive bombers from the carriers Enterprise (CV-6) and Yorktown (CV-5) strike fatal blows to the Japanese carriers Kaga, Akagi, and Sōryū. After floating alone for over 30 hours, a Navy flying boat spotted and rescued Gay on the afternoon of June 5. For their collective valor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt decorated the men of VT-8 with the Presidential Unit Citation. The Navy awarded all the pilots of VT-8 the Navy Cross and the radiomen/rear gunners the Distinguished Flying Cross. Every aircrew member received the Purple Heart. After his death on October 21, 1994, the Navy scattered Gay’s cremains at sea by the Midway battle site to join his lost comrades of 52 years prior.
Although the American torpedo bombers failed to strike a blow, the squadron’s brazen attack upset the delicate operations of the Japanese carrier battle group and its commander, Admiral Chūichi Nagumo. In order to dodge the American torpedoes, Nagumo’s carriers maneuvered and reversed course out of the wind, preventing the Japanese from launching additional aircraft. Further defensive actions resulted in flight decks loaded with fighter rather than strike aircraft to confront the torpedo bomber attacks, thereby delaying critical Japanese spotting operations to locate the American carriers. Torpedo Squadron Eight’s actions cost the Japanese roughly an hour of invaluable time with which to strike the American carrier force, time that arguably decided the outcome of the battle.
Khaki-colored tropical worsted material with a rolled collar with lapels, epaulets on the shoulders, two false horizontal breast pockets with small gold-colored metallic buttons, and two side pockets over the hips. The jacket is closed by four gold-colored metallic buttons. Staff sergeant chevrons are on the upper arm of both sleeves above the elbow, the Eighth Army Air Force patch is on the left shoulder, and four overseas bars indicate two years' service overseas. All buttons have the Great Seal of the United States on the front. The collar disk on the right lapel contains the letters "U.S." denoting United States; the collar disk on the left lapel contains the wings and propeller blade of an enlisted member of the Army Air Forces. Both disks are made from gold-colored metal. Ribbons over the left breast pocket represent the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Women's Army Corps Service Medal, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
Specific History
This jacket was worn by Staff Sergeant Margaret C. Frank, WAC, who was assigned to the Eighth Air Force in England as a telephone operator from 1943 to 1945.
General History
During World War II over 150,000 women served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) or Women's Army Corps (WAC). Special legislation was required before the women could serve in the army. The law authorizing the WAAC was signed by President Franklin Roosevelt in May 1942 and the first WAACs began training in July 1942. Initially WAACs were only assigned to duties in the continental United States. However, when General Dwight Eisenhower requested trained secretarial, clerical, and administrative personnel, a WAAC detachment was sent to his headquarters in North Africa in early 1943. A WAAC battalion was sent to England in spring 1943 to provide similar expertise to army and air forces units gathering for the invasion of Europe.
The status of the WAAC as an auxiliary, serving with but not in the army, was confusing and made many routine activities difficult. In mid-1943, Congress authorized the Women's Army Corps as a full-fledged army organization. All WAACs were either converted to WAC status or discharged. Women served in many jobs in addition to the secretarial, clerical, and administrative fields. They were assigned as drivers, mechanics, cooks, ordnance specialists, and radio operators; they worked in communications, logistics, public affairs, medical, intelligence, and many other specialties. They served in the United States and in all overseas theaters. Because of their exemplary record, women were made a part of the regular military establishment in 1948.
This bugle was salvaged from the wreck of the USS Maine.
General History
USS Maine was a second-class battleship built between 1888 and 1895. It was sent to Havana, Cuba, in January 1898 to protect American interests during the native revolt against the Spanish government. On the evening of February 15, 1898, the Maine sank when its forward gunpowder magazines exploded. Nearly three-quarters of the battleship's crew died. American popular opinion blamed the Spanish for the sinking of the Maine and war followed within a few months. In 1912 the Maine's wreck was raised to clear the harbor and to facilitate an investigation into the cause of the sinking. The remains were subsequently scuttled in deep waters north of Havana.
This horse was presented to General Philip Sheridan by the officers of the Second Michigan Cavalry in 1862. He was three years old, was jet black with three white fetlocks, and stood 16 hands high. Originally called "Rienzi" after the town of Rienzi, Mississippi, his name was changed to "Winchester" by Sheridan after he carried Sheridan on his famous ride from Winchester, Virginia, to Cedar Creek, Virginia on October 19, 1864, in time to rally his troops and turn almost certain defeat into victory. While Cedar Creek was his most famous engagement, Winchester and Sheridan were actually together for more than forty others. Winchester was even present at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865 for the official surrender of the Confederate Army.
Despite being wounded in battle several times, Winchester lived to be almost 20 years old. After his death in October 1878, he was preserved and mounted; in 1879, Sheridan presented him to the Military Museum at Governors Island, New York. Winchester was exhibited there until a fire in 1922 forced the museum to transfer him to the Smithsonian Institution; a military escort accompanied him to his new home amid much fanfare. He was put on display in the National Museum until 1964, when he moved to the newly opened National Museum of American History.
Horse and man have forever been immortalized and commemorated in poetry, song, sculpture, museum exhibits and battlefield recollections. Portraits, sketches and poems all immortalized Sheridan’s famous ride atop Winchester. The most famous of these poems was written by Thomas Buchanan Read, a painter; the poem, entitled "Sheridan's Ride", became an instant sensation and was even thought to have helped Lincoln get reelected. Read followed up the poem in 1865 with a painting of the same title.
This matched pair of pistols was manufactured in the late 1700s for sea service at close range. The barrels were made of bronze, on account of that metal’s resistance to corrosion. The pistol’s wide bore enabled easy loading. The pair was manufactured by John Tow, of Griffin and Tow, who made weapons for the British East India Company. Started in 1600, the publicly-owned EIC traded with the East Indies, China and India until the late 19th century.