Tag Archives: Navy recruiting poster

Happy 250th, Navy

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Circa 1957 “Join modern mobile mighty Navy ” recruiting poster by Joseph Binder. LC-USZC4-3355

Today marks 25 years from 13 October 1775, the day the Continental Congress authorized the outfitting of two armed vessels to intercept British supply ships, marking the official birth of the Continental Navy (although Washington’s Cruisers predated this by seven weeks) and the precursor to the United States Navy.

For those interested, the official graphics are here, while there are printable coloring pages for the kiddies, here.

Travel!

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Happy Labor Day! Enjoy your time off if you have it. I will!

Poster, by Lou Nolan, C. 1960, depicting the FRAM’d World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer USS Miller (DD-535), in a Cold War-era Asian port, likely British-controlled Hong Kong. (Unframed Dimensions 42H X 28W. NHHC Accession #: 81-156-AJ-01)

For those curious, commissioned on 31 August 1943 in honor of Civil War-era MOH recipient Acting Master’s Mate James Miller, USS Miller was very active in the Pacific in 1944-45, including earning a Navy Unit Commendation for assisting the USS Franklin, and, post-modernization, went on to perform heavy lifting in the Korean conflict, letting her 5″/38s sing. She was decommissioned in 1974 and scrapped the following year.

Supersonic Navy!

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The Vought F-8 Crusader, whose quartet of Colt Mk12 20mm cannons gave the supersonic air superiority fighter the nickname of “The Last of the Gunfighters,” certainly looked the part of Atomic-era modernity on the posters.

Painting, Acrylic on Illustration Board, by Joseph Binder, C. 1960, Unframed Dimensions 26H X 20W. Naval History and Heritage Command Accession #: 68-084-A-07

Withdrawn from service starting in the late 1960s as the F-4 Phantom replaced it– a plane that initially did not have any gun armament– the Navy Air fighter jocks of the time, many who cut their teeth on 20mm cannon-armed jets like the F2H Banshee, F9F Panther/Cougar, F3D Skyknight, F4D Skyray, and F7U Cutlass, saw the Crusader’s departure as the end of an era.

When you’re out of F-8’s, you’re out of fighters…