Since 1775, the U.S. Navy has worked to serve and protect the United States as the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces. What started as a lone ship with fewer than 100 sailors has evolved into a fleet of more than 400 vessels, half a million active-duty and reserve personnel, and more than four million living U.S. Navy veterans. Six of our 46 U.S. presidents served in the U.S. Navy.
October is a special month for the U.S. Navy. October 13 marks the Navy’s 246th birthday, followed by Navy Day on October 27. In celebration of these special events honoring the U.S. Navy, U.S. Money Reserve explores the history of these holidays. U.S. Money Reserve also shares numerous ways for Americans to celebrate and support current and former members of the U.S. Navy and provides examples of how it has shown support for the Navy over the years.
Legacy Beyond Land: U.S. Navy Predates America.
Interestingly, the U.S. Navy was established before America itself was. Originally known as the Continental Navy, its purpose was to capture British ships in support of the War for Independence. After the War, Congress moved to reestablish the Navy in 1775 and created a Department of the Navy in 1798 to organize policy, coordinate efforts, and reinforce foreign relations.
Over two-and-a-half centuries of service later, the U.S. Navy has defended our nation through two World Wars, a Civil War, and countless international engagements ranging from peacekeeping efforts to military conflicts.
Unique Ways to Celebrate the U.S. Navy
The Navy’s birthday is a time for active-duty members, veterans, their families, and all Americans to celebrate the deep history of this military branch. Navy Day differs from the Navy’s birthday by specifically focusing on individuals who have committed themselves to military service rather than the Navy as an organization. In 1922, U.S. President Warren G. Harding wrote to Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby regarding Navy Day, “From our earliest national beginnings the Navy has always been, and deserved to be, an object of special pride to the American people.”
Traditional U.S. Navy birthday celebrations are an occasion for active-duty Navy personnel to come together in appreciation of one another and the institution they represent. Each year, the chief of naval operations shares a message of thanks and resolve. In 2020, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday called on the Navy to remain courageous and “look to our bright future ahead” even as “this birthday is different than in past years” given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Official commemoration ceremonies often include the reading of these messages as well as a ringing of each ship’s bell nine times. A ship’s bell is used to indicate time and for other special announcements, and for the Navy’s birthday it rings nine times—eight to mark the “end of watch,” representing the end of the current birthday year, and once more to mark the start of the new watch, representing the start of the new birthday year.
U.S. Money Reserve engages in and encourages the support and commemoration of the nation’s armed forces. Thanking active members and veterans for their service can be among the most meaningful gestures. Many veterans’ facilities and organizations welcome support, sponsorship, and donations year-round. Visits to museums, some of which are created on retired naval battleships, present opportunities to educate the entire family and create awareness. Holding and attending parades, performances, and luncheons are also great ways to engage the community in celebration of the Navy’s history and achievements.
Commemorating the Navy with U.S. Money Reserve
In the spirit of honoring those who serve in our nation’s military forces and ensuring their legacy, U.S. Money Reserve launched two exclusive gold and silver coin series in years past. These include the Pearl Harbor 75th Anniversary coin series in 2016 and the Iwo Jima 75th Anniversary coin series in 2020. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Pearl Harbor coins helped further the initiatives of the United States Navy Memorial, from the installation of the Lone Sailor statue “standing watch” over the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to sponsoring Lone Sailor Awards ceremonies over the years.
U.S. Money Reserve has also taken part in other activities and community support over the years, including a ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum in 2019. For this event, U.S. Money Reserve helped commemorate the opening of a new interactive World War I exhibit by presenting the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation with a “Great War Series” gold and silver five-coin set. U.S. Money Reserve also made a donation to help fund the completion and opening of the exhibit.
Museum president and retired Marine Lt. Gen. Duane Thiessen remarked at the event, “The generosity of the U.S. Money Reserve team will only help foster the understanding and appreciation for those who served during this time and especially for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for future generations.”
Together, both organizations made commitments to raise awareness regarding the crucial role of naval aircraft in our nation’s history.
An additional way to commemorate this year’s Navy birthday is to join U.S. Money Reserve in tuning in to the Navy Memorial’s second annual Sailor of the Year Program. This will air online on Wednesday, October 13, at 4 p.m. EST. This ceremony will recognize and feature eighteen Sailors who have been selected as the best Sailors in the Fleet. To register for this event, visit 2020 Sailors of the Year online at www.swoogo.com
About U.S. Money Reserve, America’s Gold Authority®
U.S. Money Reserve is one of the nation’s largest private distributors of government-issued gold, silver, platinum, and palladium products.
Founded in 2001, U.S. Money Reserve has grown into one of the world’s largest private distributors of U.S. and foreign government–issued gold, silver, platinum, and palladium legal-tender products. Hundreds of thousands of clients across the country rely on U.S. Money Reserve to diversify their assets with physical precious metals, primarily in the form of legal-tender gold and silver coins.
U.S. Money Reserve’s uniquely trained team includes coin research and numismatic professionals equipped with the market knowledge to find products for precious metals buyers at every level. U.S. Money Reserve goes above the industry standard to provide superior customer service, with the goal of establishing a long-term relationship with each and every one of its customers. U.S. Money Reserve is based in Austin, Texas. Like them on Facebook, connect on LinkedIn, and follow on Twitter.
