God
Bless Our Military!United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible
for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to maintain, train and equip
combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining
freedom of the seas." The U.S. Navy currently has over 340,000 personnel on active
duty and nearly 148,000 in the Navy Reserve; it has 277 ships in active service
and more than 4,000 operational aircrafts.
The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established
during the American Revolutionary War and was disbanded shortly thereafter. The
United States Constitution, though, provided the legal basis for a seaborne military
force by giving Congress the power "to provide and maintain a navy." Depredations
against American shipping by Barbary Coast corsairs spurred Congress to employ this
power by passing the Naval Act of 1794 ordering the construction and manning of
six frigates. The U.S. Navy came into international prominence in the 20th century,
especially during World War II. It was a part of the conflict from the onset of
American military involvement — the Attack on Pearl Harbor — to Japan's official
surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri.
The
current naval jack of the United States is the First Navy Jack, which was used during
the American Revolutionary War. On May 31, 2002, Secretary of the Navy Gordon England
directed all U.S. naval ships to fly the First Navy Jack for the duration of the
War on Terrorism. Many ships chose to shift colors later that year on the first
anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The previous naval jack was a blue
field with 50 white stars, identical to the canton of the ensign (the Flag of the
United States) both in appearance and size. A jack of similar design was used in
1794, though with 13 stars arranged in a 3–2–3–2–3 pattern. When a ship is moored
or anchored, the jack is flown from the bow of the ship while the ensign is flown
from the stern. When underway, the ensign is raised on the mainmast. The First Naval
Jack, however, has always been flown on the oldest ship in the American fleet.
Over the course of the United States Navy's 207-year existence, a distinct jargon
has evolved among American sailors and has become a normal part of their everyday
speech. Modern U.S. Navy slang draws from a number of varied sources. It includes
traditional sailing terms, archaic English words, and a plethora of acronyms, joke
phrases, crude expressions, and abbreviations that have been created within the
past hundred years.
Anchors Aweigh
"Anchors
Aweigh," the official song of the Navy, was first sung publicly in Philadelphia's
Franklin Field at the December 1, 1906 Army-Navy football game. The rousing song
helped the Midshipmen shut out the Cadets with a 10 to 0 victory. Lieutenant Charles
A. Zimmermann, a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory and director of the Naval
Academy Band, composed the song's music, and Midshipman Alfred H. Miles supplied
its words.
At the Naval Academy, Zimmermann was approached by Midshipman First Class Alfred Hart Miles with a request from his classmates. The maestro had a tradition of composing a song for each graduating class and Miles and the class of '07 wanted a lively football marching song that would "live forever."
Navy lore has it that Zimmermann and Miles worked out the song together, sitting at the organ in the Naval Academy Chapel. In the days just prior to the Army-Navy football game, Zimmermann composed the music while Miles developed the words and the title. Miles got his title, "Anchors Aweigh," from an expression meaning the ship's hoisted anchor has just cleared the sea's bottom and, by implication, the voyage is underway.
Stand, Navy, out to sea, Fight our battle cry;
We'll never change our course, So vicious foe steer shy-y-y-y.
Roll out the TNT, Anchors Aweigh. Sail on to victory
And sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!
Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh.
Farewell to college joys, we sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay.
Through our last night on shore, drink to the foam,
Until we meet once more:
Here's wishing you a happy voyage home.
Stand Navy down the field, sails set to the sky.
We'll never change our course, so Army you steer shy-y-y-y.
Roll up the score, Navy, Anchors Aweigh.
Sail Navy down the field and sink the Army, sink the Army Grey.
Get underway, Navy, Decks cleared for the fray,
We'll hoist true Navy Blue So Army down your Grey-y-y-y.
Full speed ahead, Navy; Army heave to,
Furl Black and Grey and Gold and hoist the Navy, hoist the Navy Blue
Blue of the Seven Seas; Gold of God's great sun
Let these our colors be Till all of time be done-n-n-ne,
By Severn shore we learn Navy's stern call:
Faith, courage, service true With honor over, honor over all.
