Veterans Open Conversation

The Scuttlebutt: Understanding Military Culture

Our monthly Open Conversation with military veterans focuses on Navy veterans in recognition of the the US Navy’s 249th birthday celebrated on October 13. We'll have Navy veterans sharing stories, answering questions, and describing why their branch is the best.

We'll also hear from Beverly, Massachusetts, and Navy history expert Rich Pescatore on the real origins of the US Navy.

Vietnam Veteran Walt Brinker, USMA Class of 1966, tells us why his men in the 173rd Airborne and 1st Cav in 1966-1967 never used bandoliers for the M-60 ammunition.

Ralph and Eric Grabowsky give us an update on their research on "Little John," the largest calibre gun in history.

The origins of the United States Navy lie in the siege of Boston and the city’s occupation by the British Army in 1775. After the Battle of Bunker Hill, when the Continentals sensed British vulnerability, newly commissioned General George Washington called for a ship that could patrol off shore to prevent the British from being resupplied by sea. Naval support could also obtain resources for the Continental forces.

The Continental Congress wasn’t so keen on a Navy. Ships were expensive and the British fleet’s power was overwhelming.

Washington, then, acted on his own. On September 2, 1775, he ordered the schooner Hannah be commissioned as the first authorized patriot warship. The Hannah was a small vessel, crewed by civilians and captained by Nicholas Broughton, tasked with raiding British supply ships off the coast of Massachusetts. While not an official navy vessel, the Hannah set an important precedent by showing that naval warfare could complement the land-based efforts of the Continental Army.

Following the success of the Hannah, Washington commissioned other vessels to harass British ships, but these early efforts were ad hoc, operating under the authority of the Continental Army rather than an organized navy.

On October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress took decisive action, officially authorizing the creation of a Continental Navy. The Congress passed a resolution to outfit two ships, tasked with intercepting British supply vessels. This date is now celebrated as the official birthday of the United States Navy. Over the next several months, the Continental Congress expanded the fleet, commissioning additional ships and appointing officers to lead them.

Its early successes included raids on British ships and supply lines, which weakened the enemy's war effort and boosted American morale. Constantly underfunded and undersupplied, the Continental Navy nonetheless helped secure international alliances, especially with France, which joined the war on the side of the American colonies in 1778.

With the Treaty of Paris signed in 1783, formally ending the American Revolution, the newly independent United States dismantled the Navy, and its ships were sold off.

Without a navy, the U.S. government had little means of protecting its commercial interests abroad, and the constant harassment of American ships by pirates and European powers underscored the need for a naval revival.

Congress passed the Naval Act of 1794, which authorized the construction of six frigates, marking the formal revival of the U.S. Navy. These ships, which would become known as the "Original Six Frigates", included the USS Constitution, USS United States, USS President, USS Congress, USS Chesapeake, and USS Constellation.

We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!