Navy

On January 13, 1865, Union forces launched the Second Battle of Fort Fisher. The fort, dubbed the “Gibraltar of the Confederacy,” was the largest in the South and key to Confederate international trade.

Stephen Decatur Jr. was born on January 5, 1779, in Sinepuxent, Maryland.  The youngest man in the navy to reach the rank of captain, Decatur was a hero of the War of 1812 and the Barbary Wars.

George Dewey was born in Montpelier, Vermont, on December 26, 1837.  A hero of the Civil War and Spanish-American War, he was the first, and to date only, person promoted to Admiral of the Navy.

On December 17, 1925, the seven-week court-martial of World War I aviation pioneer Billy Mitchell came to an end.  He was charged for his public criticism of the military in its rejection of the importance of air power.

US sailor Dorie Miller died on November 24, 1943, during the Battle of Makin.  He had previously survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, for which he’d earned a Navy Cross.  

On November 11, 1921, President Warren G. Harding dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.  Now the final resting place for three unknown soldiers, it is guarded 24 hours a day by members of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment.

On October 17, 1941, a US ship was attacked and damaged by the Germans for the first time during World War II.  This quickly led to escalated tensions and the sinking of the first US ship by the end of the month.

Winfield Scott Schley was born on October 9, 1839, near Frederick, Maryland. He served with distinction in the Civil War and Spanish-American War, most notably claiming victory at the Battle of Santiago.

On September 27, 1941, the first 14 “Emergency” Liberty Ships were launched in what was dubbed Liberty Fleet Day. These ships served with distinction throughout the war, claiming several victories against German U-Boats.