WASHINGTON – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) joins in with our grateful nation in celebrating the birthday of the U.S. Navy, who has protected and defended freedom both at home and around the globe for the past 249 years.
On Oct. 13, 1775, a resolution of the Continental Congress established what is now the United States Navy with “a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with 80 men, be fitted, with all possible despatch, for a cruise of three months …” While disbanded for a short while after the end of the Revolutionary War, it was permanently established by the passing of the Naval Act, signed into law by President George Washington in 1794. This act authorized the construction of six frigates, which were the first ships of what eventually became the modern U.S. Navy.
Today, the U.S. Navy has a fleet of nearly 300 battle force ships, more than 4,000 aircraft and a combined force of more than 604,000 active duty, reserve and civilian personnel, with a mission to “deliver combat ready Naval forces to win conflicts and wars while maintaining security and deterrence through sustained forward presence.” With its near-futuristic technology, thoroughly trained and highly dedicated professional sailors, and an unmatched winning record “Forged by the Sea,” it is no wonder today’s American naval warfare service branch is touted as “the largest, most advanced and most lethal fighting force the world has ever known.”
Please join the more than 1.4 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary in saying ‘thank you’ to every American sailor, both past and present, and wishing them a happy 249th birthday!