| The First
Century Is the Hardest
By JAMES D. HESSMAN
Editor in Chief
If the past is indeed prologue, Navy League members throughout the United States
and overseas could look forward to the organization's second century of support
for the nation's sea services with a mixture of justifiable pride and perhaps
even more justifiable apprehension.
When the Navy League was founded in 1902--with the encouragement
and support of then-President Theodore Roosevelt--the U.S. Navy was still just
beginning to emerge as a world naval power, the U.S. Marine Corps was already
legendary for its fighting prowess, the U.S. Coast Guard was known by another
name (Revenue Cutter Service), and the U.S.-flag Merchant Marine, although reasonably
prosperous by the standards of the day, had not yet become the "vital fourth
arm of national defense" required for the conduct of wars overseas far from
America's home waters.
Between 1902 and this year's Navy League Centennial Celebration
the growth--in size, complexity, and fighting capabilities--of the U.S. sea services
was sometimes sudden and sometimes slow. As was the growth of the Navy League
itself. Nonetheless, the organization chalked up numerous and notable accomplishments,
including but not limited to:
- Rallying support for a strong overall national-defense program both before,
during, and after World Wars I and II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Gulf War,
and numerous other conflicts involving the overseas deployments of the U.S. armed
forces;
- Educating the public at large, the media, and the leaders of the executive
and legislative branches of government about the continuing need for American
seapower, both naval and commercial, not only to defend U.S. interests at home
and overseas but also, and of equal importance, to ensure the continued prosperity
and economic well-being of the American people;
- Promoting and supporting youth programs, particularly the NLUS-sponsored
Naval Sea Cadet Corps and Navy League Cadet Corps, that not only provide a useful
naval/military orientation to young people interested in possible careers in the
military but also build character and instill in these young Americans a strong
sense of Pride, Service, and Patriotism;
- The establishment of numerous programs of recognition and support for sea-service
personnel and their families, including a broad spectrum of Sailor-of-the-Year,
Recruiter-of-the-Year, and similar awards programs, the establishment and support
of day care centers at military bases, Project Highline programs for those transitioning
from active duty to new careers in the private sector, and the "adoption"
of Navy ships, Coast Guard cutters, and shore stations of all of the uniformed
sea services;
- Planning, hosting, and financially supporting such high-visibility events
as ship christenings and commissionings, air-show appearances by the Blue Angels,
and tours of the sea-service bands; and
- The establishment, promotion, and continued support of the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space
Exposition in Washington, D.C., a now annual event which, with its companion speakers
program, is considered to be foremost exhibition of its type in the world.
All of which, from the Navy League's point of view, is
"a good start"--but no more than that. "The next century will be
even more challenging," said NLUS National President Timothy O. Fanning during
the 2002 Centennial Convention in New York City, "and we must be ready. As
an organization we have accomplished many but not all of our goals, at the local
as well as national levels. But that must be considered only a prelude for the
future." *
A more comprehensive Centennial report will be included in the February
issue of Sea Power. |
