Courtesy Photo | Cover of the special section of The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger Star (at this point...... read more read more
Log 11-23: NNSY’s Anniversary Through the Years
This year marks the 256th birthday of Norfolk Naval Shipyard. While every year is a celebrated occasion, the milestone years are when truly memorial events take place. This time in Heritage Hour, take a look back through some of major commemorations of years past as the shipyard continues to make history every day.
The Virginian-Pilot put out a special edition section of the paper in May of 1967 to get an early start on sharing the bicentennial event. Businesses from across Portsmouth sent in congratulations and well wishes to NNSY. Many of these warm and kind messages came from places, such as The Famous and Leggett’s, that are now long gone today, but are still recalled in stories and the buildings they once occupied. A few places are still around and very well known, such as Wavy TV and Newport News Shipbuilding. As the shipyard’s birthday drew closer, a bicentennial museum was opened to the public and drew in an average of 150 visitors a day from across the country. A bicentennial ball was held in Scott Center and hosted 305 couples with a live bandstand and singer. One person even stated: “Let’s don’t wait two hundred years to do it again."
The 225th year, while commemorated with another special supplement from The Virginian Pilot & The Ledger Star, was a more somber event. Fewer congratulations were printed, and many of those came from places such as Tower Mall that are, like so many of the businesses from 1967, now only memories. Following an 8,000 attendee Family Day, the main event was the Armed Forces Appreciation Luncheon where many of NNSY’s honors were recognized. Only a month later, in December 1992, Shipyard Commander Captain James L. Taylor announced in the Service to the Fleet that he had requested a Reduction in Force. The uncertainty of the future, budgetary concerns and who would be affected no doubt played a heavy toll on any feeling of celebration.
The joyous environment returned once more in 2017 for the 250th. Waterfront and support personnel from across the yard came together in the parade field outside Bldg. 1500 for =commemorative pictures taken from the top of the fire truck’s ladder. A party held at the downtown Portsmouth amphitheater boasted the U.S. Fleet Forces Navy Band and a massive cake that attendees enjoyed while wearing anniversary hats, pins, lanyards and drank from 250th anniversary labeled water bottles as blue, red and gold confetti rained down. The governor at the time, Terence McAuliffe, even presented NNSY with a certificate documenting the recognition of the many landmark moments in the shipyard’s history.
It will be almost 20 years until the shipyard celebrates its 275th birthday which gives plenty of time to plan the next historic event. What great advances will be recognized then? How many shipyard personnel here today will be there? Without a doubt, it will be memorial!
| Date Taken: | 11.01.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.03.2023 14:17 |
| Story ID: | 457157 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 135 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Heritage Hour: A Glance Into the Vital History of Norfolk Naval Shipyard, by Victoria Pendleton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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