Message from the Chairman ★★ ★ ★
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et me offer my sincere appreciation to all who attended our August luncheon in Arlington and our September dinner at Annapolis and convey a special thanks to the sponsors who underwrote the expenses associated with these two celebratory events. Your presence and support enabled the Naval Historical Foundation (NHF) to host these first in-person events in a year and a half. We are pleased to be able to resume live events to demonstrate that our organization remains vibrant and relevant, particularly in this pivotal time in history as sea power plays an increasingly important role in the defense of democracy and the freedoms we cherish. As we forge ahead into the 21st century, the historical understanding of past events and the role of seapower will be more important than ever. The individuals we are honoring have brought these important messages to light and shared their work with other people. The five individuals honored with the Knox Medal at our luncheon and dinner have spent their careers enhancing our knowledge of the significance of the maritime domain and have served as role models for future naval history practitioners. Some of those future practitioners also have their names printed in this program—finalists in the U.S. Naval Academy’s Voices of Maritime History Competition for the Superintendent’s Annual Leadership and Vision
Naval Historical Foundation PAGE 9: Commodore Dudley W. Knox, USN CREDIT: Naval History and Heritage Command
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Naval Historical Foundation
Award. Perhaps someday we may see their names again highlighted in this program, this time as Knox Medal recipients! Our DeMars Award recipient, former NHF president “Bud” Langston, and our Volunteer of the Year, “Chuck” Chadbourn, are finally recognized publicly for their service to the NHF—long overdue but understandably delayed as a result of the pandemic. Thank you again for your efforts on behalf of naval history. Finally, on a somber note, we had hoped to present our NHF Distinguished Service Award for significant contributions to the naval historical enterprise to Dr. James D. Hornfischer at one of these two events but, unfortunately, we lost him on June 2. Thankfully, I did have the opportunity to present the award virtually during a gathering of family and friends on May 26. We will continue to remember Jim in our thoughts and prayers along with two other former leaders in our organization, Dr. J.P. “Jack” London and Rear Adm. John T. Mitchell, as well as our long-standing champion, Senator John W. Warner, all of whom passed away recently. These individuals left wonderful legacies that will benefit us all for years to come. Thank you,
Adm. William J. Fallon, USN (Ret.)
Since 1926
