“How sweet it is to celebrate a new Navy Museum today,” stated Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro as he addressed attendees of the Site Selection Ceremony for a new National Museum of the United States Navy (NMUSN). Marking the public launch of the museum effort, this site selection event was held on October 18 at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.
The Vice Chief of Naval Operations, members of Congress and District of Columbia government leaders, and many other supporters of the new museum were present to celebrate the announcement. AUSN Chairman Dan Feliz, Treasurer David Vardeman, Director John Wells, Director William Steagall, Jr., and AUSN Executive Director Steve Rogers were among those celebrating the announcement.
In May, the Navy signed a land exchange agreement that paved the way for the selection of the strategically valuable site near the Navy Yard. The new museum will share the campus with three historic buildings, rooting it in history and tradition. Together, they will form a mixed-use campus that will be open to the public and serve as a resource for the U.S. Navy and the District of Columbia. The state-of-the-art facility will include the museum, a high-tech conference center, retail stores and restaurants.
“The exhibits of this new museum will create a living memorial to the U.S. Navy’s heritage of victory and valor, bringing to life the human experiences of serving at sea,” said Del Toro. “It will give all the visitors of the future museum, regardless of their previous military experience, a greater appreciation and understanding of the economic and diplomatic importance of what a strong and robust Navy means to our national and economic security.”
Secretary Del Toro thanked the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC), the Navy's lead for the new NMUSN initiative, for working to make this happen. The Navy also has partnered with the Navy Museum Development Foundation (NMDF) to raise funds and oversee construction of the new museum.
“The museum that we will build on this site will be a living testament to the Sailors who have donned the uniform and served, and it will help us pass the torch to those who will make the same pledge to serve in the future,” noted Ambassador Kenneth J. Braithwaite, 77th Secretary of the Navy and Chairman of the NMDF Board of Directors. “We shall use this museum to teach our children and our children’s children about the history of the greatest Navy to ever sailed the seven seas. Full speed ahead!”
“This state-of-the-art facility will tell the full story of American sea power by showcasing the contributions of millions of Sailors since the Navy’s founding in 1775, creating a lasting memorial to the service’s central role in our nation’s history,” added retired Vice Admiral Albert H. Konetzni, Jr., president of the NMDF Board.
Fully supporting this much-needed undertaking, AUSN has already engaged with the Navy, the NHHC and NMDF to become an active participant in the development of the new Navy Museum.