Category History
Coast Guard Reserve – Nearly Eight Decades of Supporting Domestic Emergencies and Foreign Operations
On Wednesday, February 19, the United States Coast Guard Reserve will celebrate 79 years of service, from deploying nationally for law enforcement, hurricanes, and oil spills, while internationally providing port security in the Middle East. Like active duty, reservists’ missions vary by season and location. Established by the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Reserve Act of […]
Once ‘Hidden Figures,” African American women now very visible in space program
As Black History Month continues throughout February, CalVet salutes the African American women who played and continue to play vital roles in the United States space program. Among them were the so-called “human computers” of the early aerospace days. Their calculations made manned space travel possible. These women incorporated elements including vehicle weight, the rocket’s […]
Montford Point Marines fought a two-front war: the enemy abroad, prejudice at home
In celebrating Black History Month throughout February, CalVet will share several stories about African American service members and veterans. To begin the month-long recognition, we first pay tribute to the Montford Point Marines. A small number of African Americans served in the Marines from 1776 until they were banned from the Corps in 1792. That […]
Medal of Honor recipient from California gave his life to save others in Vietnam 53 years ago today
At the California Department of Veterans Affairs’ headquarters in downtown Sacramento, the Medal of Honor Hall pays tribute to all of the Californians who received the nation’s most revered military honor. Each recipient’s story provides a compelling description of bravery and valor. Among those decorated, Army Specialist Fourth Class Donald Ward Evans, Jr., was killed […]
King’s impacts on the civil rights movement still alive nearly 52 years after his death
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have turned 91 years old this past week. A man who preached peace and equality through non-violent protest, who received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, and who spoke out forthrightly against the Vietnam War, died in a most violent way when he was shot by an assassin at the […]
USS Arkansas made her mark in World War II before becoming target in A-bomb testing
On January 14, 1911, the USS Arkansas was the largest U.S. battleship launched from the shipyards in Camden, N.J. The 26,000-ton Wyoming class battleship, commissioned in September 1912, went on to work with the British Brand Fleet before and throughout World War I. The Arkansas then served as a training ship for Naval Academy midshipmen, […]
GI Bill – Introduced in Congress 76 years ago today
On January 10, 1944, Congress introduced the first Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, later known as the GI Bill. Roughly five months later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law. Today, the GI Bill provides service members, veterans, and their families not only with pathways for obtaining higher education, but also with a basic allowance for […]
National Guard, America’s oldest fighting force, celebrates 383rd birthday December 13
The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps celebrated their respective 244th birthdays, 28 days apart, in October and November. The U.S. Army was born on June 14 of that same year, 1775. But no American fighting force can match the longevity of the National Guard, which turns 383 years old this week. “The National Guard […]
Pearl Harbor attack lives on through memories and words of those who live on
On December 7, 1941, 78 years ago Saturday, Japan launched the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor that killed 2,403 military personnel and civilians, and drew the United States into World War II. Each year, we remember Pearl Harbor and those who perished. But with time and attrition taking their collective toll, the number of those […]
Veterans Homes of California-Ventura will fete decade of serving veterans, spouses
Residents and staff of the Veterans Home of California-Ventura (VHC-Ventura) will mark the Home’s first decade with a Founder’s Day celebration on December 4 in Ventura. Then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger dedicated the Home on December 4, 2009, opening the facility and completing a project that was more than a decade in the making. It became the […]
