MOBILE, Ala. (Sept. 25, 2021) Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Director Samuel J. Cox, left, and NHHC Navy Museums Division Director Dave Adams present the “Maintenance Excellence Award” to Shanna Schuster, a representative for Destroyer...

Mobile, Alabama, September 25, 2021: Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Director Samuel J. Cox, left, and NHHC Navy Museums Division Director Dave Adams present the “Maintenance Excellence Award” to Shanna Schuster, a representative for Destroyer Escort Historical Museum USS Slater (DE 766). NHHC presented the 2021 Museum Excellence Awards at the annual Historic Naval Ships Association Conference hosted at USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park (U.S. Navy Photo/Released).


WASHINGTON NAVY YARD – Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) participated in the annual Historic Naval Ships Association (HNSA) Conference Sept. 22–25.

USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park hosted the 2021 HNSA Conference following a postponement of last year’s conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conference included the presentation of the 2021 NHHC Museum Excellence Awards, announced last month, by NHHC Director, retired Rear Adm. Samuel Cox.

The 2021 NNHC Museum Excellence Awards winners include:

  • Museum Overall Excellence
    • Homeport Alliance for Battleship New Jersey (Large Category)
    • Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Association/USS BOWFIN Submarine Museum and Park (Small Category)
  • Curatorial Excellence Award
    • Battleship Missouri Memorial (Large Category)
  • Maintenance Excellence Award
    • USS Alabama Battleship Commission (Large Category)
    • USS Midway Museum (Large Category)
    • Destroyer Escort Historical Museum USS SLATER DE766 (Small Category)
    • The Mariner’s Museum and Park (Other Category)

“These are non-federal museums, and each had a unique approach in telling the Navy’s story,” said Cox. “Their ability to reach out to the public deserves to be recognized, and I truly feel that these winners are living up to naval excellence. They are honoring those that have served and are continuing to inspire and educate our next generation.”

John DeLuca, director of NHHC’s Communication and Outreach Division, discussed the Navy and HNSA’s partnerships in bringing the Navy’s history to the American public during a virtual panel with Robert Newell, director of Navy Community Outreach Programs, and Jonathan Williams, president and chief executive officer of Battleship IOWA Museum/National Museum of the Surface Navy.

“The members of HNSA are out there telling the story of the Navy,” said DeLuca during the virtual panel. “NHHC can’t be everywhere, and I see HNSA as a force multiplier not just of the Navy but of Navy history.”

Members of NHHC’s Navy Museums Division, Collection Management Division, and Underwater Archaeology Branch presented on NHHC’s historical resources and expertise that have assisted third-party researchers in the search, survey and identification of ship and aircraft wrecks, as well as the command’s analysis of collected data on sites such as USS Juneau (CL 52).

“The discovery of U.S. Navy’s sunken military craft and subsequent data analysis supports NHHC in its mission to preserve and present an accurate history of the U.S. Navy and to remember and honor the sacrifices of those who served,” said Blair Atcheson, NHHC archaeologist.

HNSA is a non-profit organization that links the public with historic ships from around the world. USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park is home to two National Historic Landmarks, the highly decorated World War II battleship USS Alabama (BB 60) and submarine USS Drum (SS 228).

NHHC, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for preserving, analyzing, and disseminating U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy's unique and enduring contributions through our nation's history and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC comprises many activities, including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, ten museums, USS Constitution repair facility, and the historic ship Nautilus. 

For more news from NHHC, visit www.history.navy.mil.

 

—NHHC—