Slow, sustained building
the value of shared interests to thrive
It’s been a week of several shocks for Americans, if not the world. I conclude the week with a personal observation about the power of persistence and kaizen, the Japanese concept (a driving principle in my life, I confess) of on-going, small but determined improvement to build on what matters to each of us.
Prior to 2019, several historians independently noted San Diego and the west coast had no history organization focused on maritime issues despite its peculiarly navy intensive role in our country. These guys launched WNHA to fill this gap as broadly as possible but with enthusiasm but little else.
The first meeting transpired in a former church in Balboa Park in San Diego. I spoke on how we used historical navy topics in the curriculum of the National War College and about fifteen other speakers covered a wide array of topics over the two day meeting. Speakers reflected on naval strategy, specific ship experiences, debates within navy history, and more. Everyone witnessed a modeling display about World War II campaign in the Pacific. I couldn’t help noticing the two and a half dozen attendees stuck around for all the sessions on a gorgeous February weekend in San Diego.
Today, WNHA is a 501©(3) not-for-profit with membership across the globe. The annual symposium retains its goal of bringing naval history in all forms to this part of the country. The 2025 symposium topics include a discussion of the disappearance of the USS Scorpion, basing and logistics challenges during World War II, two reflections on the Navy’s role in the Vietnam War as we approach the fiftieth anniversary of the fall of Saigon, and several more. An African-American who served in the 1960s described the Scorpion panic, then what it was to work side-by-side with dastardly spy John Walker. Sure, books exist on these topics but nothing is quite like a seminar to answer real time question and answers on any of these topics.
The space within the USS Midway, a museum which has generously hosted this meeting since 2020, is absolutely jammed to capacity with eager consumers of navy history—some formal historians, a journalist here and there, graduate students, and interested folks from up and down the west coast. We are happily bursting at the seams.
Technology allows others to dial in, essential to growing the organization beyond the west coast. Without online capabilities, WNHA likely would have collapsed during Covid because space on the Midway is tight. Despite hoping we could lure people to the meeting in person, the dial in option remains a major draw for the group.
But this group draws speakers with actual experience, including veterans from multiple conflicts and eras, along with scholars from various institutions. The voices of those who witnessed events in naval history are invaluable for all of us; it’s sometimes hard to remember that history includes individuals, not merely institutions or trends. Some of the trends WNHA celebrates include how the Navy and Marine Corps represent us as a nation, an invaluable reminder of who we are.
WNHA remains a shoestring operation, focused on participation rather than accruing funds. We retain voluntary leadership rather than paid positions because people crave these kinds of organizations building communities of interest. I joined the Board of Directors in 2020 so I have had a front seat view of the building process we have undertaken.
Why should you care? In this era of discontinuities and anxiety, many of us thrive on finding folks across the country with similar interests, despite what seems like both system overload and too much isolation in our lives. In this particular subject, it turns out history, long bemoaned as the specialty of “dead” guys, retains interest as many of young men (and a few women) desire evidenced-based conversations on issues that interest us rather than short tweets or blurbs on a topic. Turns out facts do matter to some.
Thank you for reading Actions today. I welcome your thoughts on relevant organizations you have built or sadly seen die under the weight of people expecting someone else to do the work. We invest our time in what we care about. Associations of shared interest offer the social connections at the heart of what all medical research suggests we need as we age to keep our minds sharp. Of course the small WNHA will not change the world but it gradually provides a meaningful presence for those who seek to know more about what proceeded us and can provide us with lessons for the future. You surely belong to others which I would love to hear about. If you aren’t, then find one!
San Diego is gorgeous this year, as well, with spectacular birds-of-paradise in bloom, guaranteed to lift anyone’s spirit at the end of a tough week. Blooms, in particular, guarantee the future in a concrete manner we take for granted, reminding us that life is a long stretch punctuated by days. And the bees are still here!
Be well and be safe. FIN
Western Naval History Association is available at www.wnha.net or through info@wnha.net