From the US Navy History site:
Navy Birthday
A 13 October 1775 resolution of the Continental Congress established what is now the United States Navy with “a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible despatch, for a cruise of three months….” After the American War of Independence, the U.S. Constitution empowered the new Congress “to provide and maintain a navy.” Acting on this authority, Congress established the Department of the Navy on 30 April 1798.
In 1972, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt authorized official recognition of 13 October as the birthday of the U.S. Navy. Since then, each CNO has encouraged a Navy-wide celebration of this occasion “to enhance a greater appreciation of our Navy heritage, and to provide a positive influence toward pride and professionalism in the naval service.”
13 October 2022 will mark the Navy's 247th birthday. The central theme of this year is "On Watch - 24/7 for 247 Years," which highlights our Navy's enduring ability to remain fully ready to respond to and effectively deter emergent threats.
I was eligible for service during the Vietnam War. My Draft Lottery number was in the 300+ range so I was never called. I would have enlisted in the US Navy had I been asked to serve. A housemate of mine drew #2. We drove from Boston to Montreal through some back roads in Vermont and New Hampshire - there were quite a few unsecured border crossings at that time.
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