Join the Navy

Good thing today was warm and sunny. It was kind of a hike from the Eastern Market Metro Station to the Washington Navy Yard where Alexandre Sheldon- Duplaix was speaking at the U.S. Navy Museum about his book Hide and Seek - The Untold Story of Cold War Naval Espionage.

Not being part of the military, MAD did not have the necessary military ID to get in the gate but managed to be approved and given a temporary pass. Being a military groupie, and reader of military fiction MAD thought that was pretty cool.

There are 14 Navy Museums located around the US. The one in DC is the only one to show the full history of the US Navy during war and peace times. It shows it with artifacts, photos, art and recreations and tells a story that you can approach in great detail or for an overview. That means big planes, big guns and lots of other stuff. MAD got to sit in an anti-aircraft gun and was accompanied by sound effects (I bet there is a way to add audio to this post but I have no idea of how to do it. I don't even know how to spell them. Use your imaginations).

The Navy Museum is part of the Naval Historical Center which includes a library, archives, photographs and other areas for research. It's located in the Washington Navy Yard which has been around since 1791 and feels like a museum itself. And it is as good as any of the Smithsonians.