This Day in Naval History - 31 January

From the Navy News Service:

 

• 1944 - A U.S. amphibious landing takes place on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.
• 1961 - Lt. Cmdr. Samuel Lee Gravely Jr. becomes the first African-American to command a combat ship, USS Falgout (DER 324).
• 1981 - The era of enlisted naval aviators ends when the last pilot retires.

 

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.