Perry Expedition to Japan 1852-1855: In this lithograph by Sarony & Co., by artist W. HEINE E. BROWN, JR., DIREXT, we see the landing of Commordore Perry, officers & men of the squadron, to meet the Imperial Commissioners at Yoku-Hama, Japan, March 4, 1854. Original in U.S. Navy Art Collection. (R.B. Griffin Collection)

This striking illustration, created by John Philip Falter for one of his more than 300 recruiting posters during World War II, was derived from a Navy photograph taken in 1943 of WAVE Virginia L. Scott. She is operating a radiotelegraph key sending a message from the code room of the Radio School at Madison, Wisconsin. Falter (1910-1982) enlisted in the Navy, but was quickly promoted and continued his work that in civilian life eventually garnered him 129 covers of The Saturday Evening Post along with numerous illustrations in publications including McCalls, LIFE, Look, Good Housekeeping, and Cosmopolitan.

Stake your future in the Navy. U.S. Navy recruiting poster.

Pride Runs Deep. U.S. Navy recruiting poster.

U.S. Navy Recruiting poster image.

Courtesy of the Beverley R. Robinson Collection, U.S. Naval Academy Museum, Annapolis, MD.

Coast Guard Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro protects withdrawing Marines at Guadalcanal. During WWII the U.S. Coast Guard performed a wide variety of duties. One of the more important tasks was manning amphibious craft for the U.S. Navy. It was

"The U.S. Frigate Sabine, rescuing a battalion of U.S. Marines from the transport Governor" On the 2nd Nov. 1861 off the Coast of South Carolina the Sabine fell in with the Transport Governor, in a sinking condition and took from her a Battali

Charles Waterhouse's The Final Stand at Bladensburg shows Capt. Samuel Miller's 12-pounders in action beside the Washington Turnpike (USMC Art Collection)

4th Marine Division Crossing the Landing Beaches at Iwo Jima, by Donna Neary (USMC Art Collection)

Early 20th century recruiting poster.

The USS Constituion Celebrating Washington's Birthday in Malta. Courtesy of the United States Naval Academy Museum.

Digital reproduction of Inspection of a Merchant Ship by Gil Cohen. The Revenue Cutter Morris prepares to board the passenger ship Benjamin Adams on July 16, 1861. The vessel was carrying 650 Scottish and Irish immigrants from Liverpool to New York. In an era of rapidly increasing immigration to the United States, Congress passed laws regulating the space allotted to the passengers. The enforcement of these laws was an early example of Coast Guard efforts in merchant marine safety. Acting as the enforcement arm of the Collectors of Customs, the Revenue Cutter Service had responsibility for collection of import and export duties, quarantines, examining vessels for contraband, and in the case of this boarding, some authority for regulating living conditions on passenger ships. When no irregularities were found, the Benjamin Adams was allowed to continue on its way to New York City.

Early on D-Day, several U.S. destroyers exchanged fire with German artillery atop cliffs just east of Omaha Beach, a scene likely depicted in Coast Guard combat artist H.B. Vestals watercolor of the USS Doyle.