Oct 10, 2025
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) proudly joins the nation in celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States Navy, which has been our unwavering maritime shield, defending the seas to ensure America’s security and economic prosperity.
On Oct. 13, 1775, a 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 80 men, be fitted, with all possible despatch, for a cruise of three months …” While disbanded for a short while after the end of the Revolutionary War, it was permanently established by the passage of the Naval Act, signed into law by President George Washington in 1794.
For two and a half centuries, the Navy has demonstrated an unmatched capability to project power and protect American interests across the globe. With carrier strike groups, submarines, and expeditionary forces, the Navy remains the world’s most dominant sea-fighting force, ensuring that America’s reach extends wherever the waves crash.
As we celebrate this historic milestone on Oct. 13, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting all sailors and their families. Their selflessness in defending our nation's interests, often in the most challenging and distant theaters, ensures the safety of our country and its allies.
Please join the more than 1.4 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary in saluting America’s sailors, past and present, and thanking them for 250 years of extraordinary service and sacrifice.
Take part in celebrating the Navy’s 250th anniversary, learn more at homecoming250.org.