In Their Honor

In Their Honor. . , The Long Beach Navy Memorial pays tribute to the city’s naval heritage , Long Beach's naval history dates back to 1908 with the arrival of President Theodore Roosevelt's 16-ship Great White Fleet. By the 1920s Long Beach established itself as a major naval installation on the West Coast. For the next eight decades, it was home to sailors and shipbuilders, battleships and aircraft carriers. The navy permeated every aspect of life in Long Beach., In 1997, Long Beach's last chapter in navy history came to a close. The once bustling shipyard and naval base are now gone, but the city's naval heritage remains., Side B: , Charting an Ancient Journey , Forged in steel, bronze, brass, and porcelain enamel, the Navysphere sculpture memorializes Long Beach's naval heritage. Its design is based on the armillary sphere, an ancient Greek model of the Earth - the central sphere - and a stand that depicts the equator, the constellations of the Zodiac, and movement of the moon, planets, and sun., In creating the sculpture, artist Terry Braunstein chose the armillary sphere as a metaphor. In ancient times, its use as a navigational tool made a navy possible. And like the naval heritage of Long Beach, it remains a timeless symbol., Of Mast and Men , The Navysphere's photographs of celebrations and daily activities capture the personal side of navy life. While generations of men and women gave 90 years of service, they also dedicated themselves to their families and friends., Icons from a Navy Past , Artifacts celebrate the Long Beach Naval Station and shipyard. From an anchor that once moored a ship from Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet and flag mast from the Long Beach Navy Hospital (circa 1942) to the replica of the compass rose from the Naval Station Administration Building and streets signs that once marked a shipyard intersection, Long Beach's naval heritage is preserved in art and architecture.