Haddock resolution OK’d by House to celebrate 250th birthday of U.S. Navy
Rep. Jim Haddock October 9, 2025 | 12:12 PM
HARRISBURG, Oct. 9 – The state House of Representatives adopted a bipartisan resolution Wednesday recognizing Oct. 13 as the 250th birthday of the U.S. Navy, according to prime sponsor Rep. Jim Haddock.
“As a member of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, I am proud to honor 250 years of the United States Navy and the accomplishments of the courageous sailors who have enlisted during its history,” said Haddock, D-Luzerne/Lackawanna.
“Our Navy is prepared to respond to any peacetime or wartime crisis in our seas, as they effectively conduct humanitarian missions in times of disaster and ensure that our shipping lanes remain free of threats every day.”
In Philadelphia on Oct. 13, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established what was then known as the Continental Navy to defend the seas during the American Revolution. By 1776, 27 warships were given this task against the Royal British Navy’s 270 warships.
“Despite the odds that the colonies faced, the Continental Navy successfully fought for our freedom, and our Founding Fathers cemented the role of the United States Navy as Article I of the United States Constitution grants Congress the authority ‘to provide and maintain a navy,’” Haddock said.
Two hundred-fifty years after the Navy’s establishment, it is made up of hundreds of ships, thousands of aircrafts and, most importantly, more than 330,000 active-duty members who maintain the freedom of our seas.
Haddock said Philadelphia will be the host of a week-long celebration, Homecoming 250, to honor 250 years of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.