 Welcome to All Hands Update. This is your week in Navy history. July 25, 1943, the first U.S. Navy ship named in honor of an African American, USS Harmon was launched. USS Harmon was named after Mesotenant First Class, Leonard Roy Harmon. Harmon posthumously received the Navy Cross for his heroic actions trying to save a shipmate during the naval battle of Guadalcanal. On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, desegregating the armed services. During World War I, more than 350,000 black troops served in segregated army units. Few were allowed to serve in combat. July 30, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Act Establishing Waves, or Women Accepted for Volunteer Service. More than 80,000 women served in the waves during World War II. To learn more about the Navy's history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website.