This effort came about as a result of an agreement between the NHF and Ancestry.com.

As part of the agreement, Ancestry.com set up scanners on location at the Navy Department Library (NDL) in Washington, D.C., and spent several months digitizing Navy cruise books for this occasion.

The collection, available at Ancestry.com, represents nearly 40 years of cruises following World War II, from 1950-1988, and chronicles an estimated 450,000 service men deployed at sea during that time. Styled after yearbooks, the cruise books include the names and photographs of individuals who served aboard the ship and highlights not only significant milestones that took place during the cruise, but also the day-to-day life on board ship. While not every Navy cruise was documented in a cruise book, the NDL has on file an estimated 3,500 cruise books, which Ancestry.com plans to digitize and add to this collection over time.

“When Ancestry.com approached the Navy about digitizing these cruise books for online access, we were thrilled,“ said retired Capt. Charles T. Creekman Jr., NHF executive director. “A cruise book offers an insider's perspective into what these sailors experienced and the strong camaraderie they established while serving their country at sea.“

The Navy cruise books are part of Ancestry.com's U.S. Military Collection, which includes 100 million names that span more than three centuries of American military service.