The first U.S. Navy aerial photographs were taken in 1913 in support of
fleet exercises off Guantanamo, Cuba. Following WWI, a Navy Photographic
expedition went north, making the first aerial mapping photos of the
Alaskan territory. WWII found Navy shuttermen in the Pacific theatre,
performing pre- and post-attack reconnaissance, along with "hitting the
beach" to record the war as it unfolded. Shortly after, Navy
photographic units were in the Pacific to record early atomic bomb
tests. The Navy's aerial photo reconnaissance mission, both at the front
end with the weaponless aircrews and the output of thousands of images
and photo interpretation, continued to develop through the mid-20th
century. The last aerial photo plane in the Navy's inventory was retired
after flying to the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum Annex at Dulles
International Airport in Fairfax County, Virginia. The 74 year odyssey
of Navy and Marine Corps aerial reconnaissance photography was finished.