The Navy Combat Art Program was founded in 1941 because of the persistence of Griffith Baily Coale, a well-known muralist. Believing that war imminent, Coale convinced top Navy commanders to send him and other artists into the field. The program was revived in the Korean War and in the Vietnam era. The Navy also began sending artists to cover a broader array of naval activities in addition to combat. Following the merger of the Navy Combat Art Program with the Naval History and Heritage Command, artists have covered naval operations around the globe. The Combat Art Program is part of the Naval History and Heritage Command's (NHHC's) Navy Art Collection, which includes more than 20,000 paintings, prints, drawings and engravings. For more information on the Navy Art Collection, or to learn how you can request a combat artist to cover your command's operations, visit NHHC's online directory.
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