Explore the History
of the Pacific

Greetings! I am Anthony Boccia, a historian with a deep passion for Japanese history. My primary interests are the Meiji Restoration, the expansion of Imperial Japan into the Southern Seas, and the rise and fall of the Imperial Japanese Navy. I particularly enjoy traveling and learning alongside my family and friends. I hold a BA in Military History with a focus on Imperial Japan from Southern New Hampshire University and am currently in work on an MA in public history from the same institution.

​

I am an active-duty U.S. Naval Officer with 22 years service, 18 of which were spent overseas, including 15 in Japan and 3 on Guam. In my active-duty assignments and personal travel, I have seen a great deal of the military history of the Pacific, including remote and hard to access sites such as Corregidor, Iwo Jima, and Wake Island. I've deployed twelve times across the Western Pacific region and made port in nearly every country the U.S. Navy drops anchor here.

​

During my time in the sea services, I've spent a fair bit of time waiting on things. Quiet duty days, late NALOs, medical and dental waiting rooms, and a myriad of other places have offered me some time to kill. Usually, I'd go down a wikipedia rabbit hole, or scroll aimlessly through social media apps. Many times, I've pulled into a port for the first time, or after a long break, without an idea of what was available and with a slow internet connection or limited computers in the work center with which to do my research.

 

This website is designed with those moments in mind - when you've got nothing to do and want to discover what's around you, or you're pulling into a port for the first time and need to get some recommendations in a hurry. We've covered the areas of the Pacific where you are. If you're interested in learning more and looking for a book recommendation, that's here. If you want to get into deep dives and see what experts in the field and fellow history nerds are working on, we've got that too. 

 

Whether you are getting assigned overseas, on a two-week TDY, or one-day port call, this website is here to help connect you to the history where you are. We want to provide you with context, tips, advice, and whatever else you need to help you discover something new and unexpected. We're constantly growing as people stop by to make recommendations, so please check back often. And finally, public history is a team sport, my inbox is ALWAYS open!

 

Let’s learn some history together,

​

Anthony Vincent 'Tony' Boccia