This Day in Naval History - April 16

1863 - Union gunboats pass Confederate batteries at Vicksburg.
1924 - Navy commences relief operations in Mississippi Valley floods, lasting until June 16.
1947 - Act of Congress gives Navy Nurse Corps members commissioned rank.
1959 - Helicopters from USS Edisto (AGB 2) begin rescue operations in Montevideo, Uruguay. By April 26, they had carried 277 flood victims to safety.

For more information about naval history, visit the Naval historical Center Web site at http://www.history.navy.mil.