USS Pochard (AM-375) USS Pochard (AM-375) USS "Pochard" (AM-375) was an acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. "Pochard" was named after the pochard, a heavy-bodied diving duck. "Pochard" was laid down by Savannah Machine and Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia, 10 February 1944; launched 11 June 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Mary E. Kennard; and commissioned 27 November 1944, Lt. Comdr. David D. Long, USNR, in command. After fitting out and shakedown, she departed Norfolk, Virginia, for the Panama Canal Zone on 19 February 1945 escorting .
What Is a Nation? What Is a Nation? "What is a Nation?" ("Qu'est-ce qu'une nation?") is an 1882 lecture by French historian Ernest Renan (1823–1892), known for the statements that a nation is "a daily referendum", and that nations are based as much on what the people jointly forget, as what they remember. It is frequently quoted or anthologized in works of history or political science pertaining to nationalism and national identity. Renan wrote "What is a Nation" in order to symbolize the nationalism which was born in France as a result of the French Revolution of 1789. Renan begins his essay by noting