The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Fleet Admiral William (Bull) Halsey, Jr. USN - Apr. 19th, 2003

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq36-5.htm ^

[SAMWolf]

Dear Lord,

There's a young man far from home,
called to serve his nation in time of war;
sent to defend our freedom
on some distant foreign shore.

We pray You keep him safe,
we pray You keep him strong,
we pray You send him safely home ...
for he's been away so long.

There's a young woman far from home,
serving her nation with pride.
Her step is strong, her step is sure,
there is courage in every stride.
We pray You keep her safe,
we pray You keep her strong,
we pray You send her safely home ...
for she's been away too long.

Bless those who await their safe return.
Bless those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve this country well,
no matter what the cost.

Author Unknown

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FReepers from the The Foxhole
join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time.

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Fleet Admiral
William Frederick Halsey, Jr. USN

(1882-1959)

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William Frederick Halsey, Jr., was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on October 30, 1882, the son of the late Captain William F. Halsey, U. S. Navy. As a Navy junior, he made the usual round of schools prior to his appointment to the Naval Academy. President McKinley gave him an appointment in 1900.

While at the Naval Academy he distinguished himself in class committees and athletics, but not in scholarship. He was a member of the "Lucky Bag" yearbook staff, won his letter in football as a fullback and was president of the Athletic Association. As a First Classman, he had his name engraved on the Thompson Trophy Cup as the Midshipman who had done the most during the year for the promotion of athletics.

Upon graduation in February 1904, he was assigned to USS Missouri and later transferred to USS Don Juan de Austria in which he was commissioned an Ensign after having completed the two years at sea -- then required by law. In 1907, he joined USS Kansas and made the famous World Cruise of the Fleet in that battle ship.

For the next almost 25 years practically all his sea duty with the Fleet was in destroyers, starting in 1909 with command of USS DuPont (TB-7 commissioned in 1897), USS Lamson, USS Flusser and USS Jarvis. In 1915 he went ashore for two years of duty in the Executive Department at the Naval Academy.

During WWI he served in the Queenstown Destroyer Force in command of USS Benham and USS Shaw. From 1918 to 1921 he continued his destroyer service in command of USS Yarnell, USS Chauncey, USS John Francis Burnes and Destroyer Division Thirty-two. In October of 1920 he assumed command of USS Wickes and of Destroyer Division Fifteen. At that time a destroyer division commander also commanded the division flagship. Another shore cruise sent him to duty in the Office of Naval Intelligence, in Washington, -- which was his only duty assignment in that city. In October 1922, he was ordered as Naval Attache at the American Embassy in Berlin, Germany. One year later, he was given additional duty as Naval Attache at the American Embassies in Christiana, Norway; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Stockholm, Sweden.

On completion of that cruise he returned to sea duty, again in the destroyers in European waters, in command of USS Dale and USS Osborne. Upon his return to the U.S. in 1927, he served one year as Executive Officer of the battleship USS Wyoming -- and then for three years in command of USS Reina Mercedes, station ship at the Naval Academy. He continued his destroyer duty on his next two-years at cruise starting in 1930 as Commander Destroyer Division Three of the Scouting Force. In 1932 he went as a student to the Naval War College.



Then in 1934, he embarked on his aviation career when he reported to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola for flight training. He was designated a Naval Aviator on 15 May 1935, and went in command of the carrier USS Saratoga for two years, followed by one year in command of the Naval Air Station, Pensacola. In 1938, when he reached flag rank, he held successive commands of Carrier Division Two in USS Yorktown and Carrier Division One in Saratoga. In 1940, he became Commander Aircraft Battle Force with the rank of Vice Admiral. He was in USS Enterprise in that command when World War II broke out. In April 1942 he was designated Commander Task Force Sixteen, in Enterprise to escort the carrier USS Hornet to within 800 miles of Tokyo to launch the Army planes for the initial bombing of Japan.

In October l942 he was made Commander South Pacific Forces and South Pacific Area. With the rank of Admiral, and for the next 18 months he was in command of that area during the offensive operations of the U. S. Forces. In June 1944 he assumed command of the Third Fleet, and was designated Commander Western Pacific Task Forces. As such, he operated successfully against the Japanese in the Palaies, Philippines, Formosa, Okinawa and South China Sea. Subsequent to the Okinawa campaign in July 1945, his forces struck at Tokyo and the Japanese mainland. The last attack of his forces was on 13 August 1945. Admiral Halsey's flag was flying on USS Missouri on 2 September in Tokyo Bay when the formal Japanese surrender was signed onboard.

Immediately thereafter, 54 ships of the Third Fleet, with his four-star flag in USS South Dakota, returned to the United States for annual Navy Day Celebrations in San Francisco on 27 October 1945. He hauled down his flag in November of that year and was assigned special duty in the office of the Secretary of the Navy. On December 11, 1945, he took the oath as Fleet Admiral becoming the fourth and last officer to hold the rank.



Later, Fleet Admiral Halsey made a goodwill flying trip through Central and South America covering nearly 28,000 miles, and 11 nations. He was relieved of active duty in December 1946, and upon his own request transferred to the retired list on 1 March 1947. Upon retirement, he joined the board of two subsidiaries of the International Telephone and Telegraph Company and served until 1957. He was active in an unsuccessful effort to preserve the USS Enterprise as a national shrine, and was an elected Honorary Vice President of the Naval Historical Foundation.

He died on 16 August 1959 at Fishers Island Country Club.

PROMOTIONS

Graduated from Naval Academy - Class of 1904
Ensign - February 2, 1906
Lieutenant (junior grade) - February 2, 1909
Lieutenant - February 2, 1909
Lieutenant Commander - August 29, 1916
Commander - February 1, 1918
Captain - February 10, 1927
Rear Admiral - March 1, 1938
Vice Admiral - June 13, 1940
Admiral - November 18, 1942
Fleet Admiral - December 11, 1945

DECORATIONS AND AWARDS

Navy Cross
Distinguished Service Medal with three gold stars
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Presidential Unit Citation
Mexican Service Medal
Victory Medal, Destroyer Clasp
American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Philippine Liberation Medal

The guided missile frigate (later guided missile cruiser) USS Halsey (DLG-23, later CG-23), 1963-1994, was named in honor of Fleet Admiral Halsey.

[Light Speed]

[Light Speed]

James Carvell is phoning CNN telling them he will never do IMBED again !

Something too about Hillary's cooking .....and God please send MRE'S.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Yeah right! LOL!!!

[SAMWolf]

LOL!

[Jen]

God bless your granddaughter and keep her safe! Please let her know that so many people are proud of her for serving our country and pray regularly for all our troops and especially those who are in harms' way.

What branch of service is she in? You probably told me before, but I have this medical condition called CRS, but I can't remember what it stands for... ;-)

I'm going to be with my family in Alabama tomorrow and get a "baby fix" with my sweet little nephews. We'll hide some eggs for them I'm sure.

What stars are you looking for?

[Jen]

HAHAHAHAHA! You are so BAD!

[SAMWolf]

Our Military Today
Welcome StateSide!

Former U.S. prisoners of war, Spc. Joseph Hudson, left, waves as Pfc. Patrick Miller holds an American flag upon thier arrival at Fort Bliss, Texas, Saturday, April 19, 2002. (AP Photo/LM Otero)


Former POW Spc. Joseph Hudson, second from right hugging man in plaid shirt, hugs family after his arrival at Biggs Army Airfield at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, Saturday, April 19, 2002. Seven former U.S. prisoners of war returned home Saturday to a crowd of flag-waving family and friends, one week after they were rescued in Iraq. (AP Photo/LM Otero)


Former POWs Spc. Joseph Hudson, left, and Pfc. Shoshana Johnson, right, ride on a golf cart after their arrival at Biggs Army Airfield at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, Saturday, April 19, 2003. (AP Photo/LM Otero)


Eunice Johnson holds her daughter's Spc. Shoshana Johnson's hand after her arrival at Biggs Army Airfield at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, Saturday, April 19, 2003. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

[Victoria Delsoul]

Wow Sam, you are fast. Thanks so much for the wonderful pics.

[fatima]

She is in what they call 4th ID,Jen you have failed your little assignment-Stars for our troops,seems like such a long time ago:)Gosh the Ditsy chicks are coming on SNL now.

[Jen]

That pix is OK, but needs more PLANE, less pilot. But, it's the thought that counts. :-)

[Jen]

Stars for our troops

DOH! Now I remember! CRS disease strikes again. But I remembered what CRS stands for!! (Can't Remember $#^+)

There was a thread today about the 'good guys' in the entertainment industry. Did you see it?

[SAMWolf]

Our Military Today
4th Infantry in Action

Soldiers of the U.S. Army 4th Infantry Division take cover as shots are fired at the direction of their camp in Tikrit, Iraq, Saturday April 19, 2003. No one was apprehended after the incident. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)


Iraqi protesters shout anti-US slogans as they surround Humvees from the 4th Infantry Division during a demonstration against the occupation of Iraq.(AFP/Ahmad Al-Rubaye)


Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division take up position as shots were fired in the direction of their camp in Tikrit, Iraq Saturday April 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)


Residents cheer and wave white flags as a convoy of U.S. soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division passes a town in northern Iraq, Friday April 18, 2003. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)


US soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division move past a destroyed vehicle to secure the Balad airport some 45 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq Friday April 18, 2003. Col. Don Campbell said paramilitary forces were using it as an ordnance dump, taking weapons and ammunitions to oher points in attempts to spread disorder. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)


A US soldier from the 4th Infantry Division takes up position at Balad airport, approximately 50 miles north of Baghdad, Friday April 18, 2003. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

[Jen]

How wonderful to see our POWs reunited with their family and unit members. Thanks Sam. Those pix are fantastic.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Thanks Sam.

Bump!

[Jen]

Don't you know it was torture for those 4th ID guys (and gals) to sit and wait and watch the 3rd ID on TV while they sat and waited, and waited, and waited to get into the action.

Fatima's granddaughter is with this unit.

[Light Speed]

Ok...more plane.

[SAMWolf]

Next time you hear from your granddaughter tell her we salute her for her service.

[Jen]

Ummmmmmmmm, you're getting closer. hahahaha

[Light Speed]

From F-16.net website,

Pilot to tower . . . pilot to tower . . . I am 300 miles from land . . . 600 feet over water . . . and running out of fuel . . . please instruct!

Tower to pilot . . . tower to pilot . . . repeat after me: "Our Father, which art in heaven . . ."

[snippy_about_it]

Look at those smiles. Wonderful. Watching the Fort Hood arrival now.