Buildings Honor Submariners (PAGE 3) |
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HENDRIX OCEANOGRAPHIC LABORATORY The Hendrix Oceanography Laboratory is an asset unique to the Naval Academy, providing a wet laboratory with Severn River salt water tanks, and facilities for 24 students conducting individual or team research. YP654 is permanently assigned to the Laboratory for data and specimen collection in Chesapeake Bay. Its work is coordinated with geological, biological, and meteorological laboratories in other buildings. It was dedicated in 1985. The Laboratory was named for Captain
Charles N.G. (Monk) Hendix, a 1939 graduate , and an all-American lacrosse
player. Monk graduated from the Submarine School in 1941, and served in
S-39, STURGEON (SS-187), CARP (SS-338), and MAPIRO (SS-376), completing
12 war patrols. After the war, he was Commanding Officer of TIRU (SS-416).
After attending Scripps Institute, he spent much of his remaining career
in oceanography, serving as an Advisor to the Deep Submergence Systems
Review Group after the sinking of THRESHER (SSN-593). He retired in 1963,
and taught oceanography at the Academy from 1965 until 1976. He was awarded
two Silver Stars, a Bronze Star, and the Navy Commendation Medal. He died
in 1976.
JOHN
F. LABOON CHAPLAIN CENTER
KING
HALL
The main wing of the mess, as it was called prior to 1901, was designated in the early 1900s by Ernest Flagg, the architect of Bancroft Hall. The new wing added in 1953 to form a "T" increased the seating capacity by 50%. Admiral King, born in Ohio in 1878,
graduated from the Naval Academy in the Class of 1901. He served in a wide
spectrum of ships and shore duty assignments until 1922, when he accepted
a billet as Commander Submarine Flotilla Atlantic Fleet. However, prior
to assuming the duties, he elected to attend Submarine School as a Captain,
graduating in June 1922. He then assumed command of Submarine Divisions
3 and 11, and in 1923 returned to New London as Commanding Officer of the
Submarine Base for three years, at which time he recommended that the Submarine
School course be lengthened from four to six months. He never served in
a submarine and was not "Qualified in Submarines". His connection with
submarines actually began in 1901 when he had an opportunity, with his
classmates at the Academy, to ride HOLLAND (SS-1). He gained fame and headlines
as the Salvage Officer in the recovery of both S-51 and S-4 sunk off New
England. He became a Naval Aviator in 1927, and had no further submarine
duty. He was selected for Flag in 1932 after 35 years of service at the
age of 54. He became Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet and Chief of Naval
Operations (COMINCH/CNO) in March 1942 and retired in December 1945. He
was awarded the Navy Cross, three Distinguished Service Medals and received
awards from 10 foreign countries. He died in 1956.
NIMITZ
LIBRARY
The Library was named for Fleet Admiral
Chester W. Nimitz whose biography appears under the Submarine Base/Submarine
School section.
RICKOVER
HALL
It was named for Admiral Hyman G, Rickover
who was born in Poland in 1900, and graduated in the Class of 1922. He
attended Submarine School in 1930 and served in S-9 and S-48, qualifying
in submarines. He was selected as an Engineering Duty Only officer in 1937,
and served in diverse billets specializing in electrical engineering until
his assignment to Oak Ridge, Tennessee in 1948, which launched him on his
meteoric rise in nuclear propulsion. He was retained on active duty in
two year increments from 1962 until 1982, at which time he retired with
four stars. He was awarded a Gold Medal by Congress, two Distinguished
Service Medals, two Legions of Merit and two Navy Commendation Medals.
He died in 1986.
VANDERGRIFT
CUTTER SHED
Captain Vandergrift was born in 1917
in Pennsylvania, graduated from the Naval Academy in 1939, and the Submarine
School in 1940. He was ordered to PERCH (SS-176) and was still aboard as
Communications Officer at the start of World War II. He was captured by
the Japanese and spent the remainder of the war in prison camps in the
Empire. PERCH had been ordered to attack the forces invading Indonesia
in March 1942, along with most available Allied forces. She was severely
damaged by a lengthy series of depth charge attacks by Japanese destroyers
in the shallow water near Soerabaja. After a valiant fight, she found herself
unable to dive and on March 1942 was scuttled. All the crew was rescued
by Japanese destroyers. Nine of the 62 officers and men died in prison.
After refresher training, "Jake" Vandergrift served as Executive Officer
of REMORA (SS-487) and Commanding Officer of TILEFISH (SS-307). He later
commanded Submarine Division 81, Submarine Squadron 6 and the Tender ORION
(AS-18). His last tour was as Commander Naval Station, Annapolis, MD where
he was also Commodore of the Naval Academy Sailing Squadron. He was awarded
the Purple Heart for his prison ordeal, and the Navy Commendation Medal.
He retired on 3 February 1969 and died on 6 February 1969.
MILLER
HALL
It was named for Lieutenant Commander Frank Bertram Miller, born in 1903, and enlisted at 15 in 1918. He was at sea in M-1 on Armistice Day in 1918, patrolling off the coast of France. He was serving in S-10 as a Chief Torpedoman when World War II broke out, but it was his other activity which brought him considerable fame. His first exploit as a diver took place in 1925 when Miller assisted Captain Ernest J. King in the salvage of S-4, and later, the S-51. As an instructor at the Submarine School in 1931 he "saved" Vice Admiral Red Ramage's submarine career by interceding when he failed the escape training exercise. It is fitting that the Submarine Training Facility has honored both of these men. Miller retired as a CTM in 1938 but as a civilian working in the Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, NH volunteered his services in (the rescue efforts after) the sinking of SQUALUS; and made many dives first determining that there were 33 men alive, and later assisting in the operation of the McCann chamber which rescued the crew. He was recalled to active duty in 1940 and as a Warrant Gunner dove on U-85 off the Virginia Coast - reporting that the U-Boat could dive deeper than its U.S. counterparts. He later flew with the Air Force in Europe, was assigned to the Coast Guard in the Mediterranean, was sunk by a torpedo and endured five months as a prisoner of war. He was awarded the Silver Star for his
performance in the U-85 project. He retired again in 1946 as a Lieutenant
Commander and still lives in the Norfolk, VA area, age 89 and hearty.
RAMAGE
HALL
It was named for Vice Admiral Lawson
P. Ramage who was born in 1909 in Massachusetts, and graduated from the
Naval Academy in the Class of 1931. After Submarine School in 1935 he served
in S-29, and was on the Staff of Commander Submarines Pacific on Pearl
Harbor Day. He made the second war patrol of GRENADIER (SS-219), after
which he commissioned TROUT (SS-202) in which he sank 6,000 tons on four
patrols. He commissioned PARCHE (SS-384), sinking four ships of 26,000
tons. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his daring night
action in PARCHE on 30 July 1944 against a convoy of 10 Japanese ships.
Ramage fired 19 torpedoes against the melee, remaining on the bridge alone
in the face of heavy enemy fire. After the war, he commanded Submarine
Division 52 and Squadron 6, was deputy Commander Submarines Atlantic Fleet
and retired in 1970 following a tour as Commander Military Sea Transport
Service. He was also awarded two Navy Crosses, the Silver Star and Bronze
Star and two Distinguished Service Medals. He died in 1990.
FRANK
ALLCORN THEATER IN RAMAGE HALL
MURPHY
CENTER
Admiral Murphy was born in Norfolk,
Virginia in 1896 and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1917 as a member
of the wartime Class of 1918. After tours in surface ships, he completed
instruction in submarines on board FULTON (AS-11), and served in R-23 and
O-11, commanding the latter from late 1920 until 1923. He was War Plans
Officer on the Staff of Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet early in the war,
after which he served his last tour at sea as Commanding Officer of ALABAMA
(BB-60). He was physically retired in 1946, and promoted to Vice Admiral
on the basis of his awards which included the Legion of Merit, the Navy
and Marine Corps Medal and the Bronze Star Medal. He died in 1974.
KOSSLER
HALL
RABORN
HALL
It was named for Vice Admiral William
F. Raborn, born in Texas in 1905, and graduated from the Naval Academy
in 1928. He earned his wings in 1934 and enjoyed a highly successful career
both in the air and at sea in carriers. He has been honored by the Submarine
Force and Kings Bay for his outstanding performance as the Director of
the Strategic Systems Project Office from its inception in 1955 until 1960.
He put GEORGE WASHINGTON (SSBN-598) to sea with the Polaris missile in
less than five years, assuring the Navy a secure role in Strategic Warfare.
He retired as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Development in 1963.
He was Director of Central Intelligence in 1965-66. He was awarded the
Distinguished Service Medal and the Bronze Star, and the SSPO a Presidential
Unit Citation. He died in 1990.
BISHOP
HALL
JONES
HALL
KAIN
HALL
HARVEY
HALL
O'KANE
HALL
It was named for Rear Admiral Richard H. O'Kane, born in New Hampshire in 1911, graduated from the Naval Academy in 1934, and from the Submarine School in 1938. He was ordered to ARGONAUT (SM1) from Submarine School and was still serving in her when World War II began. In March of 1942, he was ordered to WAHOO (SS-238) as Executive Officer under Lieutenant Commander D.W. (Mush) Morton until mid-1943, when he fitted out TANG (SS-306) as Commanding Officer. TANG made five highly successful patrols under Dick O'Kane, sinking 24 ships totaling 94,000 tons. On her fifth patrol, a circular run of her last torpedo sank the ship. Only nine men were rescued of which O'Kane was one. They spent the rest of the war in Japanese prison camps. O'Kane was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, three Navy Crosses, four Silver Stars, and the Legion of Merit. TANG was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations. Subsequent to the war, O'Kane commanded
Submarine Division 32, the Submarine School and SPERRY (AS-12). He retired
as a Rear Admiral in 1957, and died in 1994.
SLATTERY
HALL
WILLIAMS
BUILDING
It was named for Admiral John G. Williams,
born in Oregon in 1924, graduated from the naval Academy in 1946 as a member
of the Class of 1947, and from the Submarine School in 1949. He served
in POMPODON (SS-486), CHIVO (SS-341), and STICKLEBACK (SS-415). He was
Commanding Officer of STERLET (SS-392), HADDO (SSN-604) and DANIEL WEBSTER
(SSBN-626), and the Squadron at Rota Spain. His last tour of duty was as
Chief of Navy Material. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal,
the Legion of merit, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Service
Medal. He retired in 1983 and died in 1991.
REICH
HALL
It was named in honor of Vice Admiral Eli T. Reich, born in New York in 1913, graduated from the Naval Academy in 1935, and from Submarine School in 1939. After a short tour in R-14, he commissioned SEALION (SS-195) in late 1939, and served as Executive Officer until the ship was severely damaged alongside the pier at Cavite in the Philippines on 8 December 1941, and was scuttled. He escaped Corregidor in STINGRAY (SS-185) and remained on board as Engineer and Executive Officer until late 1943 when he was ordered to commission SEALION II (SS-315) as Commanding Officer. In three patrols in 1944, SEALION sank over 60,000 tons. Reich was the only Commanding Officer to sink a battleship (KONGO) unassisted. He also rescued 54 British and Australian prisoners of war who had spent several days in rafts off Formosa when their ship RAYUKO MARU was sunk by a wolfpack of which SEALION was a part. After the war, he commanded Submarine Division 100 and Submarine Squadron 8. From 1962 to 1965, he was Commander of the Surface Missile Project which was key to the development of the "3-T" missile systems. He was Deputy Comptroller of the Navy and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Product Engineering and Material Acquisition. He retired in 1973. He was awarded three Navy Crosses and the Presidential Unit Citation for his exploits in SEALION; the Legion of Merit and the Army Distinguished Unit Badge for other submarine service; a Bronze Star Medal for ASW duty in Southeast Asia in 1966; and two Distinguished Service Medals for his Missile and Comptroller duties. He lives, in 1993, in the Washington, D.C. area, and has been the leader in the establishment of the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington for the past several years. |
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