ADMIRAL HALSEY’S CAREER

Southland Times, Issue 24889, 31 October 1942, Page 5

ADMIRAL HALSEY’S CAREER

New Commander In South Pacific

Vice-Admiral W. F. Halsey, who has been appointed to command the naval forces in the South Pacific in place of Vice-Admiral R. L. Ghormley, is the senior admiral at sea of the United States Navy. Vice-Admiral Halsey was bom in New Jersey in 1882, and is the son of Captain William F. Halsey, U.S.N. He was appointed to the Naval Academy by the President in 1900, and was in command of the destroyer Flusserfrom 1911 until 1913, when he was transferred to command the U.S.S. Jarvis. After two years on the executive staff of the Naval Academy he was ordered to Queenstown, Ireland; for duty with the destroyer force. For his Great War service, during which he patrolled ■waters infested with enemy submarines and mines and escorted important convoys of troops and supplies, he was awarded the Navy Cross. NAVAL ATTACHE AT BERLIN During 1920 and 1921 Vice-Admiral Halsey commanded destroyers, and after duty in the U.S.S. Great Northern he was appointed Naval Attache of the American Embassy, Berlin, with additional duty as naval attache, Christiana, Norway, Copenhagen, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden. From 1927 to 1930 he was in command of the U.S.S. Reina Mercedes, station ship at the Naval Academy, and after that he was ordered to command'Destroyer Squadron Fourteen, Scouting Fleet. After completing the course at the Naval War College, Rhode Island, he was in charge of the Recruiting Training School, Naval Training Station, Virginia. He attended the Army War College from 1933 until early in 1934, when he went to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, and qualified as a naval aviator. After serving as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Saratoga from 1935 until 1937, he was commandant of the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, for a year. He became commander, Carrier Division Two, Aircraft Battle Force, in June 1938. He was in charge of the organization and training of the new aviation squadrons for the new aircraftcarriers Yorktown and Enterprise, and in May 1939 assumed duty as commander, Carrier Division One, Aircraft Battle Force. He has had a command in the fleet with the rank of viceadmiral since June 3, 1940. RAID ON JAPANESE Vice-Admiral Halsey was in command of the United States Fleet attack force which raided the Japanese strongholds in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands on January 31 last, and in February he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his part in that action. The citation stated that by his great skill and determination the drive inflicted heavy damage on enemy ships and planes. He has the Mexican Service Medal, the Victory Medal with clasp, the Gold Cross of the Chevalier of the Order of the Saviour, conferred by the Government of Greece, and the decoration of Al Merito first class, by the Government of Chile.