“BIG BILL” HALSEY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 January 1943, Page 5

“BIG BILL” HALSEY

FAMOUS AS FOOTBALLER BEFORE BECOMING FAMOUS AS ADMIRAL. ALWAYS FULL OF FIGHTING SPIRIT. (By Commander Louis J. Gullivas, U. S. Navy, Ret., in the “Christian Monitor.”) When I read that Vice-Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Junr. had smashed the Japanese battle line in the Solomons, I was reminded of Midshipman “Big Bill” Halsey, smashing through the football line at the Naval Academy thirty-nine years ago. “Bill” played fullback then and he was the man depended on to advance the ball in that day of “first down, five yards to go” and no forward passing. Even as a midshipman, “Bill” Halsey was called a “real old salt” who looked “like a figure of Neptune.” Aside from his physical proportions, he possessed more than his share of fighting spirit and stamina. Admiral Halsey’s entire sea service, following his first commission, has been in swift destroyers, speedy torpedo boat, naval aircraft, and plane carriers. His ambition continuously has been the development of speed to go after the enemy and torpedo equipment to carry out destruction. Only once did this pattern take different form —when he had to do a hitch as executive officer on board the battleship Wyoming in a day when all officers of appropriate rank were expected to do a battleship cruise. That was sixteen years ago. Vice-Admiral Halsey indicated what his future course might be when he took his carrier task force into the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific last January 31 and smashed Jap installations on four seperate islands, sank some twenty of their ships, and knocked down dozens of their planes. His losses were only something under a dozen planes. It was a perfect surprise job, dashingly executed —like those drives down the football 'field years ago. “AIR-MINDED SEA DOG. Bill Halsey is an air-minded sea dog, the best possible type to command in a sea-air campaign. He is officially qualified as a Naval Aviator —qualified the hard way at the age of 52. No Admiral in any nation has had greater sea-air experience than he. Moreover, he has had a specially valuable shore command —that of the “Annapolis of the Air,” the Pensacola Naval Air Station. ' Seven years ago Admiral Halsey flew his airplane out of Pensacola en route to sea duty in command of the plane carrier Saratoga, sister of the Lexington. the largest carrier in the world and the fastest big warship in the world. Thereupon, he co-ordinated aviation with surface ships—battleships, cruisers. destroyers—thus unifying naval forces at sea for their maximum striking power. The Admiral first hoisted his twostarred flag four years ago when he took command of the Fleefsifirst carrier division. Thus he got ready in peacetime for the affair in the Marshall group. Eight months before Pearl Harbour, Vice- Admiral Halsey was ordered to command “Aircraft Battle Force” and Carrier Division Two. His flag then flew at first from the carrier Yqrktown, of gallant memory. LONG SERVICE AFLOAT. Vice-Admiral Halsey is a sea dog by right of long service afloat —twentythree years and five months, longer than any of his contemporaries except Admiral Chester Nimitz. Even more important is the fact that during the past 31 years all his sea duty has been “in command.” When only 27, he was ordered to command the torpedo boat Dupont and four years later was assigned to command the Frst Group, Torpedo Flotilla, flying his pennant in the new destroyer Flusser, pride of the Navy and the fastest warship thenafloat. In December, 1917, Lieutenant Commander Halsey was ordered overseas and took over command of the destroyer O’Brien, winning the Navy Cross for distinguished service. He stayed on at sea after the war in command of other destroyers, then he went ashore to be U. S. Naval Attache in Germany and the Scandinavian countries. Soon he was back at sea in command of the destroyer Dalic and in 1930 was assigned to Annapolis in command of the Reina Mercedes. After that more destroyers to com-mand-eighteen in a squadron serving in the Scouting Fleet. After this cruise afloat, “Bill” Halsey went back to school— to the Army War College and one year at the Naval War College. “Bill” Halsey’s forebears are of old New England stock. His grandfather was a clergyman in the Episcopal church. His wife was Miss Grandy of old Norfolk, Va. Their children are William F. Halsey, 3d., and a daughter who married. His father was the beloved and esteemed Captain William F. Halsey, U. S. N., an authority on the American flag.