William M. Callaghan
United States Navy Admiral (1897–1991) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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William McCombe Callaghan (August 8, 1897 – July 8, 1991) was a United States Navy officer who served as the first captain of the battleship USS Missouri[2][3][4][5] and the inaugural commander of the Military Sea Transportation Service.[2][6] Through the course of almost 40 years, he served his country in three wars. His naval career began on a destroyer in the final months of World War I. Following command of the destroyer USS Reuben James and logistical work prior to World War II, he took command of Missouri in 1944.
William McCombe Callaghan | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Bill |
Born | August 8, 1897 (1897-08-08) San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Died | July 8, 1991 (1991-07-09) (aged 93) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
Place of burial | Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1918–1957 |
Rank | Vice admiral |
Commands held | USS Reuben James (DD-245) USS Missouri (BB-63) Military Sea Transportation Service |
Battles/wars | World War I World War II Korean War |
Awards | Legion of Merit[1] Order of the Rising Sun Order of the White Elephant Order of Boyaca |
Relations | Daniel Callaghan (brother) |
Callaghan is perhaps best known for ordering, despite disagreement from some of his crew, that an honorable burial at sea be held for an enemy pilot who died during a suicide attack on Missouri in 1945.[4][5] Following World War II, he directed the US Navy's transportation service and filled senior command roles in eastern Asia, including Commander, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet during the Korean War. He retired from the US Navy at the rank of vice admiral in 1957 and worked in civilian maritime transport before retiring to Maryland.