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 William Daniel Leahy
N 38° 52.795 W 077° 04.375
18S E 320191 N 4305493
Admiral William Leahy was the first officer ever to hold the rank of Fleet Admiral and the first officer to hold the rank of 5-stars in the United States Military.
Waymark Code: WMBX9X
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 06/30/2011
Views: 6
William Daniel Leahy was born on May 6, 1875 in Hampton, Iowa. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1897 and assigned to the USS Oregon. Leahy served during the Spanish American War, participating in the Battle of Santiago, Leahy served on the dispatch boat used by Franklin D. Roosevelt when he was Secretary of the Navy. As a result of his friendship with Roosevelt, he was appoint d Chief of Staff when Roosevelt became President. Leahy was appointed Fleet Admiral on December 15, 1944. Admiral Leahy retired from Military Service in March 1949. Admiral Leahy died on July 20, 1959 at the Bethesda Naval Hospital. He was 84-years old. Admiral Leahy is resting in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery. Source/Credit: ( visit link)
Description:
William Daniel Leahy was born in Hampton, Iowa and educated at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, from which he graduated in 1897. Midshipman Leahy was assigned to USS Oregon when she made her famous dash around Cape Horn in the spring of 1898 to participate in the Battle of Santiago during the Spanish-American War.
During the First World War Leahy was captain of the dispatch boat used by future U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy. The two men became close friends for the rest of their lives.
After the United States entered World War II, President Roosevelt decided he needed a senior military officer as personal adviser and point of contact with his three service chiefs. On July 6, 1942, Leahy was appointed Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Army and Navy, the President of the United States.
Leahy was appointed the first US Fleet Admiral on December 15, 1944. He was critical of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that in his eyes were "of no material assistance in our war against Japan". His feeling was that "in being the first to use it, we had adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages. I was not taught to make war in that fashion, and wars cannot be won by destroying women and children."
Date of birth: 05/06/1875
Date of death: 07/20/1959
Area of notoriety: Military
Marker Type: Headstone
Setting: Outdoor
Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily - 8 a.m to 5 p.m.
Fee required?: No
Web site: [Web Link]
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