Aubrey Wray Fitch - Annapolis MD - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

He is buried in the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Section 7, Lot 1654

Description: US Navy Admiral. He served as the Superintendent of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland and held important aviation-related naval commands both at sea and on shore prior and during World War II. Born in Saint Ignace, Michigan, he entered the US Naval Academy in 1902 and graduated in February 1906. He served the two years of sea duty then required by law before commissioning in the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania and the torpedo boat USS Chauncey Fitch, and became an ensign in February 1908, serving on the USS Rainbow and USS Concord before receiving instruction in torpedoes at the Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island, on board the old cruiser USS Montgomery. After completing the torpedo course, he helped to outfit the battleship USS Delaware, which had been commissioned in April 1910, before returning to Annapolis for consecutive tours of duty at the Naval Academy, first as assistant discipline officer between 1911 and 1912 and later as an instructor of physical training from 1912 to 1913. He then served on the destroyers USS Balch and USS Duncan before he received his first sea command, the destroyer USS Terry, with the 2nd Division, Reserve Torpedo Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet. In January 1915 he assumed command of the yacht USS Yankton, with additional duty as aide to the Commander-in-Chief. Shortly after the US entered World War I in the spring of 1917, he continued his staff duties for another five months before joining the USS Wyoming with the 6th Battle Squadron, Grand Fleet, serving as a gunnery officer until the end of the war. He returned to the Naval Academy before becoming the inspector of ordnance in charge of the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot in Hingham, MA, and naval inspector of ordnance in charge at the Naval Coaling Station, Frenchman Bay, Maine. From August 1920 to December 1922 he commanded a division of fast minelayers, while also commanding in turn, the destroyers USS Luce and USS Mahan. From December 1922 until March 1927 he served at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as a member of the US mission to Brazil before reporting back to the Navy Department for a brief tour of duty in Washington DC. In May 1927 he returned to sea duty as executive officer of the USS Nevada, and also became commander of the stores ship USS Arctic in November of that year. In June 1929 he reported for aviation instruction at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, received his wings as a naval aviator the following February. After brief duty at the Naval Air Station San Diego, California, he assumed command of the auxiliary ship USS Wright in the spring of 1930. In July 1931 he became commander of the Navy's first aircraft carrier, USS Langley. In 1932 he became commander of Naval Air Station Hampton Roads, Virginia, until June 1935, when he reported as chief of staff to Commander, Aircraft, Battle Force, and remained in that billet until assuming command of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington in April 1936. From June 1937 until May 1938 he attended the Naval War College, at Newport, Rhode Island and became the commander of Naval Air Station Pensacola in June 1938. In the spring of 1940, he took over the reins of Patrol Wing 2, based at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and seven months later he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral and became Commander, Carrier Division 1, with his flagship the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga. When the US entered World War II in December 1941, the Saratoga was directly involved in the abortive attempt to reinforce Wake Island, and was later torpedoed, but not sunk, by a Japanese submarine off Oahu in late January 1942, seriously cutting American carrier strength in the Pacific at a critical period. In April 1942 he relieved Vice Admiral Wilson Brown in April 1942, breaking his flag in the Lexington, his former command. During the Battle of the Coral Sea, he served as Commander Task Group 17.5, consisting of the Lexington and the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. Date of birth: 06/11/1883 Date of death: 05/22/1978 Area of notoriety: Military Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link] Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   10/09/2021 Don.Morfe visited it