Apollo Soucek (February 24, 1897 – July 22, 1955) was a vice admiral in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, who was a record-breaking test pilot during 1929 and 1930, served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and was commander of Carrier Division Three during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, ending his career as chief of the

Bureau of Aeronautics The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for naval aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" (''i.e.'', responsibility) for the design, procurement, and support of naval aircraft and relate ...

Biography

Soucek was born in

Lamont, Oklahoma Lamont is a town in Grant County, Oklahoma, United States, situated along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. The population was 417 at the 2010 census, a decline of 10.3 percent from the figure of 465 in 2000. Geography Lamont is located at (36.691164 ...

. He was the son of Johann "John" Soucek, who had been born in Ovčáry,

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

(then part of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, now in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

), but had emigrated to the United States at the age of 7 with his family. Arriving in June 1875 aboard the

Norddeutscher Lloyd Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL; North German Lloyd) was a German shipping company. It was founded by Hermann Henrich Meier and Eduard Crüsemann in Bremen on 20 February 1857. It developed into one of the most important German shipping companies of th ...

ship , the family—Mathias, Maria, and their six children—first settled in

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

, then moved to

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, before taking part in the

Cherokee Strip Land Run The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

in 1893 and settling in Medford.

Early career

Soucek entered the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1918 and served with the rank of

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

aboard the battleship during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He was commissioned as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

on 3 June 1921. He then served aboard the . In February 1924, Soucek reported to

Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...

for flight training, qualifying as a

naval aviator Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...

in October. He was assigned to the Navy's first aircraft carrier in November, and served as assistant flight officer of Observation Squadron 2. In January 1925, he transferred to the to serve as assistant navigator and junior aviation officer of Observation Squadron 1. In May 1927, he was assigned to the

Naval Aircraft Factory The Naval Aircraft Factory (NAF) was established by the United States Navy in 1918 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was created to help solve aircraft supply issues which faced the Navy Department upon the entry of the U.S. into World War I. ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, before transferring to the

in July to serve in the Power Plant Design Section. Flying the Wright Apache, Soucek set a series of

flight altitude record This listing of flight altitude records are the records set for the highest aeronautical flights conducted in the atmosphere, set since the age of ballooning. Some, but not all of the records were certified by the non-profit international avia ...

s. On May 8, 1929, he set the world altitude record for landplanes by flying to the height of , and on June 4, he set the altitude record for seaplanes, also in an Apache, reaching the height of . On June 4, 1930, Soucek flew an Apache landplane equipped with a

Pratt & Whitney R-1340 The Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp is an aircraft engine of the reciprocating type that was widely used in American aircraft from the 1920s onward. It was the Pratt & Whitney aircraft company's first engine, and the first of the famed Wasp series ...

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...

to a height of over

Naval Air Station Anacostia Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. Its downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It is located east of the Anacostia River, after which the neighborhood is nam ...

, regaining the world record he had held in 1929. Soucek received the Distinguished Flying Cross for these flights. In June 1930, Soucek returned to sea duty, serving as squadron flight officer of Fighter Squadron 3 on the carrier , and as gunnery officer and executive officer of Fighter Squadron 3 aboard . In June 1932, he returned to the Naval Aircraft Factory to serve as assistant to the superintendent of the Aeronautical Engineering Laboratory. From June 1935, he served as hangar deck, flight deck, and senior watch officer aboard , returning to the ''Lexington'' in June 1937 to serve as the commanding officer of Fighter Squadron 2. Soucek went back to the Bureau of Aeronautics in May 1938 to serve as assistant to the chief of the Personnel Division.

World War II

In May 1940, he was assigned to as navigator, moving to the on October 20, 1941, to serve as air officer. Soucek was appointed executive officer in 1942, and served in that capacity during the

Doolittle Raid The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was an air raid on 18 April 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II. It was the first American air operation to strike the Japan ...

on Tokyo on April 18 and during the

Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, fought during 25–27 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or Third Battle of Solomon Sea, in Japan as the Battle of the South Pacific ( ''Minamitaiheiyō kaisen''), was the fourt ...

. He was later awarded the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

for his efforts during this battle. In January 1943, he was appointed assistant chief of staff for operations in the Pacific Fleet. From July 1943, he served as chief of staff and aide to the chief of Naval Air Intermediate Training Command and deputy chief of Naval Air Training, based at NAS Pensacola. Soucek was awarded the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

with Gold Star for his service in this capacity. In March 1945, he was appointed officer-in-charge of the

fitting-out Fitting out, or outfitting, is the process in shipbuilding that follows the float-out/launching of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her o ...

of the carrier , becoming the first commander on her commissioning on October 27, 1945.

Later career

From January 1946, he commanded Carrier Division 14, and from August was commander of Fleet Air Wing 1. On July 15, 1947, he was appointed commander of the Naval Air Test Center at

Naval Air Station Patuxent River Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States naval air station located in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. It is home to Headquarters, Naval Air Sys ...

. From 1949, he served as assistant chief of Naval Operations for Aviation Plans, and director of the Aviation Plans and Program Division. He spent most of 1951 in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

as U.S. naval attaché for air, before serving in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations from November until February 1952, when he was appointed commander of Carrier Division 3/ Task Force 77, flying his flag aboard , supporting operations in the

. Rear Admiral Soucek received the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

for his service in Korea. On June 18, 1953, Soucek was appointed chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics. However, in February 1955 he became ill, quitting his post on March 4, and was transferred to the Retired List on July 1. He died of a heart attack on July 19, 1955, at the age of 58, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on 26 July. He was posthumously promoted to vice admiral. On June 4, 1957,

Naval Air Station Oceana Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana or NAS Oceana is a United States Navy Naval Air Station located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Nowadays, the station is located on 23.9 km2. It has total of 250 aircraft deployed and buildings valued at $800 mil ...

was officially named Apollo Soucek Field.

Family

Apollo's younger brother Zeus (1899–1967), also joined the Navy, became an aviator, and set speed, distance and duration records piloting a Naval Aircraft Factory PN-12 in May 1928.

Decorations

References

External links

"Sky High"
''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

''. May 20, 1929.
"How I Broke the World's Altitude Record"
''

Modern Mechanix ''Mechanix Illustrated'' was an American printed magazine that was originally published by Fawcett Publications. Its title was founded in 1928 to compete against the older ''Popular Science'' and ''Popular Mechanics''. Billed as "The How-To-Do Ma ...

'', September 1930
Navy and Marine Corps Air Stations and Fields Named for Naval Aviators and Others
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soucek, Apollo 1897 births 1955 deaths American aviation record holders Flight altitude record holders United States Navy admirals United States Naval Academy alumni United States Naval Aviators Aviators from Oklahoma United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy personnel of the Korean War Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) People from Grant County, Oklahoma American people of Czech descent Burials at Arlington National Cemetery