Joseph C. Clifton (October 31, 1908 – December 24, 1967) was a naval officer and aviator of 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 ...

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 opposing ...

, ultimately advancing to the rank of rear admiral before his retirement in 1963.

Biography

Clifton was born in

Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky. The largest city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located at the confluence of the Tennessee and the Ohio rivers, halfway between St. Louis, Miss ...

. He attended the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state ...

in 1926 and graduated from 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 ...

, where he was an All-Eastern fullback, in 1930. Clifton was assigned to the battleship and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1932. He served with a number of ships and flying squadrons, including the

VF-2 Strike Fighter Squadron 2 (VFA-2) also known as the "Bounty Hunters" is a United States Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. Their tail code is NE and their callsign is "Bullet". They a ...

"Flying Chiefs". From 1942 until 1944, he commanded the

VF-12 Fighter Squadron 12 or VF-12 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. Originally established on 9 January 1943, it was disestablished on 17 September 1945. It was the first US Navy squadron to be designated as VF-12. Operational history V ...

"Peg Legs" flying

F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts ...

s and later

F6F Hellcat The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United States Navy's dominant fighter in the second ha ...

s from . During this period, he flew a captured A6M2 Zero, obtaining valuable technical data that was used to refine fighter tactics against the Japanese. F6F launch USS Saratoga Tarawa 1943

In 1944, Clifton was named Commander of Air Group 12, which combined air groups from and ''Saratoga''. He led the joint British-American air attack force during the

Operation Cockpit Operation Cockpit was an Allied attack against the Japanese-held island of Sabang on 19 April 1944. It was conducted by aircraft flying from British and American aircraft carriers and targeted Japanese shipping and airfields. A small number of ...

raid on Sabang. In 1945, he was officer-in-charge of fighter indoctrination in Advanced Training, at Naval Air Station,

Green Cove Springs, Florida Green Cove Springs is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 6,908. The city is named after the portio ...

. In 1945-46, he was executive officer and then commanding officer of . Clifton was assigned to the Air Warfare Division Office from 1946–49, and the Fleet Logistics Support Wing, Pacific Area, 1949. He was the commander of Transport Squadron 8, 1948–51, also serving as commanding officer of the seaplane tender off Formosa 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 ...

. Clifton was deputy chief of staff training and Staff Commander, Air Forces, Pacific Fleet, 1952–53; attended the Naval War College Class of 1954; commander of

Naval Air Station Memphis Naval Support Activity Mid-South (NSA Mid-South, NAVSUPPACT Mid-South, NSAMS), in Millington, Tennessee, is a base of the United States Navy. A part of the Navy Region Southeast and the Navy Installations Command, NSA Mid-South serves as the Navy ...

, 1954–56; and commander of Barrier Atlantic, and also Airborne Early Warning Wing Atlantic and Fleet Air Detachment,

Argentia Argentia ( ) is a Canadian commercial seaport and industrial park located in the Town of Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on the southwest coast of the Avalon Peninsula and defined by a triangular shaped headland which r ...

, 1956–58. From 1958 to 1960, he headed the Naval Air Advanced Training Command, and in 1960 commanded Carrier Division 7, the

Seventh Fleet The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of ...

. He was chief of naval air technical training at Memphis before finally retiring in July 1963. After retirement, he became associated with

Litton Industries Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States named after inventor Charles Litton Sr. During the 1960s, the company began acquiring many unrelated firms and became one of the largest conglomerates in the United States. A ...

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

, California. Clifton died following complications from

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

on Christmas Eve, 1967, in Santa Monica, California. Clifton's life is commemorated with a street bearing his name in his hometown of Paducah, Kentucky.

Awards

For his service in World War II, Clifton was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, with gold star, the Legion of Merit twice, the

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

, and the British

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...

. He was named to the

Hall of Distinguished Alumni in February 1965, and to the

Naval Aviation Hall of Honor The United States Naval Aviation Hall of Honor, located at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, recognizes individuals "who by their actions or achievements made outstanding contributions to Naval Aviation." Since its inception ...

in 1996.

Joseph C. Clifton Award

The ''Joseph C. Clifton Trophy'' was awarded for the first time in 1968, to

VF-51 VF-51, Fighter Squadron 51 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy known as the "Screaming Eagles". It was originally established as VF-1 on February 1, 1943, redesignated as VF-5 on July 15, 1943, redesignated as VF-5A on November 15, 1946, ...

. The award recognizes meritorious achievement by a fighter squadron while deployed aboard a carrier. :The award is in memory of Rear Admiral Clifton, who distinguished himself as a fighter pilot during World War II. His heroism and extraordinary achievements in flight paralleled the aggressive attitude and drive and inspiring leadership he displayed throughout his life. This award recognizes meritorious achievement by a fighter squadron. The trophy, sponsored by Litton Industries, is a 22-inch high hand repoussé silver bowl on a walnut base.

References

External links

"AIR: From the Snare of the Fowler"
''

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, ...

'', July 10, 1944
Joseph Clinton Clifton Papers, 1926-1971 MS 204
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Special Collection & Archives

Nimitz Library
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United States Naval Academy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clifton, Joseph C. 1908 births 1967 deaths United States Navy rear admirals United States Naval Aviators United States Navy pilots of World War II United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy personnel of the Korean War Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Air Medal Companions of the Distinguished Service Order