Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Allen Bevins Reed (April 3, 1884 – February 28, 1965) was a U.S. Naval officer whose career began aboard vessels in the Asiatic and Pacific Fleets. Early in his career he was Captain Takeshita Isamu's escort during a ceremonial visit to the mayor of

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, and he was a member of a

Naval Board of Inquiry Naval Board of Inquiry and Naval Court of Inquiry are two types of investigative court proceedings, conducted by the United States Navy in response to an event that adversely affects the performance, or reputation, of the fleet or one of its shi ...

. Reed assumed the command of a landing force of 120 men in Nicaragua in 1912, to protect a railway line following a coup d'état attempt by General Luis Mena. Over his career, Reed commanded eight ships, and after he was made captain, he was commander of Division 80 of Destroyer Squadron 11, Division 30 of Battle Fleet from the flagship , and Division 45 of the Battle Fleet from . Reed received the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

for his command of the during dangerous transatlantic voyages of World War I. Reed was the

plank owner A plankowner"U.S. Navy Style Guide", Navy.mil website (also referred to a plank ownerCutler and Cutler, p 167 and sometimes a plank holder) is an individual who was a member of the crew of a United States Navy ship or United States Coast Guard Cutt ...

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

of the newly commissioned

heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...

, and in the summer of 1934, President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

took a cruise on the ship through the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...

and the Pacific Ocean. In the latter years of his naval career, Reed was attached to the office of the

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...

where his assignments included Director of Fleet Maintenance Division. He was Chairman of the

Executive Committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

of the Army and Navy Munitions Board and served on the Joint Economy Board between the Army and Navy. He retired in 1939, but remain on active duty at the beginning of

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 ...

. He was head of the

United States Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

and was the navy

liaison Liaison means communication between two or more groups, or co-operation or working together. Liaison or liaisons may refer to: General usage * Affair, an unfaithful sexual relationship * Collaboration * Co-operation Arts and entertainment * Li ...

to the Office of Production Management, which later became the

War Production Board The War Production Board (WPB) was an agency of the United States government that supervised war production during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established it in January 1942, with Executive Order 9024. The WPB replaced the Sup ...

Naval Academy

Reed 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 ...

(USNA) on September 22, 1900, as one of 93 fourth class naval cadets. On July 1, 1902, the Academy changed the title of "naval cadet" to "

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 ...

". He was on the track, gymnastics and football teams there. Reed's fellow graduates of the class of 1904 included future

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

William S. "Bull" Halsey, Jr. Completing his academic studies, Reed received his warrant as a

passed midshipman A passed midshipman, sometimes called as "midshipman, passed", is a term used historically in the 19th century to describe a midshipman who had passed the lieutenant's exam and was eligible for promotion to lieutenant as soon as there was a vacan ...

. On January 25, 1904, he was detached from Annapolis "to home and ready for sea".

Naval service

Early career

On March 21, 1904, Reed reported for duty aboard the school ship USS ''Mohican'' and was then on several vessels of the Asiatic and Pacific Fleets for more than four years. During that time he was commissioned an ensign, which then required successful completion of two years sea duty. Reed was a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

and senior engineer on the by October 13, 1909, when he was

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

Captain Takeshita Isamu's escort during a ceremonial visit to the mayor of

. He was stationed at the

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...

in 1910, and in April 1911 Reed became a member of the Naval Board of Inquiry that convened to investigate fraud involving naval

Paymaster A paymaster is someone appointed by a group of buyers, sellers, investors or lenders to receive, hold, and dispense funds, commissions, fees, salaries (remuneration) or other trade, loan, or sales proceeds within the private sector or public secto ...

Arthur M. Pippin and two others. The men were court-martialed and sentenced to hard labor at

San Quentin State Prison San Quentin State Prison (SQ) is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated place of San Quentin in Marin County. Opened in July 1852, San Quentin is the ...

Reed was an executive officer on when he was given command of a landing force of 120 men who landed at

Corinto, Nicaragua Corinto is a town, with a population of 18,552 (2021 estimate), on the northwest Pacific coast of Nicaragua in the province of Chinandega. The municipality was founded in 1863. History Early years The town of Corinto was founded in 1849. It first ...

on August 29, 1912. This followed a coup d'état attempt by General Luis Mena, Minister of War to overthrow President

Adolfo Díaz Adolfo Díaz Recinos (15 July 1875 in Alajuela, Costa Rica – 29 January 1964 in San José, Costa Rica) served as the President of Nicaragua between 9 May 1911 and 1 January 1917 and again between 14 November 1926 and 1 January 1929. Born in C ...

and the ''Denver'' was one of six ships brought in to provide troops to protect the railway line from Corinto to Managua.

Mexico and Panama Canal

By May 26, 1913, Reed was next on the Torpedo Flotilla tender , as executive officer and navigator, and he came to command it into June 1915. ''Iris'' along with five torpedo boats from the Pacific Fleet Torpedo Flotilla, were ordered to the

Gulf of California The Gulf of California ( es, Golfo de California), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Bermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja Ca ...

, also known as the Sea of Cortez following the

Tampico Affair The Tampico Affair began as a minor incident involving U.S. Navy sailors and the Mexican Federal Army loyal to Mexican dictator General Victoriano Huerta. On April 9, 1914, nine sailors had come ashore to secure supplies and were detained by Me ...

by May 4, 1914. They patrolled the vicinity of

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...

and

Mazatlán Mazatlán () is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding ''municipio'', known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of ...

, Mexico, during the ongoing

civil unrest Civil disorder, also known as civil disturbance, civil unrest, or social unrest is a situation arising from a mass act of civil disobedience (such as a demonstration, riot, strike, or unlawful assembly) in which law enforcement has difficulty m ...

there. During May and June 1914, ''Iris'' evacuated American citizen refugees from Mazatlan and Acapulco, including the American consul, Hon. Clement S. Edwards. He was made Captain of the Port at

Balboa, Panama Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. History The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spani ...

by June 11, 1915.

World War I

About December 26, 1917,

President Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Demo ...

approved an

Act of Congress An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called Public and private bills, private laws), or to the general public (Public and private bills, public laws). For a Bill (law) ...

that temporarily promoted a total of 188 officers to rear admirals, captains, and commanders. Reed was one of the group of men temporarily promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

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 awarded the

in 1920 "for distinguished service in the line of his profession as commanding officer of the , engaged in the important, exacting and hazardous duty of transporting and escorting troops and supplies to European ports through waters infested with enemy submarines and mines."

Between the two world wars

Reed was Commander of the battleship from March 1923 to May 1924, He was commander of the ''Clemson''-class destroyer by July, and by November, he was commanding the . By July 1925, Reed was at the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associat ...

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

, in the Senior Class of 1926. After World War I, the college was led by Admiral

William S. Sims William Sowden Sims (October 15, 1858 – September 28, 1936) was an admiral in the United States Navy who fought during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to modernize the navy. During World War I, he commanded all United States naval force ...

, who promoted innovative thinking. Sims was commander of the Naval Forces in Europe during the war. He was assigned to the Ships' Movement Division of the office of the

in Washington, D.C., by July 1926 and was there through at least January 1, 1928. During that time, Reed was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on March 16, 1927. In August 1928, he commanded Division 80 of

Destroyer Squadron 11 A destroyer squadron is a naval squadron or flotilla usually consisting of destroyers rather than other types of vessel. In some navies other vessels, such as frigates, may be included. In English the word "squadron" tends to be used for larger ...

, reporting to

Lewis B. Porterfield USS ''Porterfield'' (DD-682) was a of the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1943, she served in several Pacific campaigns during World War II, earning ten battle stars. She was decommissioned immediately after the end of the war but reactivat ...

. By April 1929, he was commander of Division 30 of

Battle Fleet The United States Battle Fleet or Battle Force was part of the organization of the United States Navy from 1922 to 1941. The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence. This f ...

from the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

. In January 1930, he was commander of Division 45 of

from the

. He was then at the Material Division of the office of the

from 1930 to 1932. Reed assumed command of a new cruiser, USS ''New Orleans'', at New York Navy Yard in February 1934. Among ''New Orlean''

junior officer Junior officer, company officer or company grade officer refers to the lowest operational Officer (armed forces), commissioned officer category of ranks in a military or paramilitary organization, ranking above non-commissioned officers and below ...

s under Captain Reed's command in 1934 were Ensign E.L. Jahncke, Jr. and Ensign T.H. Moorer. Jahncke was the son of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and Moorer rose to the rank of admiral and served as

(CNO) from 1967–1970 and

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: app ...

from 1970–1974. USS ''New Orleans'' made a

shakedown Shakedown may refer to: * Shakedown (continuum mechanics), a type of plastic deformation * Shakedown (testing) or a shakedown cruise, a period of testing undergone by a ship, airplane or other craft before being declared operational * Extortion, ...

Transatlantic crossing Transatlantic crossings are passages of passengers and cargo across the Atlantic Ocean between Europe or Africa and the Americas. The majority of passenger traffic is across the North Atlantic between Western Europe and North America. Centuries ...

Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...

and

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

in May and June 1934. President

took a cruise beginning July 5 on the ship, which went through the

, had an exercise off of the California coast with , and ended at

Astoria, Oregon Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corne ...

, on August 2, 1934. The ''New Orleans'' then went through the Panama Canal to Cuba, and then exercised off of the New England coast. It made its first visit to the port of New Orleans in the spring of 1935. On March 30, 1935, Louisiana Governor

Oscar K. Allen Oscar Kelly Allen Sr. (August 8, 1882 – January 28, 1936), also known as O. K. Allen, was the List of Governors of Louisiana, 42nd Governor of Louisiana from 1932 to 1936. Allen succeeded Alvin Olin King, who served briefly in the state's h ...

presented Reed and the ship with the silver services from the former battleship and the former cruiser , and named Reed an honorary citizen of the city. It was still under his command in April 1935. He was Director of Fleet Maintenance Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations from October 1935 to 1939. In 1937, Reed also served on the Joint Economy Board between the Army and Navy and was the appointed Chairman of the

of the Army and Navy Munitions Board.

World War II

He retired by October 1, 1939, but he remained on active duty during the initial years of

. He was head of the United States Maritime Commission in the second half of 1939 and in 1940. Reed was a

to the Office of Production Management in Washington, D.C., which with the

Supply Priorities and Allocations Board The Supply Priorities and Allocations Board (SPAB) was a United States administrative entity within the Office for Emergency Management which was created and dissolved during World War II. The board was created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt v ...

later became the

. He was an advisor to the

Council of National Defense The Council of National Defense was a United States organization formed during World War I to coordinate resources and industry in support of the war effort, including the coordination of transportation, industrial and farm production, financial s ...

in 1941, which was a World War I organization that was reactivated for World War II and operated in 1940 and 1941. On September 6, 1944, his wife, Bess M. Reed, sponsored the at its launch from the Portsmouth (Maine) Navy Yard.

Personal life

Reed was from Liberty, Missouri. He graduated from Liberty High School in 1900. Lieutenant Reed married the Bessie Moorhead of

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, on September 25, 1909, at the home of her parents in Omaha, Nebraska. Their son, Allen B. Reed, Jr. was born on June 11, 1912. He was also a captain in the Navy. In 1914, the Reeds lived in San Diego, California, where their daughter, Annis was born. They had two other daughters, Elizabeth and Katherine. He died February 28, 1965, and was buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

. His wife, Bessie, died on September 27, 1966, and is buried with him at Arlington. Allen B. Reed, Jr. is also buried at Arlington. He died September 2, 1996.

Date of ranks

United States Naval Academy Midshipman – Class of 1904

Decorations and awards

Gallery

File:US Naval Academy Gymnastics Team 1904.jpg, USNA Gymnastics Team, 1904. A.B. Reed, seated, second from right; H.E. Kimmel, seated, second from left File:USNA First Class Cadet Petty Officers 1904.jpg, USNA First Class Cadet Petty Officers, 1904. A.B. Reed, seated, front row, center File:USN Midshipman Allen B. Reed.jpg, Midshipman Allen B. Reed in 1904

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Allen B. 1884 births 1965 deaths Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) United States Naval Academy alumni Burials at Arlington National Cemetery