Bernard Ambrose Clarey (May 4, 1912 – June 15, 1996),

nicknamed A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

"Chick", was an admiral 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 ...

. A

submarine commander ''Submarine Commander'' is a 1982 in video gaming, 1982 simulation video game for the Atari 8-bit family written by Dean Lock and published by Thorn EMI Computer Software. A VIC-20 port by Gary York was released in 1983, and an Apple II version ...

during

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 served during the late 1960s as

Vice Chief of Naval Operations The vice chief of naval operations (VCNO) is the second highest-ranking commissioned United States Navy officer in the United States Department of the Navy, Department of the Navy and functions as the principal deputy of the Chief of Naval Opera ...

and in the early 1970s as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Early life and career

Clarey was born in

Oskaloosa, Iowa Oskaloosa is a city in, and the county seat of, Mahaska County, Iowa, United States. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Oskaloosa was a national center of bituminous coal mining. The population was 11,558 in the 2020 U.S. Cens ...

, on May 4, 1912, son of Mrs. S. B. (Jennie A. O'Hearn) Clarey and the late Mr. Clarey. He was graduated from Oskaloosa High School and attended William Penn College for one year. He was appointed to 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 ...

from his native state in 1930. As a midshipman he was on the Staff of the

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. He was graduated and commissioned Ensign on May 31, 1934. His first assignment after graduation was to the

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

''Milwaukee'' (CL-5) from June 1934 until December 1936. He entered instruction at the

Submarine School A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

Submarine Base New London Naval Submarine Base New London is the primary United States Navy East Coast submarine base, also known as the "Home of the Submarine Force." It is located in Groton, Connecticut directly across the Thames River from its namesake city of New Lon ...

in January 1937. After designation as a submariner, he reported to the submarine ''Nautilus'' (SS-168) in June 1937. He served as

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First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

and

Communications Officer A communications officer is a naval line officer responsible for supervising operation and maintenance of a warship's signal flags, signal lamps, and radio transmitters and receivers. The communications officer is usually responsible for encrypti ...

in the Nautilus when she was the flagship of

Submarine Division Twelve A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

, based at

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

. In June 1941 he reported to ''Dolphin'' (SS-169).

World War II

Clarey was executive officer on board ''Dolphin'' at

when the Japanese attacked the Naval Base on December 7, 1941, and subsequently made one war patrol in ''Dolphin'' to the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...

. After commissioning the ''Amberjack'' (SS-219) at New London,

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

on June 19, 1942, he completed two war patrols in ''Amberjack'' off Bougainville and

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

Islands as executive officer. During the first war patrol, which lasted fifty-seven days, the Amberjack sank the 19,000-ton Japanese ship ''Tonan Maru'', a 5,000-ton transport and a 7,000-ton cargo ship. She also delivered 9,000 gallons of aviation fuel, 200 100-pound bombs and a number of

US Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

pilots to

Tulagi Tulagi, less commonly known as Tulaghi, is a small island——in Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Ngella Sule. The town of the same name on the island (pop. 1,750) was the capital of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate from 18 ...

. On her second war patrol, lasting fifty-one days, she scored one direct hit on a 4,000-ton freighter while patrolling south of Shortland, near

Treasury Island Mono Island is the largest island of the Treasury Islands, Solomon Islands, at . Geography Mono island is a volcanic island in the northwest of the Solomon Islands. It is separated by the Blanche Harbour from Stirling Island and the other cora ...

. "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action in the performance of his duties in the USS Amberjack during a war patrol of that vessel..." he was 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 ...

. The citation further states: "As Assistant Approach Officer, his outstanding skill, excellent judgement and thorough knowledge of attack problems assisted his Commanding Officer considerably in conducting a series of successful torpedo attacks, which resulted in the sinking and damaging of enemy ships totalling more than 43,000-tons. In addition, he was of great assistance in conducting a successful reconnaissance of four enemy positions and completing a vital special mission, contributing immensely to the success of his vessel in evading extremely severe enemy countermeasures..." Clarey made one additional patrol to the

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

as a prospective commanding officer (PCO) in the submarine ''Peto'' (SS-265). On January 1, 1944, he became the

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 new submarine ''Pintado'' (SS-387) at

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. Under his command, ''Pintado'' reached the Pacific in May 1944, and on her first war patrol in the area west of the

Marianas The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...

and south of

Formosa Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territorie ...

on a dark night in June, surfaced and fired six bow torpedoes at a Japanese convoy, making direct hits on two targets with all six torpedoes. Later between the

and

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

she sank three freighters and damaged a large freighter. Clarey was awarded the Navy Cross with the following citation:

For extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of the USS Pintado, during the first war patrol of that vessel in enemy Japanese-controlled waters, from May 16 to July 1, 1944. Maneuvering his ship through powerful escort screens, Lieutenant Commander Clarey launched repeated aggressive attacks to sink three Japanese freighters and damage a large freighter despite severe hostile countermeasures...

He was awarded a second Navy Cross, denoted by a Gold Star affixed to the suspension and service ribbon of his original medal, "For extraordinary heroism during ''Pintado''s second war patrol in enemy-infested waters from July 24, 1944 to September 14, 1944". The citation states: "He pressed home a series of aggressive torpedo attacks against heavily escorted enemy ships, sinking two freighters and a large whaling ship of nearly 20,000-tons and maneuvered successfully and avoided damage to his submarine". He was awarded a third Navy Cross, denoted by a second Gold Star affixed to the suspension and service ribbon of his original medal, for ''Pintado''s third war patrol, in enemy-controlled waters of the South China Sea, between October 9, 1944 and January 1, 1945. The citation states: "Carrying out his duties as Officer in Tactical Command, Commander Clarey skillfully directed the coordinated search for his attack group known as "Clarey's Crushers", against a retiring enemy Task Force and contributed to the destruction of a Japanese light cruiser. He further led his submarines in an attack to sink a destroyer and damage an aircraft carrier. On the night of December 12–13, he conducted three surface attacks, in heavy seas, to sink two enemy merchantmen, which contributed to Pintado's sinking of over 40,000-tons of Japanese shipping". Clarey also wore a ribbon for the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to ''Pintado''. Detached from ''Pintado'' in April 1945, he was assigned to the staff of Commander Submarine Force Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC) and was serving in that assignment at the cessation of hostilities in August 1945.

Post-war, through late 1950s

Following

, in December 1945 he reported to the

Navy Department Navy Department or Department of the Navy may refer to: * United States Department of the Navy, * Navy Department (Ministry of Defence), in the United Kingdom, 1964-1997 * Confederate States Department of the Navy, 1861-1865 * Department of the Na ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, where he served until February 1946 in the Office of Public Information, as a member of the

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

's Committee on Reorganization. In April, he was transferred to the Office of the

Naval Inspector General The Office of Naval Inspector General for the United States Department of the Navy was established during World War II to make investigations as directed by the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations. The current mission of the Na ...

. From April 1947 until June 1949, he served on the Staff of Commander Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet as Aide and

Flag Secretary A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employ ...

, Legal Officer, and

Public Information Officer A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman, is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...

. In June 1949, he returned to the

to serve in the Officer Personnel Division for Submarine Officer Assignments, in the

Bureau of Naval Personnel The Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) in the United States Department of the Navy is similar to the human resources department of a corporation. The bureau provides administrative leadership and policy planning for the Office of the Chief of Nava ...

BUPERS The Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) in the United States Department of the Navy is similar to the human resources department of a corporation. The bureau provides administrative leadership and policy planning for the Office of the Chief of Nava ...

. In June 1951, he reported as executive officer of the heavy cruiser ''Helena'' (CA-75), which operated with the

U.S. 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 th ...

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

n waters, participating in operations against North Korean and Chinese Communist Forces. He served as "XO" for eleven months and was awarded the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

with

Combat "V" Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

for his service aboard ''Helena''. After a tour as Commander Submarine Division Fifty Two from May 1952 to July 1953 in San Diego, he was ordered to the Politico-Military Policy Division, as Director Far East Branch, 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 ...

. He was a student at the

National War College The National War College (NWC) of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. History The National War Colle ...

from August 1955 to June 1956. In August 1956, he was assigned at Pearl Harbor as

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

to COMSUBPAC. In August 1958, he became commanding officer of fleet oiler ''Hassayampa''. On January 5, 1959 he became the Director for Military Personnel in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower).

Flag assignments

Clarey was selected for promotion to

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

in July 1958 and in August 1958 was assigned as Director for Military Personnel Policy in the

Office of the Secretary of Defense The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is a headquarters-level staff of the United States Department of Defense. It is the principal civilian staff element of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out aut ...

(OSD). In July 1962, Rear Admiral Clarey again reported to Pearl Harbor as Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPACFLT). For exceptionally meritorious service in this position, he 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 ...

. On June 3, 1964, Clarey was promoted to Vice Admiral and became Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Chief of Staff and Aide to Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT) at Pearl Harbor. In August, 1966, in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, he became Commander

U.S. Second Fleet The United States Second Fleet is a numbered fleet in the United States Navy responsible for the East Coast and North Atlantic Ocean. The Fleet was established following World War II. In September 2011, Second Fleet was deactivated in view of ...

(COMSECONDFLT) and Commander Striking Force, Atlantic (

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

). Returning to the

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific duti ...

(OPNAV) in June 1967, Vice Admiral Clarey assumed the duties of Director, Navy Program Planning and Budgeting. In January 1968, he was appointed

and promoted to the rank of

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, ...

. In December 1970, he returned to Pearl Harbor as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT) in what was to be his terminal assignment. Admiral Clarey was relieved of duty on September 30, 1973, and retired from the navy with the rank of admiral on October 1, 1973.

Post-Navy career

Admiral Clarey served as a vice president for the

Bank of Hawaii The Bank of Hawaii Corporation ( haw, Panakō o Hawaii; abbreviated BOH) is a regional commercial bank headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is Hawaii's second oldest bank and its largest locally owned bank in that the majority of the voting sto ...

from 1973 to 1977 and died June 15, 1996 at

Tripler Army Medical Center Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) is a major United States Department of Defense medical facility administered by the United States Army in the state of Hawaii. It is the tertiary care hospital in the Pacific Rim, serving local active and retire ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

Family

Admiral Clarey married Jean Webster Scott (1918-2009), the daughter of Captain Leon B. Scott (USNA ’15), on May 27, 1937 in Groton, Connecticut. They had two sons: Rear Admiral (retired) Stephen S. Clarey (b. 1940) of Coronado, CA, and Michael O. Clarey (b. 1946) of Sydney, Australia.

Military Awards and honors

While on active duty, Admiral Clarey earned three Navy Cross Medals, the

Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the

with Combat "V", the Legion of Merit and five Distinguished Service Medals. In addition, he was awarded the

American Defense Service Medal The American Defense Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces, established by , by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on June 28, 1941. The medal was intended to recognize those military service members who had served ...

with star,

American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had perfo ...

, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one silver star and four bronze stars (nine operations), World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal with star,

United Nations Service Medal The United Nations Service Medal for Korea (UNKM) is an international military decoration established by the United Nations on December 12, 1950 as the United Nations Service Medal. The decoration was the first international award ever created by t ...

, Philippine Liberation Medal, Philippine Presidential Unit Citation and the

Korean Presidential Unit Citation The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation () is a military unit award of the government of South Korea that may be presented to South Korean military units, and foreign military units for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic o ...

. In addition, after qualification for

submarine warfare insignia The Submarine Warfare Insignia (usually known as '"Dolphins"') are worn by qualified submariners. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy Submarine Service, sailors who qualify as submariners are awarded a badge depicting two dolphins and a cr ...

he received the submarine officer badge, and for successful wartime service the Submarine Combat Patrol Insignia with stars.

Civilian Awards and honors

A long-time supporter of the Boy Scouts of America, Admiral Clarey was presented the

Silver Beaver Award The Silver Beaver Award is the council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. Upon nomination by their local Scout council and with the approval of the National Court of Honor, recipients of this award are registered adu ...

in 1976. He was awarded the Navy League of the United States Stephen Decatur Award for Operational Competence in 1971. A doctorate of humane letters honorary degree was conferred upon him by William Penn College in 1984.

Namesake

In 1998, the floating bridge connecting

Ford Island Ford Island ( haw, Poka Ailana) is an islet in the center of Pearl Harbor, Oahu, in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It has been known as Rabbit Island, Marín's Island, and Little Goats Island, and its native Hawaiian name is ''Mokuumeume''. The isl ...

to the mainland was named the

Admiral Clarey Bridge Admiral Clarey Bridge, also known as the Ford Island Bridge, is a road bridge that connects Ford Island in Pearl Harbor to the mainland of Oahu, the third-largest island of Hawaii. A section of it is supported by pontoons, and can be moved to ...

in Clarey's honor.

References

External links

csp.navy.mil: biography of Adm. Bernard Clarey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarey, Bernard A. United States Navy personnel of World War II Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) People from Oskaloosa, Iowa United States Navy admirals United States Naval Academy alumni United States submarine commanders William Penn University alumni 1912 births 1996 deaths Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Vice Chiefs of Naval Operations Military personnel from Iowa