Charles Turner Joy (17 February 1895 – 6 June 1956) 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 ...

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 opposing ...

and the

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. During the last years of his career, while fighting leukemia, he served as Superintendent of the

Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. See also * Military academy A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally pro ...

. The destroyer USS ''Turner Joy'' (DD-951) was named for him.

Early life

C. Turner Joy was born in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

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, on February 17, 1895. Commissioned as an ensign in the Navy upon graduation 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 ...

in 1916, he served in the battleship for more than four years, including the U.S. participation in

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 ...

Interwar Period

In 1923, after receiving a graduate education in engineering, he began two years as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander,

Yangtze Patrol The Yangtze Patrol, also known as the Yangtze River Patrol Force, Yangtze River Patrol, YangPat and ComYangPat, was a prolonged naval operation from 1854–1949 to protect American interests in the Yangtze River's treaty ports. The Yangtze P ...

. This was followed by a tour as Executive Officer of the Asiatic Fleet destroyer , an assignment with the

Bureau of Ordnance The Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) was a United States Navy organization, which was responsible for the procurement, storage, and deployment of all naval weapons, between the years 1862 and 1959. History Congress established the Bureau in the Departme ...

, sea duty in the battleship , and service at the Naval Mine Depot at

Yorktown, Virginia Yorktown is a census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Virginia. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1682. Yorktown's population was 195 as of the 2010 census, while York Co ...

. In the mid-1930s, Lieutenant Commander Joy was Commanding Officer of the destroyer and was on the staff of Commander Destroyers, Battle Force. From 1937 to 1940, Commander Joy was an instructor at the Naval Academy. He then became Executive Officer of the

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 T ...

World War II

In 1941, Captain Joy was Operations Officer for Commander Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet. For several months after the United States entered World War II in December, he helped to plan and execute combat operations against Japan. He commanded the heavy cruiser from September 1942 to June 1943 during which he was active in the

Aleutians The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a chain of 14 large vo ...

and South Pacific war theatres. After an important war plans tour in

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, Rear Admiral Joy became commander of a cruiser division, leading it through nearly a year and a half of intense combat service against the

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Postwar and Korean War

Commanding an amphibious group when Japan capitulated in August 1945, Joy was soon assigned to duty in China. He was in charge of the Naval Proving Ground at

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, in 1946 to 1949 and was then sent back to the Western Pacific to become Commander Naval Forces, Far East. Vice Admiral Joy held that position until mid-1952, directing much of the Navy's effort during the first two years of the

. From July 1951 to May 1952, he was also the senior

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

Delegate to the Korean Armistice talks. His experience in this role led him to write a book, ''How Communists Negotiate''. In the book, he detailed a number of different tactics that were used during the talks to delay, frustrate, and create useful propaganda for the North Koreans. His observations included the fact that the communists would set shorter chairs for the UN delegates so that the communists would tower over the UN delegates in propaganda photographs. His final assignment was as Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.

Last years and legacy

Retiring in July 1954, Admiral Joy subsequently made his home in La Jolla, California. He died at the U.S. Naval Hospital in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

on 6 June 1956. He is interred at the

United States Naval Academy Cemetery The United States Naval Academy Cemetery and Columbarium is a cemetery at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. History In 1868 the Naval Academy purchased a 67-acre piece of land called Strawberry Hill as part of their effort ...

. The destroyer , 1959–1991, was named in honor of Admiral Joy. Turner Joy Road at the Naval Academy is also named in his honor.

Decorations

Vice Admiral Charles Turner Joy's ribbon bar:Valor awards for Charles Turner Joy , Military Times Hall of Valor
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References

*Obitutuary, Los Angeles Times, June 7, 1956, p. 7

External links

history.navy.mil/photos: biography of C. Turner JoyFinding aid to C. Turner Joy's papers at the Hoover Institution Library and Archives, Stanford University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joy, C. Turner 1895 births 1956 deaths United States Navy vice admirals United States Naval Academy alumni Military personnel from St. Louis United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy World War II admirals United States Navy personnel of the Korean War Burials at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Superintendents of the United States Naval Academy 20th-century American academics