Frederick Carl Sherman (May 27, 1888 – July 27, 1957) was a highly decorated 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Early life

Sherman was born in

Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately. Located along the St. Clair ...

on May 27, 1888. His grandfather, Loren Sherman, was the longtime editor and publisher of ''The Daily Times'' in Port Huron. His father, Frederick Ward Sherman, sold the newspaper in 1907 and moved to California, where he was editor and publisher of ''The Daily Independent'' in Santa Barbara in 1911.

Naval career

Sherman 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 ...

in 1910. He served as commanding officer of

submarine 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 ...

s and during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. After becoming 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-bas ...

, Sherman served as executive officer of in 1937, and of

Naval Air Station San Diego Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...

to 1938. He commanded from 1940 until her loss in the

Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the batt ...

. Captain Sherman was the last man to leave the sinking ship. His wife wrote a book titled ''Admiral Wags'' which told the story of the family cocker spaniel who accompanied Sherman during his command of ''Lexington''. The dog can be seen in war footage used in the John Wayne movie ''In Harm's Way''. Promoted to rear admiral, he served as assistant chief of staff to Commander in Chief Atlantic Fleet, Admiral

Ernest King Ernest Joseph King (23 November 1878 – 25 June 1956) was an American naval officer who served as Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (COMINCH) and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during World War II. As COMINCH-CNO, he directed the U ...

until the end of 1942. He served in the

Fast Carrier Task Force The Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 38 when assigned to Third Fleet, TF 58 when assigned to Fifth Fleet), was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific War from January 1944 through the end of the war in August 1945. The task ...

, as Commander, Carrier Division 2 in 1943, and as Commander, Task Group 38.3 in 1944–45. Sherman was a three-time recipient of 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 ...

. Promoted to vice admiral in 1945, he became Commander,

United States Fifth Fleet The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It has been responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean since 1995 after a 48-year hiatus. It shares a commander and h ...

before retiring in 1947. Upon retirement, he was promoted to admiral on the retired list.

Later life and legacy

Sherman wrote ''Combat Command'', a history of the Pacific Theater of World War II, drawing on his personal experiences. ''Combat Command'' was published in 1950 by E.P. Dutton Inc, and again by Bantam Books in 1982. Sherman appeared on the

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...

radio game show

You Bet Your Life ''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show deb ...

on January 4, 1950, where he mentioned his greatest thrill as being on the bridge of the USS Missouri in

Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is both the most populou ...

, watching the Japanese sign surrender terms at the end of

. He and a recent naval recruit contested the major prize of $1000 but were unsuccessful. Sherman died on 27 July 1957 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 ...

, and the Frederick C. Sherman Field on nearby

San Clemente Island San Clemente Island ( Tongva: ''Kinkipar''; Spanish: ''Isla de San Clemente'') is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. It is administered ...

was dedicated in his honor on 11 January 1961.

Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Vice Admiral Frederick C. Sherman:

References

: *
History of St. Clair County, Michigan
by William Lee Jenks, 1911

External links

– from Microworks.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Sherman, Frederick 1888 births 1957 deaths People from Port Huron, Michigan Military personnel from Michigan United States Naval Aviators United States submarine commanders United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy vice admirals United States Navy personnel of World War I Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Navy World War II admirals