Jerauld Wright
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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, ...
Jerauld Wright (June 4, 1898 – April 27, 1995) was an officer in 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 ...
. He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the
United States Atlantic Command United States Atlantic Command (acronym from 1947-1993 USLANTCOM, after 1993 USACOM) was a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense. In 1999, U.S. Atlantic Command was renamed and given a new mission as United State ...
(CINCLANT) and the Commander-in-Chief of the
United States Atlantic Fleet United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
(CINCLANTFLT), and became the second
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic was based at ...
(SACLANT) for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (
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 ...
), from April 1, 1954, to March 1, 1960, serving longer in these three positions than anyone else in history. Following
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 ...
, Wright served as a naval aide for Presidents
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
and
Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
. A recognized authority on
naval gunnery Naval artillery is artillery mounted on a warship, originally used only for naval warfare and then subsequently used for shore bombardment and anti-aircraft roles. The term generally refers to tube-launched projectile-firing weapons and excludes ...
, Wright served in the
European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
and
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 ...
theaters 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 ...
, developing expertise in
amphibious warfare Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducte ...
and coalition warfare planning. After the war, Wright was involved in the evolution of the military structure of NATO as well as overseeing the modernization and readiness of the United States Atlantic Fleet during the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
. Upon his retirement from the navy, Wright subsequently served on the
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
's National Board of Estimates (NBE) and as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of China (Taiwan).


Early years

Jerauld Wright was born on June 4, 1898, in
Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst () is a New England town, town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,263, making it the highest populated municipality in Hampshire County (althoug ...
, the second son of Major General
William M. Wright William Mason Wright (September 24, 1863 – August 16, 1943) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of lieutenant general and was most notable for his service as a division and corps commander during World War I. E ...
(1863–1943), an officer in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, and the former Marjorie R. Jerauld (1867–1954), who also had another son, William Mason Wright, Jr. (1893–1977), and a daughter, Marjorie Wright (1900–1985). Life for young Jerry Wright was a succession of United States Army posts, such as
Fort Porter Fort Porter was constructed between 1841 and 1844 at Buffalo in Erie County, New York, and named for General Peter Buell Porter. The site was bounded by Porter Avenue, Busti Avenue and the Erie Barge Canal. It was initially a square masonry two-s ...
,
Fort Omaha Fort Omaha, originally known as Sherman Barracks and then Omaha Barracks, is an Indian War-era United States Army supply installation. Located at 5730 North 30th Street, with the entrance at North 30th and Fort Streets in modern-day North Omaha, ...
, the
Presidio A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th century, 16th and 18th century, 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Captaincy Genera ...
, and the
Jefferson Barracks The Jefferson Barracks Military Post is located on the Mississippi River at Lemay, Missouri, south of St. Louis. It was an important and active U.S. Army installation from 1826 through 1946. It is the oldest operating U.S. military installation w ...
, as well as overseas tours of duty in
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
and the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. Keeping the family together while his father pursued an active military career was his mother, nicknamed "The Field Marshal" by her husband. Jerry remembered his mother fondly: "She was a tiger with her young." Wright's father was a veteran of the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...
, the
Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...
, and
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 ...
, during which he commanded the 89th Division in the
St. Mihiel offensive The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French Army in World War I, French troops under the command of General (United States), Ge ...
and the Third Corps. He was a recipient of the
Army Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Th ...
. Following the war, General Wright commanded the Ninth Corps at the
Presidio A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th century, 16th and 18th century, 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Captaincy Genera ...
and the Department of the Philippines. While his father was assigned to the newly created United States Army General Staff before World War I, Wright met
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
. Later, Wright accompanied his father on inspection tours of U.S. military installations in the Philippines. During this tour, he was deeply impressed by the naval squadron visiting Manila. His growing interest in a naval career was further encouraged by this father, giving his son a very practical perspective: Prior to going 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 ...
in
Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
, Wright attended the Franciscan Coligio de La Salle in Malate, California, and Shadman's School at Scott's Circle in Washington, DC.


United States Naval Academy

Wright received an appointment 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
Congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
Edward W. Townsend Edward Waterman Townsend (February 10, 1855 – March 15, 1942) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's New Jersey's 7th congressional district, 7th congressional district in the ...
of the Tenth Congressional District from the State of
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. Wright entered the academy on July 31, 1914, the youngest
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 ...
to enter the academy since the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. Wright graduated on June 26, 1917, as part of the Class of 1918, ranked 92nd out of 193, the youngest member in his class.


Naval career


World War I

In July 1917, Lieutenant Wright joined the gunboat , which set sail for
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
on August 5, 1917, for anti-submarine patrol and convoy duty, operating as a unit of the
Patrol Force The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Stat ...
through December 21, 1918.


Inter-war service


Sea duty

Wright served on , a , as a watch and division officer from December 1918 to July 1920. Dyer showed the flag in port visits to Gibraltar,
La Spezia La Spezia (, or , ; in the local Spezzino dialect) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second largest city ...
,
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
,
Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
,
Spoleto Spoleto (, also , , ; la, Spoletum) is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east-central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome. History Spolet ...
,
Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
, and
Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
during a nine-month cruise of the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
following the signing of the Armistice ending
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 ...
. Following ''Dyer's'' return August 1919, Wright supervised her overhaul at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...
. Lt. Wright also briefly commanded the , a , which escorted the
presidential yacht Presidential yacht may refer to a vessel of a country's navy that would be specially used by the country's president. It is common for a vessel to be designated as the presidential yacht during a fleet review. Some countries (below) have vessels p ...
, with
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...
on board, from Gardiner's Bay, New York, to the Capes. In October 1920, Lt. Wright took command of , anchored in reserve at
Naval Station Newport The Naval Station Newport (NAVSTA Newport) is a United States Navy base located in the city of Newport and the town of Middletown, Rhode Island. Naval Station Newport is home to the Naval War College and the Naval Justice School. It once was th ...
,
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
, for transfer to
Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
. Later, in February 1922, Lt. Wright joined , a slated for
decommissioning Decommissioning is a general term for a formal process to remove something from an active status, and may refer to: Infrastructure * Decommissioned offshore * Decommissioned highway * Greenfield status of former industrial sites * Nuclear decommi ...
at the
Mare Island Navy Yard 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 ...
, serving as its
executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...
. In June 1922, Wright joined , a , as its executive officer, with additional duties as
fire control Fire control is the practice of reducing the heat output of a fire, reducing the area over which the fire exists, or suppressing or extinguishing the fire by depriving it of fuel, oxygen, or heat (see fire triangle). Fire prevention and control ...
officer and
navigator A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's primar ...
. ''John D. Ford'' set sail from the
Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the cit ...
with its sister ships of Squadron 15, Division 3, for the U.S. Asiatic Fleet. The ''John D. Ford'' operated throughout the
Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...
, including the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
, the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...
, and the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, showing the flag and training with other destroyers in the fleet. In July 1926, Lt. Wright joined the , a , as the principal assistant of the ship's Gunnery Division. In November 1928, the ''Maryland'' took President-elect
Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
on the outbound leg of his goodwill tour of Latin America. Wright also furthered his hands-on education of gunnery and ordnance while serving as an instructor at the Gunnery School on the battleship . Commander Wright joined , a attached to the
Scouting Force The Scouting Fleet was created in 1922 as part of a major, post-World War I reorganization of the United States Navy. The Atlantic and Pacific fleets, which comprised a significant portion of the ships in the United States Navy, were combined into ...
, as its
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 ...
in August 1931 and later became the ship's gunnery officer from June 1932 to June 1934. The ''Salt Lake City'' participated in naval exercises in the Atlantic and Pacific, underwent a major overhaul and participated in the 1934 Naval Review. Wright's first sea command was , a , with Wright serving as its first
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 ...
from July 1937 to May 1939. The ''Blue'' completed its
shakedown cruise Shakedown cruise is a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested. Generally, shakedown cruises are performed before a ship enters service or after major changes such as a crew change, repair or overhaul. The shakedown cruise s ...
, transitted 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 joined the Destroyer Division 7 (DesRon 7) as its
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 ...
, becoming a unit of the
Battle Force 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 ...
based at the
San Diego Naval Base Naval Base San Diego, also known as 32nd Street Naval Station, is the second largest surface ship base of the United States Navy and is located in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, cons ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. The ''Blue'' participated in
Fleet Problem XX The Fleet Problems are a series of naval exercises of the United States Navy conducted in the interwar period, and later resurrected by Pacific Fleet around 2014. The first twenty-one Fleet Problems — labeled with roman numerals as Fleet Probl ...
exercises staged in the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
. Wright's final pre-war sea assignment was as the executive officer of , a based at the
Pearl Harbor Naval Base A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
in the
Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory ( Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding ...
, from March 1941 to May 1942. The ''Mississippi'' became a unit of Battleship Division 3 (BatDiv 3) with sister ships and . Following the ''Bismarck'' incident and the growing U-boat threat, Battleship Division 3 was secretly shifted to the newly reconstituted
U.S. Atlantic Fleet The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Stat ...
, under the command of Admiral
Ernest J. 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 Un ...
, entering the
Norfolk Naval Base Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hamp ...
in June 1941. ''Mississippi'' was present at the
Atlantic Conference The Atlantic Charter was a statement issued on 14 August 1941 that set out American and British goals for the world after the end of World War II. The joint statement, later dubbed the Atlantic Charter, outlined the aims of the United States and ...
at
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 ...
, participated in the
Neutrality Patrol On September 3, 1939, the British and French declarations of war on Germany initiated the Battle of the Atlantic. The United States Navy Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) established a combined air and ship patrol of the United States Atlantic coa ...
, and joined the ''Idaho'' and the British battleship to form an
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
-based
fleet in being In naval warfare, a "fleet in being" is a naval force that extends a controlling influence without ever leaving port. Were the fleet to leave port and face the enemy, it might lose in battle and no longer influence the enemy's actions, but while ...
to deter the German battleship from deploying into the north Atlantic to threaten Allied convoys. After months of operations in the North Atlantic, ''Mississippi'' was en route to Norfolk for long overdue repairs two days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.


Shore duty

Wright served as a naval aide for two Presidents of the United States, including
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
from September 1924 to June 1926, with additional duties as a watch and division officer on board the
presidential yacht Presidential yacht may refer to a vessel of a country's navy that would be specially used by the country's president. It is common for a vessel to be designated as the presidential yacht during a fleet review. Some countries (below) have vessels p ...
, and
Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
during his pre-inaugural goodwill tour of Latin America in November 1928. Wright also served as aide to
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ASN) is the title given to certain civilian senior officials in the United States Department of the Navy. From 1861 to 1954, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy was the second-highest civilian office in the Depar ...
Henry L. Roosevelt Henry Latrobe Roosevelt (October 5, 1879 – February 22, 1936) was an Assistant Secretary of the United States Navy and a member of the Roosevelt family. Early life Roosevelt was born on October 5, 1879 in Morristown, New Jersey, to Lieutenan ...
from June 1935 to March 1936. Wright subsequently served on board during its commissioning and fitting-out period. Wright developed an interest in gunnery and ordnance after he was turned down for
naval aviation 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-based a ...
because he had
exophoria Exophoria is a form of heterophoria in which there is a tendency of the eyes to deviate outward. During examination, when the eyes are dissociated, the visual axes will appear to diverge away from one another. The axis deviation in exophoria is u ...
. His first tour of duty at 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 Departmen ...
(BuOrd) was as a fire control section assistant, specializing in anti-aircraft equipment, from August 1929 to August 1931.''Warrior among Diplomats'', p. 94 Wright's second BuOrd assignment was with its supply and allowance division, involving ammunition distribution to the fleet, from June 1936 to July 1937.''Warrior among Diplomats'', pp. 105–06 Bureau chief Rear Admiral
Harold R. Stark Harold Rainsford Stark (November 12, 1880 – August 20, 1972) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II, who served as the 8th Chief of Naval Operations from August 1, 1939 to March 26, 1942. Early life a ...
rated Wright highly.''Warrior among Diplomats'', pp. 105–06 Commander Wright served two tours at 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 ...
as the Battalion Commander for the First Battalion, from June 1934 to June 1935, and the Battalion Commander for the Second Battalion, from June 1939 to March 1941. Wright earned two nicknames at the Naval Academy. The first, ''Old Iron Heels'' because he wore steel wedges on his shoes to alert midshipmen of his approach. His second nickname, ''Old Stoneface'' originated because of his ability to elicit confessions from offending midshipmen regarding disciplinary infractions without uttering a word. Wright also served as the staff aide to the Commander
Atlantic Squadron The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Stat ...
during the Midshipman's Practice Cruise in June–August 1940.


World War II


Pearl Harbor aftermath, COMINCH, and London

The USS ''Mississippi'' completed its overhaul in three weeks and transited the Panama Canal to re-join the
U.S. Pacific Fleet The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is a theater-level component command of the United States Navy, located in the Pacific Ocean. It provides naval forces to the Indo-Pacific Command. Fleet headquarters is at Joint Base Pearl Harbor ...
, visiting
San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " 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 fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
to re-assure its citizens in the aftermath of the
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
.''Warrior among Diplomats'', p. 126 In March 1942, Captain Jerauld Wright was detached from the ''Mississippi'' for temporary duty on the staff of Admiral
Ernest J. 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 Un ...
, the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Fleet (COMINCH), before being assigned to Admiral Harold R. Stark's staff in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, effective June 3, 1942. Captain Wright was subsequently assigned to the planning staff of
Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, who would lead the British-American invasion of North Africa (
Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...
). Wright's role would be to coordinate with his British counterparts regarding the Mediterranean landings in
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
. One growing concern for Eisenhower and his planners was the likely reaction of local French political and military leaders toward an Allied invasion of North Africa. Strong French resistance could cause more casualties for the landing force. One issue coloring French attitudes was their deep-seated resentment toward the British for the
Attack on Mers-el-Kébir The Attack on Mers-el-Kébir (Battle of Mers-el-Kébir) on 3 July 1940, during the Second World War, was a British naval attack on neutral French Navy ships at the naval base at Mers El Kébir, near Oran, on the coast of French Algeria. The atta ...
in which the Royal Navy shelled the anchored French fleet in June 1940. Another issue was working with officials connected to the
Vichy government Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...
which could cause serious political and security complications. Diplomat Robert D. Murphy, the U.S. consul general in Algiers, spearheaded efforts to gather pre-invasion intelligence and cultivate diplomatic contacts in French North Africa, and Wright would find himself intimately involved in his pre-invasion activities.


North Africa, Sicily, and Italy


=Operation Flagpole

= On October 16, 1942, Captain Jerauld Wright was summoned to Operation Torch's staff headquarters at Horfolk House in London for an important meeting with General Eisenhower, alongside other senior officers. Eisenhower informed the group that the
War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * Dep ...
had forwarded an urgent cable from U.S. diplomat Robert D. Murphy requesting the immediate dispatch of a top-secret high-level group to meet with Général Charles E. Mast, the military commander of Algiers and the leader of a group of pro-Allied officials in French North Africa. The objective of this secret mission, code-named Operation Flagpole, was to reach an agreement through Mast and his colleagues to have Général
Henri Giraud Henri Honoré Giraud (18 January 1879 – 11 March 1949) was a French general and a leader of the Free French Forces during the Second World War until he was forced to retire in 1944. Born to an Alsatian family in Paris, Giraud graduated from ...
, a key pro-Allied French army officer, step forward, take command of French military forces in North Africa, and then arrange a ceasefire with the Allied invasion force. Other alternatives, like
Jean Darlan Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jean ...
and
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
, had been rejected by the British and American governments for a variety of political reasons. Clark would be Eisenhower's personal representative, with Lemnitzer as the top invasion planner, Hamblen as the invasion's logistics expert, and Holmes serving as translator. Wright would serve as the liaison with the
French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
, with the specific objective of convincing the French to have their fleet anchored in
Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
join the Allied cause. The group flew in two Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers to Gibraltar, and on October 19, they boarded the British submarine ,
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 ...
Norman Limbury Auchinleck "Bill" Jewell, RN, commanding. ''Seraph'' then transported Clark's party to the small fishing village of
Cherchell Cherchell (Arabic: شرشال) is a town on Algeria's Mediterranean coast, west of Algiers. It is the seat of Cherchell District in Tipaza Province. Under the names Iol and Caesarea, it was formerly a Roman colony and the capital of the k ...
, located 82 mils (132 kilometers) west of Algiers. After midnight on the evening of October 21, the ''Seraph'' surfaced and set Clark's mission ashore, where they met with Mast and Murphy. Wright met with ''Capitaine de vaisseau'' Jean Barjot and learned that the French Navy was opposed to U.S. entry into North Africa, although the
army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
and
air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
supported it. On October 24, Clark's mission returned to the ''Seraph'' and later met a seaplane that flew them back to Gibraltar, arriving back in London on October 25 where Wright briefed Admiral Stark. Both Eisenhower and Clark recommended Jerauld Wright for a
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...
in recognition for his role in Operation Flagpole. Wright's DSM was personally pinned by Admiral
Ernest J. 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 Un ...
, 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 ...
, during the
Casablanca Conference The Casablanca Conference (codenamed SYMBOL) or Anfa Conference was held at the Anfa Hotel in Casablanca, French Morocco, from January 14 to 24, 1943, to plan the Allied European strategy for the next phase of World War II. In attendance were U ...
.


=Operation Kingpin

= With the preliminaries concluded during Operation Flagpole, the next task was to free Général Giraud (code-named Kingpin) whom the Vichy government had under house arrest for his anti-Nazi leanings at
Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
in southern France. On October 26, 1942, Captain Jerauld Wright was directed to take part in the mission to extract Giraud, code-named Operation Kingpin. Because of intense anti-British sentiment among French officers, the mission would present an American face. However, because there were no American submarines operating in the Mediterranean Sea, a novel solution was conceived with Wright taking command of the British submarine . As
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 ...
G. B. H. Fawkes, RN, the commander of 8th Submarine Flotilla in the Mediterranean, noted: The ''Seraph'' got underway on October 27 and arrived off Toulon on October 30. After several delays, Giraud and his party were brought on board, and a
PBY Catalina The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wit ...
flying boat subsequently flew Wright, Giraud, and the others back to Gibraltar, the new Operation Torch headquarters, to confer with generals Eisenhower and Clark. Captain Jerauld Wright was awarded his first
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 ...
in recognition of his participation in Operation Kingpin.Official Biography


=Operation Torch

= D-Day for
Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...
, November 8, 1942, saw over 73,000 American and British troops landed at
Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
,
Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
, and Algiers. However, the most significant development was on the diplomatic and political front when U.S. consul general Robert D. Murphy alerted the Allied high command about the unexpected presence of ''Admiral de la flotte''
Jean Darlan Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jean ...
, the head of the
Vichy French Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...
military, who was visiting his ill son in Algiers. Darlan's presence complicated the pre-invasion arrangements with Général
Henri Giraud Henri Honoré Giraud (18 January 1879 – 11 March 1949) was a French general and a leader of the Free French Forces during the Second World War until he was forced to retire in 1944. Born to an Alsatian family in Paris, Giraud graduated from ...
. Darlan pointed out to Murphy that he outranked Giraud, whom Darlan maintained had little influence within the French military. After a ceasefire was reached in Algiers, General Eisenhower sent a delegation to resolve the situation and broker a ceasefire with all French North African forces. Captain Jerauld Wright accompanied General Clark, who concluded that Darlan could, with certain conditions, deliver the general ceasefire and oversee the post-invasion occupation, and that Giraud lacked the political ability to accomplish these goals. Eisenhower endorsed Clark's recommendation, which caused a political firestorm within the Allied governments because of Darlan's connection to Vichy. About Giraud and Darlan, Wright observed: Admiral
Harold R. Stark Harold Rainsford Stark (November 12, 1880 – August 20, 1972) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II, who served as the 8th Chief of Naval Operations from August 1, 1939 to March 26, 1942. Early life a ...
noted in Wright's December 1942 fitness report that: At the
Casablanca Conference The Casablanca Conference (codenamed SYMBOL) or Anfa Conference was held at the Anfa Hotel in Casablanca, French Morocco, from January 14 to 24, 1943, to plan the Allied European strategy for the next phase of World War II. In attendance were U ...
in January 1943, 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 ...
,
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
, and the
Combined Chiefs of Staff The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) was the supreme military staff for the United States and Britain during World War II. It set all the major policy decisions for the two nations, subject to the approvals of British Prime Minister Winston Churchil ...
(CCS) made the decision to shelve plans for
Operation Sledgehammer Operation Sledgehammer was an Allied plan for a cross-Channel invasion of Europe during World War II, as the first step in helping to reduce pressure on the Soviet Red Army by establishing a Second Front. It was to be executed in 1942 and acted as ...
, and instead progress operations in
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
(
Operation Husky Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
) and Italy (
Operation Avalanche Operation Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landings near the port of Salerno, executed on 9 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II. The Italians withdrew from the war the day before the invasion, but ...
). Finally, Admiral Darlan was assassinated on December 24, 1942, and
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
would ultimately outmaneuver and marginalize
Henri Giraud Henri Honoré Giraud (18 January 1879 – 11 March 1949) was a French general and a leader of the Free French Forces during the Second World War until he was forced to retire in 1944. Born to an Alsatian family in Paris, Giraud graduated from ...
to become the sole leader of the
Free French movement Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
.


=Operation Husky

= Wright joined the staff of Vice Admiral
H. Kent Hewitt Henry Kent Hewitt (February 11, 1887 – September 15, 1972) was the United States Navy commander of amphibious operations in north Africa and southern Europe through World War II. He was born in Hackensack, New Jersey and graduated from the Unit ...
, the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Northwest Africa Waters (COMNAVNAW), as its assistant chief of staff. Hewitt would command the "Western Naval Task Force", which would land
U.S. Seventh Army The Seventh Army was a United States army created during World War II that evolved into the United States Army Europe (USAREUR) during the 1950s and 1960s. It served in North Africa and Italy in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and Fran ...
under Lieutenant General
George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...
in the Gulf of
Gela Gela (Sicilian and ; grc, Γέλα) is a city and (municipality) in the Autonomous Region of Sicily, Italy; in terms of area and population, it is the largest municipality on the southern coast of Sicily. Gela is part of the Province of Cal ...
for
Operation Husky Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
, the Allied invasion of Sicily. Vice Admiral
Sir Bertram Ramsay Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay, KCB, KBE, MVO (20 January 1883 – 2 January 1945) was a Royal Navy officer. He commanded the destroyer during the First World War. In the Second World War, he was responsible for the Dunkirk evacuation in ...
, RN, would command the Eastern Naval Task Force, which would land the
British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces, ...
under General Sir Bernard Montgomery near
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
. Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, RN, would command all Allied naval forces for Operation Husky, and General Dwight D. Eisenhower,
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, would be in overall command of the Sicily invasion. The Western Naval Task Force consisted of three subordinated forces, Task Force 80 (code name ''JOSS'') under the command of Rear Admiral Richard L. Conolly was to land the 3rd Infantry Division, Major General
Lucian Truscott General Lucian King Truscott Jr. (January 9, 1895 – September 12, 1965) was a highly decorated senior United States Army officer, who saw distinguished active service during World War II. Between 1943–1945, he successively commanded the 3rd ...
commanding, on beaches near
Licata Licata (, ; grc, Φιντίας, whence la, Phintias or ''Plintis''), formerly also Alicata (), is a city and ''comune'' located on the south coast of Sicily, at the mouth of the Salso River (the ancient ''Himera''), about midway between Agr ...
. Task Force 82 (code name ''DIME'') under Rear Admiral
John L. Hall, Jr. Admiral John Lesslie Hall Jr. (11 April 1891 – 6 March 1978) was a senior officer of the United States Navy, who served during World War II. Biography Education Hall, son of the literary scholar John Lesslie Hall, was born in Williamsburg, V ...
was to land 1st Infantry Division, Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen commanding, on beaches near
Gela Gela (Sicilian and ; grc, Γέλα) is a city and (municipality) in the Autonomous Region of Sicily, Italy; in terms of area and population, it is the largest municipality on the southern coast of Sicily. Gela is part of the Province of Cal ...
. Task Force 85 (code name ''CENT'') under the command of Rear Admiral
Alan Kirk Admiral Alan Goodrich Kirk (October 30, 1888 – October 15, 1963) was a senior officer in the United States Navy and a diplomat. Biography He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1909 and served in the United States Navy during Worl ...
was to land the 45th Infantry Division, Major General
Troy Middleton Lieutenant General Troy Houston Middleton (12 October 1889 – 9 October 1976) was a distinguished educator and senior officer of the United States Army who served as a corps commander in the European Theatre during World War II and later as pre ...
commanding, on beaches near
Scoglitti Scoglitti ( scn, Scugghitti) is a fishing village and hamlet () of Vittoria, a municipality in the Province of Ragusa, Sicily, Italy. In 2011 it had a population of 4,175. History Scoglitti found a niche in history after being selected by the All ...
. Wright worked closely with his U.S. Army counterparts, and he considered Patton "a great fellow" who grew to appreciate the effectiveness of naval gun support for his landing force. However, Wright was critical of Lieutenant General
Carl A. Spaatz Carl Andrew Spaatz (born Spatz; June 28, 1891 – July 14, 1974), nicknamed "Tooey", was an American World War II general. As commander of Strategic Air Forces in Europe in 1944, he successfully pressed for the bombing of the enemy's oil product ...
,
USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, and Air Vice-Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham,
RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
, regarding the lack of cooperation on
close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
from the Allied air forces. Wright did praise Air Vice-Marshal Sir
Hugh Pughe Lloyd Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Pughe Lloyd, (12 December 1894 – 14 July 1981) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. RAF career Lloyd joined the Royal Engineers as a sapper in 1915 during the First World War: he was wounded in action three times ...
, RAF, for providing air support from
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. The loading of ships and landing craft of the Western Naval Task Force was completed on July 8, 1943, with Vice Admiral Hewitt and his staff embarking on the USS ''Monrovia'', the invasion force's flagship. D-Day was July 10, and Patton's troops stormed ashore and began their history-making drive for
Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
.


=Operation Avalanche

=
Operation Avalanche Operation Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landings near the port of Salerno, executed on 9 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II. The Italians withdrew from the war the day before the invasion, but ...
was the Allied invasion of the Italian mainland with amphibious landings at
Salerno Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...
, with additional landing at
Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
(
Operation Baytown Operation Baytown was an Allied amphibious landing on the mainland of Italy that took place on 3 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy, itself part of the Italian Campaign, during the Second World War. Planning The attack was ...
) and
Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...
(
Operation Slapstick Operation Slapstick was the code name for a British landing from the sea at the Italian port of Taranto during the Second World War. The operation, one of three landings during the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943, was undertaken by a ...
). For the Salerno landing, Wright faced two major challenges in his capacity as the assistant chief of staff for U.S. Naval Forces, Northwest Africa Waters (NAVNAW), namely the shortage of U.S. escort vessels and a shortage of landing craft. While Wright was able to secure additional British escorts, landing craft would remain a persistent problem given the competing demands from
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
and the Pacific Theater of Operations, with Wright noting: " LST's don't grow on trees."''Warrior among Diplomats'', pp. 191–92 On the other hand, two developments were welcomed by Wright and his fellow invasion planners, including U.S.
escort aircraft carriers The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft ...
(CVE) which would provide much needed off-shore
close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
for the landing force, and the news that Major General E. J. House would oversee tactical air support for the ground forces using aircraft from the Northwest African Air Force. However, Wright felt that the Army's decision to forgo pre-invasion naval gun bombardment was ill-considered, even for the sake of maintaining the element of surprise. The invasion force got underway, with Vice Admiral
H. Kent Hewitt Henry Kent Hewitt (February 11, 1887 – September 15, 1972) was the United States Navy commander of amphibious operations in north Africa and southern Europe through World War II. He was born in Hackensack, New Jersey and graduated from the Unit ...
, Wright, and the NAVNAW staff embarked on the USS ''Ancon'', Hewitt's flagship for Operation Avalanche. While en route, Wright heard the announcement about the
Armistice with Italy The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brigad ...
by General
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, the supreme allied commander, on September 9. While this removed the Italian military from the battlefield, German Army forces in Italy under ''Generalfeldmarschall''
Albert Kesselring Albert Kesselring (30 November 1885 – 16 July 1960) was a German '' Generalfeldmarschall'' of the Luftwaffe during World War II who was subsequently convicted of war crimes. In a military career that spanned both world wars, Kesselring beca ...
were not bound by this agreement. The immediate objective for Operation Avalanche was to secure the
Gulf of Salerno The Gulf of Salerno (Italian: ''Golfo di Salerno'') is a gulf of the Tyrrhenian Sea in the coast of the province of Salerno in south-western Italy. The northern part of this coast is the Costiera Amalfitana, which ends at Punta di Campanella an ...
and capture
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. September 9, 1943 was D-Day for Operation Avalanche as the 36th Infantry Division, under the command of Major General
Fred L. Walker Major General Fred Livingood Walker (June 11, 1887 – October 6, 1969) was a highly decorated senior United States Army officer who served in both World War I and World War II and was awarded with the second highest military decorations in both ...
USA, stormed ashore at Salerno under heavy fire from German tanks, artillery, and machine guns. During the landings, on the morning of September 11, Wright witnessed a radio-controlled
flying bomb A flying bomb is a manned or unmanned aerial vehicle or aircraft carrying a large explosive warhead, a precursor to contemporary cruise missiles. In contrast to a bomber aircraft, which is intended to release bombs and then return to its base for ...
severely damage , a
light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
. A powerful German counter-attack on September 13 threatened to drive a wedge into the Salerno bridgehead, but it was beaten back by a powerful Allied air-land-sea assault, forcing a German retreat. With the Fifth U.S. Army under Lieutenant General Mark Clark driving for Naples, Admiral Hewitt and Wright returned to Malta to give a full report on Operation Avalanche to General Eisenhower. Captain Jerauld Wright was awarded a second
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 ...
for his contributions on Operation Husky and Operation Avalanche.


Central Pacific


=USS ''Santa Fe'' (CL-60)

= In October 1943, Captain Jerauld Wright was detached from U.S. Naval Forces, Northwest Africa Waters (NAVNAW) to take command of , a nicknamed the "Lucky Lady." Wright relieved Captain Russell S. Berkey on December 15, 1943. ''Santa Fe'' was 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 ...
of Cruiser Division 13, Rear Admiral
Laurance T. DuBose Laurance Toombs DuBose (May 21, 1893 – July 11, 1967) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of four-star Admiral. A veteran of several conflicts, including both World Wars, he distinguished himself several time ...
commanding, which also included , , and . During December 1943, ''Santa Fe'' underwent amphibious training off
San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...
. On January 13, 1944, ''Santa Fe'' set sail from California for 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 ...
, as part of the invasion force for Operation Flintlock. ''Santa Fe'' served as an escort for the Northern Attack Force (Task Force 53), Rear Admiral Richard L. Conolly commanding, which was tasked to capture
Roi-Namur Roi-Namur ( ) is an island in the north part of the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Today it is a major part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, hosting several radar systems used for tracking and characterizing missi ...
and the northern half of the
Kwajalein atoll Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese: ) is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking residents (about 1,000 mostly U.S. civilia ...
. ''Santa Fe'' joined the bombardment force (Task Group 53.5), Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf commanding, that provided naval gunfire support for U.S. Marine landing forces at
Kwajalein Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese: ) is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking residents (about 1,000 mostly U.S. civilia ...
which was secured on February 4. Following a lay-over at
Majuro Majuro (; Marshallese: ' ) is the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. It is also a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district of the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain of the Marshall Islands. The ato ...
, ''Santa Fe'' participated in air raids against Truk and
Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
as part of
Task Force 58 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 ...
during February 1944. Wright received a Letter of Commendation for his actions as the commanding officer of the ''Santa Fe'' during this engagement. From March 15 through May 1, 1944, ''Santa Fe'' was part of Task Group 58.2, Rear Admiral
Joseph J. Clark Admiral Joseph James "Jocko" Clark, USN (November 12, 1893 – July 13, 1971) was an admiral in the United States Navy, who commanded aircraft carriers during World War II. Born and raised in Indian Territory (which later became part of Oklaho ...
commanding, which provided air support for amphibious landings at
Emirau Island Emirau Island, also called Emira, is an island in the Bismarck Archipelago located at . It is currently part of the New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea. The local language is a dialect of the Mussau-Emira language. Emira is part of what o ...
and Hollandia while also participating in air raids against Japanese garrisons on
Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
,
Yap Yap ( yap, Waqaab) traditionally refers to an island group located in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, a part of Yap State. The name "Yap" in recent years has come to also refer to the state within the Federated States of Micro ...
,
Wakde Wakde is an island group in Sarmi Regency, Papua, Indonesia, between the districts of Pantai Timur and Tor Atas. It comprises two islands, Insumuar (the larger) and Insumanai (much smaller). History Occupied by Japanese forces in April 1942, th ...
,
Woleai Woleai, also known as Oleai, is a coral atoll of twenty-two islands in the western Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in the Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia and is located approximately west-n ...
,
Satawan Satawan Atoll is an atoll located about southeast of Chuuk Lagoon proper. Geographically it is part of the Nomoi or Mortlock Islands in the Carolines and administratively it is part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. About ...
, and
Ponape Ponape may refer to: * Pohnpei, an island in the Federated States of Micronesia * ''Ponape'' (barque), a German sailing ship {{disambiguation ...
, as well as major air strike against the Japanese naval base at Truk. ''Santa Fe'' also participated in the shore bombardment of
Wakde Airfield Wakde Airfield is a World War II airfield located on Wakde Island, off the northern coast of New Guinea in Papua, Indonesia. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state. History The airfield ...
and Sawar Airfield. On June 15, 1944, ''Santa Fe'' participated in landings on Saipan, Guam, and Tinian (
Operation Forager The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November 1944 dur ...
) as a part of the
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 headq ...
under the overall command of Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. On June 19, Japanese carrier aircraft began attacking the Fifth Fleet which remained close to the beachhead on orders from Spruance. Wright concurred that this controversial decision was the correct one given the importance of protecting the landing force. During the ensuing Battle of the Philippine Sea, ''Santa Fe's'' anti-aircraft guns helped to protect the fleet during these enemy air attacks while American naval aviators counter-attacked the Japanese fleet. Later, on June 20, ''Santa Fe'' ignored possible Japanese submarine activity when she turned on her lights to help guide returning American aircraft back to their carriers during highly hazardous night landings. After air strikes on Pagan Island, ''Santa Fe'' returned to Eniwetok for reprovisioning. In August, ''Santa Fe'' joined Task Group 38.3, Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman commanding, for the invasion of Battle of Peleliu, Peleliu and Battle of Angaur, Angaur (Operation Stalemate II) as part of the United States Third Fleet under the overall command of Admiral William F. Halsey, and carrier air attacks to neutralize Japanese air bases on Babelthuap and Koro Island, Koro in preparation for the upcoming Philippines campaign (1944–45), Philippines campaign led by General Douglas MacArthur. During air raids on Taiwan, Formosa in October, the heavy cruiser and
light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
were seriously damaged by aerial torpedoes. ''Santa Fe'' was part of a covering force (Task Force 30.3), nicknamed "CripDiv 1," formed to protect the damaged cruisers as they were being towed back for Ulithi for repairs. The final engagements that Wright participated in as the commanding officer of USS ''Santa Fe'' were the Battle of Leyte, invasion of Leyte and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Captain Jerauld Wright received the Silver Star in recognition of Jerauld Wright#Silver Star, his participation in the towing of the ''Canberra'' and ''Houston'' back to Uliti.


=Amphibious Group Five

= In November 1944, Rear Admiral Wright took command of Amphibious Group Five, a newly created unit of the Amphibious Forces Pacific, Amphibious Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner. Wright's group would be involved in the invasion of the Ryukyu Islands (Operation Iceberg), the island of Okinawa being the key objective. Once taken, U.S. forces would use Okinawa as a staging area for the Operation Downfall, eventual invasion of Japan, and a base for the B-29 Superfortress, B-29 Superfortress bombers of the Seventh Air Force#World War II, U.S. Seventh Air Force to attack the Japan, Japanese home islands. Amphibious Group Five would transport the 2nd Marine Division (United States), 2nd Marine Division, Major General Thomas E. Watson (USMC), Thomas E. Watson, United States Marine Corps, USMC, commanding, with Wright flying his flag from . For Operation Iceberg, Wright's force was designated Demonstration Group Charlie (Task Group 51.2), whose mission was to serve as a decoy force working in conjunction with the Southern Attack Force (Task Force 55) commanded by Rear Admiral John L. Hall while the Western Islands Group (Task Group 51.1) under Rear Admiral Ingolf N. Kiland and the 77th Infantry Division (United States)#Combat Chronicle 2, 77th Infantry Division secured Kerama Retto and other offshore islands before landing at Ie Shima. Task Group 51.2 would subsequently serve as a floating reserve for the Tenth United States Army, U.S. Tenth Army (Task Force 56), commanded by Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr., Simon B. Buckner, United States Army, USA, before returning to Saipan. Wright was ordered to Pearl Harbor to begin planning the invasion of the Japanese home islands, which would begin with Operation Olympic, the invasion of the southern island of Kyūshū. Wright's Amphibious Group Five would be part of the 5th Amphibious Force, commanded by Vice Admiral Harry W. Hill, which would land the V Amphibious Corps (VAC) on the west coast in the Kaminokawa – Kushikino area. Amphibious Group Five would consist of four old battleships, ten cruisers, fourteen destroyers, and seventy-four support craft. However, Operation Olympic and the follow-up invasion of Honshū (Operation Coronet) were cancelled following the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Rear Admiral Jerauld Wright was awarded a Bronze Star Medal, Bronze Star, with a Valor device, combat "V" device, for #Bronze Star with combat "V" device, his leadership as the commander of Task Group 51.2 during Operation Iceberg.


=Cruiser Division Six

= Rear Admiral Jerauld Wright took command of Cruiser Division Six (CruDiv 6), with , a , serving as his flagship. In early October 1945, CruDiv 6 was assigned to assist the post-surrender activities and general-purpose peace-keeping duties throughout the Yellow Sea and Gulf of Bohai region as a unit of the Seventh Fleet, U.S. Seventh Fleet under the command of Vice admiral (United States), Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid. Wright's force showed the flag, making port visits at Tianjin, Tientsin, Tsingtao, Lüshunkou, Port Arthur, and Chinwangtao. At the final port call at Inchon, Wright acted as the senior-ranking member of the committee that accepted the surrender of Japanese naval forces throughout Korea.


Cold War


Operational Readiness Division

In October 1945, Wright joined 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 ...
(OPNAV) as the head of its Operational Readiness Division, helping to organize this newly created organization. Other OPNAV divisions created were Plans (OP-31), Combat Intelligence (OP-32), Operations (OP-33), and Anti-submarine Warfare (OP-35) within the Chief of Naval Operations. Wright organized OP-34 into four sections, and working with his sister divisions, Wright directed the development of a host of manuals on tactical doctrine based upon experience from World War II. Wright involved civilian think tanks, such as the Center for Naval Analyses#History, Operation Evaluation Group (OEG), in projects undertaken by OP-34. CNO Fleet Admiral (United States), Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz#Post war, Chester W. Nimitz appointed Wright to chair the U.S. Navy's Air Defense Committee to help improve fleet air defenses. Wright also succeeded Rear Admiral Walter DeLaney as the chairman of the Joint Army-Navy Assessment Committee (JANAC), an inter-service agency set up in 1943 to analyze and assess Japanese Empire, Japanese Imperial Japanese Navy, naval and Allied submarines in the Pacific War#Merchant shipping losses, merchant marine shipping losses caused by U.S. and Allied forces during World War II.


Commander Amphibious Forces U.S. Atlantic Fleet

On November 24, 1948, Wright assumed command of Amphibious Forces U.S. Atlantic Fleet (ComPhibLant, COMPHIBLANT), a position that he held through November 1, 1950. Based at the Norfolk Naval Station, Wright would be responsible for three major subordinate commands, Amphibious Group Two, Amphibious Group Four and the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base. COMPHIBLANT also included Amphibious Training, an Amphibious Air Control Group, a Naval Beach Group, a Detached Group, and a Mediterranean Group. Wright's
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 ...
was , an ''Adirondack''-class amphibious force command ship. The most significant accomplishment during Wright's tour of duty as COMPHIBLANT was PORTREX, a multi-service amphibious assault exercise held from February 25 to March 11, 1950. PORTREX was the largest peacetime amphibious exercise up to that time and it was staged to evaluate joint doctrine for combined operations, test new equipment under simulated combat conditions and provide training for the defense of the Caribbean. Over 65,000 men and 160 ships were involved, and it was climaxed by a combined amphibious and air assault, airborne assault on Vieques Island, a first in military history. The success of PORTREX offered a prelude for future amphibious operations, including the Battle of Incheon, landings at Inchon during the Korean War. Jerauld Wright received his Vice admiral (United States), third star, effective September 14, 1950, at the conclusion of his tour of duty as COMPHIBLANT.


Standing Group – North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Wright served as the deputy U.S. representative to Standing Group (SG) of the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (
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 ...
), serving from November 1950 to February 1952. The Standing Group was the standing planning organization under Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, NATO's Military Committee, composed of military representatives from the Military of the United States, United States, British Armed Forces, Great Britain, and Military of France, France. At the time of Wright's tour of duty, SG membership was General of the Army Omar Bradley,
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, Lord Tedder, Royal Air Force and Général de corps d'armée, Lieutenant General Paul Ely, French Army. The Standing Group was charged with providing policy guidance and military-related information to NATO's various regional planning groups, including General
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, SHAPE headquarters. The Standing Group undertook short-term (STDP), mid-term (MTDP), and long-range (LTDP) strategic military planning for the NATO alliance, as well as making recommendations regarding NATO's unified military command structure, which included the creation of a Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) billet.


Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean

Wright became the Commander-in-Chief, United States Naval Forces Europe, U.S. Naval Forces Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (CINCNELM), an important U.S. Navy fleet command, effective June 14, 1952. CINCELM's area of responsibility (AOR) stretched from the eastern Atlantic through the Indian Ocean to Singapore."The Development of Unified Command Structure for the U. S. Armed Forces, 1945–1950," pp. 11–21
in Ronald H. Cole, et al., ''The History of Unified Command 1946–1993'' (Washington, DC: Joint History Office of the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1995)
Wright's operational control over the Sixth Fleet proved to be a source of friction with Admiral Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Lord Louis Mountbatten, RN, NATO's Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Mediterranean (CINCAFMED). Mountbatten felt that the Sixth Fleet should be assigned to his command while Wright wanted to maintain control of the fleet, particularly its nuclear-armed aircraft carriers, pursuant to both U.S. Navy policy and Atomic Energy Act of 1946, Federal law. The dispute tested the diplomatic skills of both men. CINCNELM forces participated in NATO Operation Mariner and Operation Weldfast exercises during 1953, and units of the Sixth Fleet did participate in NATO exercises while staying under U.S. control. As CINCNELM, Wright maintained strong diplomatic ties with allies within his area of responsibility. He made a 14-day goodwill trip to the Middle East that culminated with a courtesy call with the newly crowned List of kings of Saudi Arabia, King Saud of Saudi Arabia, Saud bin Abdul Aziz in Jidda, Saudi Arabia. Later, Wright attended the coronation ceremonies of List of kings of Jordan, King Hussein of Jordan, Hussein of Jordan in May 1953. In June 1953, Wright served as the senior U.S. Navy representative at the coronation pageant of Queen regnant, Queen Elizabeth II, including flying his flag from the heavy cruiser during the Coronation Naval Review#Elizabeth II, Coronation Naval Review of Spithead on June 15. Admiral Wright also made the arrangements for United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom Winthrop Aldrich to present a bronze plaque of John Paul Jones from the Naval Historical Center to the British government, initiating Jerauld Wright#John Paul Jones Cottage/birthplace museum, his longtime association with the famous naval hero of the American Revolution. During a high-level conference in Washington, D.C., Washington from October 20 to November 4, 1953, Wright was informed that CINCNELM was to become a subordinate command of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet#Cold War, U.S. Atlantic Fleet reporting directly to Admiral Lynde D. McCormick, the Commander-in-Chief U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT). Also, Wright would become the head of NATO's Eastern Atlantic Area, reporting to Admiral McCormick, the first
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic was based at ...
(SACLANT).''Warrior among Diplomats'', p. 292 Jeruald Wright was 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, ...
effective April 1, 1954.


Atlantic Command

Admiral Wright's final command assignment proved to be the most challenging undertaking in his career as he literally took on three concurrent roles, namely Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT), Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Command (CINCLANT) and Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) of NATO, NATO's Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT). While his nomination to become CINCLANTFLT and CINCLANT was made by the President of the United States, subject to the Advice and consent#United States, advice and consent of the United States Senate, Wright's appointment to become SACLANT was subject to the approval of the North Atlantic Council. Fortunately, Wright was a known commodity since he had served as the deputy U.S. representative to NATO's Standing Group from November 1950 to February 1952. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
noted in his February 1, 1954 announcement: Wright assumed command of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, the U.S. Atlantic Command, and Allied Command Atlantic on April 12, 1954, relieving Admiral Lynde D. McCormick who had been the first Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic.


=Command structure and responsibilities

= Wright's command responsibilities included acting as Commander-in-Chief U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT), one of the two major fleet commands within the U.S. Navy with responsibility for all naval operations throughout the Atlantic Ocean; Commander-in-Chief U.S. Atlantic Command (CINCLANT), a Unified Combatant Command, unified command responsible for U.S. military operation throughout the Atlantic Ocean geographical region; and
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic was based at ...
(SACLANT), one of the two Supreme Allied Commander#NATO, principal military commands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), responsible for keeping the sea lanes open between the United States and Europe.


=Fleet modernization

= Wright inherited a U.S. Atlantic Fleet in transition as the U.S. Navy was going through a modernization period to replace warships and aircraft built during World War II.


=Fleet readiness

= For Wright, the best method to evaluate fleet readiness for the U.S. Atlantic Fleet was the staging and execution of naval exercises like Lantflex I-57. Among the high-level observers for this naval exercise were the
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
and many other members of the US cabinet. The highlight of Lantflex I-57 was the landing of two A3D Sky Warriors and two F8U Crusaders on board that had been launched from operating in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific, the first carrier-to-carrier transcontinental flight in history. Other Atlantic Fleet exercises included Operation Springboard, the annual winter naval maneuvers in the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
. Units of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and the Royal Canadian Navy#Cold War, Royal Canadian Navy participated in Operation Sweep Clear III, a bilateral Naval mine, mine warfare exercise, between July and August 1958. Also, in 1960, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet initiated UNITAS, an annual multilateral series of exercises between the South Atlantic Force (SOLANTFOR) and Latin American navies. As SACLANT, Wright coordinated such NATO naval exercises as Operation Sea Watch, a convoy escort exercise. However, the most significant naval exercise during Admiral Wright's tour of duty was Operation Strikeback, a ten-day exercise involving over 250,000 men, 300 ships, and 1,500 aircraft during September 1957, which was the largest naval exercise staged by NATO up to that time. Under Admiral Wright, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet also took the lead on the field of operational testing and evaluation (OT&E) of systems and tactics, particularly regarding anti-submarine warfare for the United States Navy, with the Operational Test and Evaluation Force (OPTEVFOR), Operational Development Force (OPDEVFOR), under the command of Rear Admiral (United States), Rear Admiral William D. Irvin, serving as the lead agency for this effort. Finally, in February 1959, when several Submarine communications cable, transatlantic cables off Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland were cut and the Naval trawler, Soviet fishing trawler Novorossisk Incident, MV ''Novorossisk'' was operating in the vicinity at the time of the break, the radar-picket ASW destroyer was dispatched to enforce the 1884 Convention for the Protection of Submarine Cables. On the August 26, the ''Hale'' sent a boarding party to the ''Novorossisk'' to investigate and determined that there were no indications of intentions "other than fishing." A diplomatic protest was lodged, but there were no more breaks.


=Anti-submarine warfare

= Wright stated in a Time (magazine), ''Time'' magazine article from 1958 that: "The primary mission of every combat ship in the Atlantic Fleet is antisubmarine. Everything else is secondary." Given his previous exposure to anti-submarine warfare (ASW) doctrine at OP-34, Wright was a natural fit for overseeing the anti-submarine renaissance during his tour of duty as CINCLANTFLT. One significant innovation was the Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS), a network of underwater hydrophones and listening posts designed to track the movement of submarines. The first operational test of SOSUS was done during the ASDevEx 1–54 exercise from April 6 to June 7, 1954. However, 1958 news accounts about the growing threat of the Soviet submarine snorkel, snorkel-equipped diesel-electric submarine force began to gain the attention of the American public.
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
Director Allen Dulles was reported to have said that ten missile-carrying Soviet submarines could destroy 1600 square miles (4144 km²) of the industrial-rich eastern seaboard in a sneak attack. Also, an Associated Press dispatch, dated April 14, 1958, quoted United States House of Representatives, U.S. Congressman Carl Durham Democratic Party (United States), D-North Carolina, who said that 184 Soviet Navy#Submarines, Soviet submarines had been sighted off the U.S. Atlantic coast during 1957.
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 ...
(CNO) Arleigh Burke, Arleigh A. Burke had responded on April 1 by creating Task Force Alfa (U.S. Navy ASW/HUK), Task Force Alfa, a Hunter-killer Group, hunter-killer (HUK) flotilla under the command of Rear Admiral (United States), Rear Admiral John S. Thach, which would develop new ASW tactics to counter this growing Soviet submarine threat. Wright's Jerauld Wright#Jerauld Wright Award, personal contribution provided the first look at a missile-armed Soviet submarine, a Zulu class submarine, Project AV611/Zulu-V variant armed with two R-11FM ("SS-1b Scud-A") ballistic missiles. Wright also spearheaded the establishment of the SACLANT ASW Research Centre, created on May 2, 1959, in La Spezia, Italy, to serve as a clearinghouse for NATO's anti-submarine efforts. The efforts of the Atlantic Fleet to develop and implement new ASW tactics during Admiral Wright's tour of duty laid the groundwork for the success that the U.S. Navy had in locating and tracking Soviet submarines during the Cuban Missile Crisis.


=Showing the flag

= One example of soft power regarding sea power is showing the flag. In his capacity as CINCLANT/CINCLANTFLT/SACLANT, Admiral Wright and his staff participated in 18 formal presentations and 62 NATO and joint military planning meetings during his six-year tour of duty in these positions.


Final change of command and retirement

The White House announced on December 31, 1959, that Admiral Jerauld Wright was stepping down as CINCLANTFLT/CINCLANT/SACLANT, with
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Dwight D. Eisenhower reflecting wider sentiment when he noted: On February 29, 1960, Wright stepped down as CINCLANTFLT/CINCLANT/SACLANT, retiring after 46 years of service in the United States Navy effective March 1, 1960. Admiral Wright received a second
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...
#Gold Star in lieu of the Second Distinguished Service Medal (1960), in recognition of his six-year as CINCLANTFLT/CINCLANT/SACLANT from Secretary of the Navy William B. Franke in a special ceremony held on board the supercarrier .


Dates of rank

;Notes # Wright was temporarily promoted to lieutenant on November 16, 1918. # Wright was temporarily promoted to captain on January 2, 1942. # Temporary wartime flag rank equivalent to present-day U.S. Navy rank of Rear admiral (United States)#Rear admiral (lower half), rear admiral (lower half). # Wright temporarily promoted to rear admiral on November 27, 1944, which was made retroactive effective May 5, 1943. All DOR referenced from Official U.S. Navy Biography.


Awards and decorations


Distinguished Service Medal

;Citation excerpt (1942)
For exceptionally meritorious service ... immediately before the occupation of French North Africa by the United States Army Forces. As a member of the advanced party which effected a successful night landing along the northern coast of the continent and kept a secret rendezvous prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Captain Wright participated in vital conferences preliminary to the invasion of Morocco and Algeria. In addition to assisting the conception and organization of plans for offensive operations, he personally commanded the vessel in which General Henri Giraud made his escape from France. ...
;
For exceptionally meritorious service to the Government of the United States in a duty of great responsibility while serving as Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, Commander in Chief Atlantic, and Commander in Chief United States Atlantic Fleet, from March 1954 to March 1960. Exercising the highest type of leadership and diplomacy in administering the great responsibilities of his multinational commands and in accomplishing the objectives of his complex missions, Admiral Wright has contributed significantly to our national posture and has aided materially in advancing the objectives of the United States toward stabilizing world peace. In dealing with the highest level military and civilian representatives of foreign governments, he has been greatly instrumental in enhancing unanimity of effort in the discharge of the responsibilities of the United States in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, achieving the trust and confidence of the leaders of the NATO countries and contributing substantially to the further strengthening and effectiveness of that Organization. Admiral Wright's exceptional professional ability and inspiring devotion to the fulfillment of an exceptionally important and exacting assignment, reflects the highest credit upon himself (and) represents the crowning achievements of a distinguished career ...


Silver Star

;Citation Excerpt (1944):
:For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as Commanding Officer of the USS SANTA FE, in action against enemy Japanese forces, October 13, to 17, 1944. Skilled and courageous in directing his command in its assigned missions to protect the withdrawal of two severely damaged ships from enemy infested waters, Rear Admiral Wright contributed essentially to the expeditious accomplishment of his hazardous salvage operation, providing efficient and effective support against hostile air attacks and making possible the successful reclamation of the damaged ships ...


Legion of Merit

;Citation excerpt
For meritorious service of a high degree in connection with a mission by submarine to Algeria, and negotiations with the French near that city prior to the occupation of North Africa by Allied Forces. In this duty he displayed good judgment, tact, and soldiery qualities that reflect great credit to the United States Navy.
;
For exceptionally meritorious conduct ... as Assistant Chief of Staff of the Commander United States Naval Forces, Northwest African Waters, prior to and during the landing of forces in Sicily and Italy. Working tirelessly, (he) assisted in the drawing up of plans for the landing of United States forces in Sicily and ... Allied forces in Italy ... (and) helped to coordinate the various functions of the staff ...


Bronze Star with combat "V" device

;Citation Excerpt:
For meritorious service in connection with operations against the enemy as Commander of an Amphibious Group from December 1944 to August 1945, during the planning, staging and execution of an amphibious assault upon and conquest of Okinawa Shima, Nanse Shoto ... Subsequent to this operation, he participated in the preparation of plans for further amphibious combat operations. His conduct throughout distinguished him among those performing duties of the same character. ...


Letter of Commendation

For distinguished service ... during the operation against the Japanese bases at Tinian, Saipan and Guam in the Marianas, on February 22, 1944. In this action for the first time in the war in the Pacific, a Carrier Task Fore was discovered by the enemy and obliged to fight its way to its objective. Throughout these operations he at all times fought his ship with courage and skill. During the night 21 – February 22 the screen of which his ship was a part shot down at least eight enemy planes in flames and drove off all others before they could inflict damage upon the Task Force. ...


Other awards and decorations

In addition, over the course of his career Wright received World War I Victory Medal (United States), World War I Victory Medal (Patrol Clasp), American Defense Service Medal (Fleet Clasp), European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, the Legion of Honor (with rank of Chevalier) from the Government of France, and the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau from the Government of the Netherlands.''Warrior among Diplomats'', p. 392


Recall to duty


CIA Board of National Estimates

Wright was recalled to active duty on January 12, 1961, to serve as the U.S. Navy representative on the
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
(CIA) Board of National Estimates (BNE), and after completing his BNE assignment, and was released from active duty effective May 13, 1963. The Office of National Estimates (ON/E) had been created in 1950 and was responsible for issuing National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), which "should deal with matters of wide scope relevant to the determination of basic policy, such as the assessment of a country's war potential, its preparedness for war, its strategy capabilities and intentions, its vulnerability to various forms of direct attack or indirect pressures." The ON/E Board included prominent American citizens with distinguished intelligence, academic, military, and diplomatic credentials, who would oversee NIE documents.


United States Ambassador to the Republic of China(Taiwan)

Wright was contacted by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman regarding the United States Ambassador to China#List of Ambassadors to the Republic of China, ambassadorship to the Republic of China (Taiwan). The current U.S. ambassador, retired Admiral Alan Goodrich Kirk, Alan G. Kirk, was in declining health and had recommended Wright as his replacement. After discussing it with his family, Wright accepted. Ambassador Wright presented his credentials to President of the Republic of China, President Chiang Kai-shek on June 29, 1963. Ambassador Wright won praise for his sensitive handling of the aftermath to the assassination of John F. Kennedy from both the embassy staff and government officials of the Republic of China. Wright also closely monitored the tense military situation between Taiwan and mainland China, particularly the potential flashpoint of Qemoy. Wright also successfully concluded a Status of Forces Agreement with the Republic of China. On July 25, 1965, Jerauld Wright stepped down as the U.S. Ambassador of the Republic of China, closing the final chapter on his public life.


Personal


Family

The future wife of Wright was born Phyllis B. Thompson on April 2, 1906, in New York City. She graduated from Miss Porter's School and made her debut in 1924 with Janet Lee Bouvier, Janet Lee, the future mother of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She worked for the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR) in New York. In 1933, Phyllis Thompson joined the Federal Alcohol Administration, Federal Alcohol Control Administration (FACA) in Washington, D.C. and subsequently worked, briefly, at the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). In 1935, she became the society editor for the ''Washington Evening Star''. Phyllis Thompson meet Jerry Wright through his sister, Marjorie Wright Key, who had also attended Miss Porter's School. Their marriage took place at St. Andrew's Dune Church, in, on July 23, 1938, which Phyllis wrote as her last wedding notice for the ''Washington Evening Star'' as their society editor. Jerry and Phyllis Wright had two children – Marion Jerauld Wright (1941– ) and William Mason Wright (1945– ). Phyllis Wright wrote about her experiences as a navy wife and the wife of an ambassador in a ''Navy Wife's Log'' (1978) and a ''Taiwan Scrapbook'' (1992) She was a former president of the Sulgrave Club and a member of the Metropolitan Club (Washington, D.C.), Metropolitan and Chevy Chase Club, Chevy Chase clubs. Phyllis Thompson Wright died on October 20, 2002, at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, from cancer. She was survived by her two children, Marion Wright of Denver and William Wright of Arlington. She was interred with her late husband at the Arlington National Cemetery.


Artwork

In retirement, Wright pursued an interest in painting, whose whimsical style was similar to Grandma Moses. His artwork was displayed in exhibits at the Brook Club, the Knickerbocker Club, and the Sulgrave Club.


Memberships

Wright was a long-time member of the United States Naval Institute, serving as its president from 1959–1960 and was a frequent contributor to its ''Proceedings'', including an insightful December 1951 article on the challenges facing the newly created NATO. Wright's other memberships included the Alibi Club, the Chevy Chase Club, the Metropolitan Club, the Knickerbocker Club, the Brook Club, Alfalfa Club, and the United States Navy League.


Death

Wright died on April 27, 1995, of pneumonia in Washington, D.C., at the age of 96. He was survived by his wife of 56 years, Phyllis; a son, William Mason Wright of Arlington; and a daughter, Marion Jerauld Wright of Denver. He was buried with full military honors in Section 2 of the Arlington National Cemetery next to his father and mother, and would be joined by his wife Phyllis upon her death in 2002.


Legacy


Honorary degrees

Wright received honorary degrees from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Rose Polytechnic Institute, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the College of William and Mary.


Wright Island

Wright Island () is an ice-covered island 35 miles (60 km) long, lying at the north edge of Getz Ice Shelf about midway between Carney Island and Martin Peninsula, on the Bakutis Coast, Marie Byrd Land. Delineated from air photos taken by U.S. Navy Operation Highjump in January 1947, it was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) after Admiral Jerauld Wright who was in over-all command of Operation Deep Freeze during the International Geophysical Year 1957–58.


Jerauld Wright Award

In light of the growing threat of Soviet submarine activity within his command area, as well as in retaliation for the recent aggressive Depth charge, depth-charging of near Vladivostok, Wright issued the following challenge: On May 29, 1959, , a working in conjunction with Patrol Squadron 5 (VP-5), chased a Soviet submarine near Iceland for nine hours before forcing it to surface, and its commanding officer, Lt. Commander Theodore F. Davis, received the case of whiskey from Admiral Wright and the distinction of being the first to surface a Soviet submarine by the U.S. Navy. Admiral Wright Award would be presented, with an accompanying case of whiskey, on two other occasions: * On October 29, 1962, , a , had chased a Soviet submarine throughout the Caribbean for nearly two days during the Cuban Missile Crisis."Adm. Wright's Enthusiastic Zeal is Remembered and Is Honored"
– ''Virginia-Pilot'', p. A14 (May 12, 1995)
* The third instance occurred off
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
in 1967, Where the USS Sam Houston SSBN-609 photographed a Russian submarine entering the straights of Gibraltar submerged.


John Paul Jones Cottage Museum

Retired admirals Jerauld Wright and Sir Nigel Henderson, RN, spearheaded the effort to restore the Scottish birthplace of John Paul Jones back to its original 1747 condition. The cottage that houses a museum dedicated to the life and accomplishments of John Paul Jones was opened in 1993, and it is situated on the original location on the Estate (land), estate of Arbigland in the Kirkcudbrightshire, Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.History of John Paul Jones Cottage
– John Paul Jones Cottage Museum, Scotland


See also

* Atomic Energy Act of 1946 * Cold War (1947–1953) * Cold War (1953–1962)


Notes


References

;Primary sources
Jerauld Wright Papers
– Manuscript Division, Library of Congress – Washington, DC
Papers of Admiral Jerauld Wright, 1949–1950
nbsp;– Naval History and Heritage Command#Command history, Operational Archives Branch, Naval Historical Center – Washington Navy Yard
Box: 1 Fold: 510 Wright, Admiral Jerauld, January 1, 1963 – December 31, 1965
nbsp;– Foreign Affairs Oral History Project – Georgetown University ;Secondary sources * David M. Key, Jr. ''Admiral Jerauld Wright: Warrior among Diplomats'' (Manhattan, Kansas: Sunflower University Press, 2001)
Jerauld Wright, 96, Admiral and Envoy
nbsp;– ''New York Times'' – April 29, 1995 * Official Biography – Naval History Division, U.S. Department of the Navy – Dated: July 8, 1963 * John R. Benedict. "The Unraveling and Revitalization of U.S. Navy Antisubmarine Warfare" – Naval War College Review, ''Naval War College Review'' 58, no. 2 (Spring 2005) pp. 92–120 * James Cable. ''Gunboat Diplomacy 1919–1979: Political Applications of Limited Naval Force'' (New York: Macmillan Publishers, Macmillan, 1981) * Arthur B. Darling. ''The Central Intelligence Agency: An Instrument of Government, to 1950'' (University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1990) (Paperback) * Peter Grose. ''Gentlemen Spy: The Life of Allen Dulles'' (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994) * Albert Bushnell Hart. ''Harper's Pictorial Library of the World War'' (New York: Harper & Brothers, Harper, 1920) * Norman Polmar and K.J. Moore. ''Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines'' (Washington, DC: Potomac Books, Inc., 2004) * Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew with Annette Lawrence Drew. ''Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage'' (New York, New: PublicAffairs, 1998) * Marion D. Williams. ''Submarines Under Ice: The U.S. Navy's Polar Operations'' (Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute, Naval Institute Press, 1998)


External links


Arlington National Cemetery
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Jerauld 1898 births 1995 deaths United States Navy admirals United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy World War II admirals Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Legion of Merit Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau Ambassadors of the United States to Taiwan People from Amherst, Massachusetts Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Deaths from pneumonia in Washington, D.C. Military personnel from Massachusetts