Leo Hewlett Thebaud (February 15, 1890 – April 18, 1980) was an admiral of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
.
Early life
Thebaud was born in
Madison, New Jersey, on February 15, 1890, to Edward Vincent (1824-1900) and Elizabeth Hewlett Scudder (1869-1952) Thebaud. His grandfathers were
Edward Thebaud
Edward Thebaud (June 1798–1884) was an American merchant.
Edward Thebaud was born in Beekman Street, New York City, in June, 1798 the son of Joseph Thebaud who was an agent of the French East India Company. When very young he was sent to the M ...
and
Townsend Scudder. Growing up, he attended the
Berkeley Institute in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, the
Hodder School in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, the
Chestnut Hill Academy
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (also known as SCH Academy or SCH) is an independent, non-sectarian Pre-K through grade 12 school located in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, approximately 10 miles from Center City.
SCH serves ove ...
in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
,
and graduated from the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
, class of 1913.
On October 1, 1921, he married the former Eleanor Laurie McCawley (May 5, 1899 - Mar. 8, 1980) from
Haverford, Pennsylvania.
World War I and interwar era
Following graduation, Thebaud was assigned to , where he served until 1917. He then served as
Commanding Officer
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
of the in escort duties in the Atlantic. While commanding ''Paul Jones'', Thebaud was awarded the
Navy Cross for rescuing the crew of .
Later
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
duty included service aboard , , , and commands of the and .
[
Ashore he had duty with the ]Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific duti ...
, followed by service at the Naval Academy.[ While there, he was officially designated by then Naval Academy Superintendent ]Henry B. Wilson
Henry Braid Wilson, Jr. (23 February 1861 – 30 January 1954) was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War I.
Biography
Wilson was a native of Camden, New Jersey. He joined the United States Navy in the latter part of the nineteen ...
to compile leadership tips and hints to guide Naval Academy Graduates in the Surface Fleet following their graduation. The book, published by the U.S. Naval Institute
The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...
in 1924, was the first leadership text used by the Naval Academy. Its final (fourth) edition was again compiled by Thebaud while stationed at the Academy in 1939, and remained a popular leadership guide throughout the Navy until replaced in 1949.
After serving aboard and , he then took command of , aboard which he participated in the Second Nicaraguan Campaign. He later served as 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 ...
of 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 ...
during 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 ...
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 ...
's administration, followed by service as 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 ...
aboard . Thebaud was then appointed Flag Aide to Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
Wat Tyler Cluverius, Jr.
Wat Tyler Cluverius Jr. (12 December 1874 – 28 October 1952) was an admiral in the United States Navy and president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. When he died, he was the last surviving officer of the sinking of .
An 1896 graduate of th ...
, Commander Cruiser Division Four, Scouting Force, United States Fleet. Beginning in 1933, he served tours as Assistant Naval Attaché in Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
and Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
. Returning to the United States, he took command of the destroyer during her fitting out and commissioning. Following ''Clark'', he returned to the Naval Academy for another tour. Thebaud was then appointed Commander Destroyer Squadron
A destroyer squadron is a Squadron (naval), naval squadron or flotilla usually consisting of destroyers rather than other types of vessel. In some navies other vessels, such as frigates, may be included. In English the word "squadron" tends to be ...
Twenty-Seven, and subsequently took over Destroyer Squadron Thirteen.[
]
World War II and postwar service
Upon the United States' entry into 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 ...
, Thebaud once again found himself on escort duty in the North Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...
. In October 1942, as Commander of Destroyer Squadron Thirteen, he served in tactical control of the largest multi-country convoy escort to date, with a US force of five destroyers, a British force of two destroyers and two corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...
s, a Canadian force of one destroyer and seven corvettes, and one Free French corvette. He later served as Commander, United States Escort Control and Senior Officer Present Afloat Senior Officer Present Afloat, usually referred to as SOPA, is a U.S. Navy term to indicate the U.S. Navy officer, with the highest ranking by rank, or number in rank, present in a harbor occupied by more than one U.S. Navy vessel. That officer is e ...
, Derry, Northern Ireland, supporting convoy operations.[ Afterward, in command of the ]cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
in 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 ...
, Thebaud was awarded the Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
with Combat "V"
Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
and 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 ...
Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...
for supporting for the Amphibious Battle of Gela
The amphibious Battle of Gela was the opening engagement of the American portion of the Allied Invasion of Sicily during World War II. United States Navy ships landed United States Army troops along the eastern end of the south coast of Sicily; ...
during the Invasion of Sicily. He also received the Legion of Merit for supporting the Italian mainland 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 ...
(12–19 September).[ He received a fourth Legion of Merit while commanding Cruiser Division Ten in the ]Pacific Theater
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 ...
, during occupation of the Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...
, strikes against the Bonin Islands
The Bonin Islands, also known as the , are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands, some directly south of Tokyo, Japan and northwest of Guam. The name "Bonin Islands" comes from the Japanese word ''bunin'' (an archaic readi ...
and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Following service as the Director of Naval Intelligence (October 1944 - September 1945), he then served as Naval Attaché in Paris at the request of Fleet 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 ...
. Subsequently, he was named Inspector General of the Navy (July 1947 - June 1949) and then Commandant of the First Naval District
The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...
(February 1949 - February 1952).Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(CBE
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
),Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
, the Czechoslovakian
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
Order of Merit
The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by K ...
, and the Order of Yun Hui of the Republic of China. Thebaud was transferred to the retired list in 1952 and died on April 18, 1980, in Bethesda, Maryland.[ He and his wife are buried at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery 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 ...
.
See also
References
External links
Leo Hewlett Thebaud Papers, 1880-1951 (bulk 1918-1951)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thebaud, Leo Hewlett
1890 births
1980 deaths
United States Navy personnel of World War I
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
United States Naval Academy alumni
United States Navy admirals
United States Navy World War II admirals
People from Madison, New Jersey
United States Navy Inspectors General
Directors of the Office of Naval Intelligence
Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)
United States Naval Academy faculty
Recipients of the Legion of Honour
Burials at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery
Honorary Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Military personnel from New Jersey