Mahlon Street Tisdale (December 6, 1890 – July 12, 1972) was an officer 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 ...

. He was awarded two

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

es, one for staff service in World War I, and another during the

Battle of Tassafaronga The Battle of Tassafaronga, sometimes referred to as the Fourth Battle of Savo Island or, in Japanese sources, as the , was a nighttime naval battle that took place on November 30, 1942, between United States Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy warsh ...

in World War II.

Early life and education

Tisdale was born on December 6, 1890 in

Wenona, Illinois Wenona is a city in Marshall and LaSalle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 1,056 at the 2010 census, down from 1,065 in 2000. The Marshall County portion of Wenona is part of the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...

. He was appointed to the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in 1908 and graduated with a commission as an

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

in the

on 7 June 1912. Before World War I, Tisdale served aboard cruisers and . Aboard USS ''Salem'', Tisdale participated in the Veracruz Expedition in 1914. When United States entered the World War I, Tisdale was appointed an Aide and Flag secretary on the staff of Commander Patrol Force, Atlantic Fleet and later served on , as Aide on the staff of Vice Admiral

Henry Braid 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 ninete ...

Commander of U.S. Naval Forces in France. For this service, Tisdale received a

. After return to the United States in January 1919, Tisdale served as executive officer on . He stayed in this capacity until March 1920, when he was transferred to . In January 1921, he was transfer to the staff of the Commander, Battleship Division Six, Pacific Fleet, where he served aboard as division radio officer. In June 1921, Tisdale was transferred to the Naval Academy, where he became a superintendent. Subsequently, Tisdale received his first command, when he served as commander of the from October 23, 1926 until June 1928.

Career

Tisdale's career including surface command (), , various staff positions, and Commander, Destroyers, Pacific Fleet (

ComDesPac {{Short description, Defunct American naval command of the 1940s Destroyer Force, United States Pacific Fleet, usually known as COMDESPAC, was a type command of the United States Pacific Fleet from 1940 until the Destroyer Force was combined with Cr ...

) during World War II. He was also Commandant of Midshipmen at the

at the start of World War II. After his superior's ship was put out of action during the

, he assumed command of the task force, continuing the battle from the . For his actions, Tisdale was awarded a star to his existing Navy Cross.

Awards and decorations

Legacy

The

Oliver Hazard Perry class The ''Oliver Hazard Perry'' class is a class of guided-missile frigates named after U.S. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the naval Battle of Lake Erie. Also known as the ''Perry'' or FFG-7 (commonly "fig seven") class, the warships we ...

guided missile frigate was named in his honor.

References

External links

US Navy Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tisdale, Mahlon 1890 births 1972 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy World War II admirals United States Navy admirals United States Naval Academy alumni Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit