Ralph Kirk James (21 May 1906 – 31 March 1994) was a Captain 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 ...

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 ...

. He retired in June 1963 as

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 ...

. James graduated from the Naval Academy in 1928. In 1933 he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . He served in the Navy housing constructors, then the

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres (0.7 km2) on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington in uninterrupted u ...

, the destroyer tender in the composition of the Pacific Fleet and the Bureau of Ships. In 1942 he became a member of a diplomatic mission of Admiral William Glassford authorities of French West Africa, also accompanied him on the Casablanca Conference. In 1943 he took part in the hostilities on the Pacific Ocean, first as an officer responsible for coordinating repair units in the waters of the southern Pacific with headquarters at

Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. Geography The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region o ...

, then as commander of Service Squadron 10 on the island of Manus. After the end of the war he worked as a controller in the Bureau of Ships and commander of the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. In 1956 he promoted to

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, ...

(

). In April 1959, he was head of the

Bureau of Ships The United States Navy's Bureau of Ships (BuShips) was established by Congress on 20 June 1940, by a law which consolidated the functions of the Bureau of Construction and Repair (BuC&R) and the Bureau of Engineering (BuEng). The new bureau was to ...

and served until retirement in June 1963. He remained active Retired engineer, attended among others in the drafting of the first American hovercraft. James died in 1994 of pneumonia.

Awards

Navy Distinguished Service Medal The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919 and is presented to sailors and Marines to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritoriou ...

in August 1963 as ''Rear Admiral''Military Times/Hall of Valor *

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 September 1948 as ''Captain'' *

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Ralph K. 1906 births 1994 deaths United States Navy rear admirals (lower half) United States Naval Academy alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal