Roger Wilson Cutler (November 3, 1889 – November 30, 1963) was an American athlete and naval officer who served in World War I and World War II.

Early life

Cutler was born on November 3, 1889, in

Brookline, Massachusetts Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, in the United States, and part of the Greater Boston, Boston metropolitan area. Brookline borders six of Boston's neighborhoods: Brighton, Boston, Brighton, A ...

. He was one of five sons born to George C. and Mary F. Wilson Cutler. His brothers were Elliott Carr Cutler, a professor at the Harvard Medical School and a surgeon, Robert Cutler, the first

National Security Advisor A national security advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. The advisor is not usually a member of the government's cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils. National sec ...

Johnny Cutler John Wilson Cutler (May 12, 1887 – March 18, 1950) was an American college football player. Early life Cutler was born on May 12, 1887 in Bangor, Maine. He was one of five sons born to George C. and Mary F. Wilson Cutler. His brothers were El ...

, noted Harvard quarterback, and George C. Cutler Jr.

Athletic career

Cutler attended Harvard College, where he was a member of the crew and swim teams. During his sophomore year he became a member of the varsity crew, which was captained by his brother Elliott. He became captain of the Harvard crew in 1911. After graduating from Harvard, Cutler was a member of the Union Boat Club and competed in the 1914

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thre ...

. In 1925, Cutler made it to the finals of the U.S. Amateur Tennis Championship, but lost to Jay Gould in three sets. It was Gould's 18th straight title. He was eliminated in the second round of the 1926 tournament by W. T. Adee. He lost in the 1932 semifinals to G. R. Fearing III. In 1933 he and Clarence C. Pell Jr. made it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Doubles Championship.

Marriages

On December 14, 1912, Cutler married Leslie Bradley. The couple had four children, two of whom ( Robert and

Roger Jr. The following is a list of characters from the fighting game series ''Tekken''. Characters are chronologically listed in order of the game in which they debuted. Characters Players can choose from a diverse cast that hails from a variety of e ...

) competed in rowing in the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

. Leslie Bradley Cutler divorced her husband on December 17, 1928, in Reno, Nevada, on the charge of desertion. On May 1, 1931, Cutler married Edith Cryder, widow of

Frederick Lothrop Ames Jr. Frederick Lothrop Ames Jr. (July 23, 1876 – June 19, 1921) was a Massachusetts financier and socialite. He was the great-grandson of Oliver Ames, who established the Ames Shovel Company, grandson of Oliver Ames Jr., and son of Frederick Loth ...

and one of the famous "Cryder triplets". Edith Cutler died on January 10, 1954.

Military career

World War I

In September 1916, Cutler served as a radio operator in a naval cruise attached to submarine chasers in Newport, Rhode Island. On March 21, 1917, he enlisted in the US Naval Reserve Force and served on Submarine Patrol No. 56. On September 15, 1917, he was transferred to the Naval Aviation Service. He trained at the Naval Air Station Squantum and was attached to the Naval Air Stations in Norfolk and Pensacola before he was commissioned as an ensign on March 15, 1918. On May 30, 1918, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant (junior grade) and stationed oversees at U.S. Naval Air Station Killingholme. On July 19, 1918, Cutler dropped the bomb which destroyed SM ''UB-110''. He was appointed senior squadron commander at Killingholme in October 1918 and promoted to Lieutenant the following month. He was assigned to inactive duty on January 15, 1919.

World War II

Cutler reentered the Navy in September 1940 as commander of the cadet regiment at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville. In December 1942 he was transferred to the amphibious forces. In January 1943, Cutler began duty in the Pacific Theatre. He was the commander of LST Group 13 and was the commander of the first landing ship tank in the war. He served through eleven invasions;

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

, Russell Islands, Woodlark Island, New Georgia, Bougainville,

Green Islands The Green Islands is a small archipelago of islands in the Solomon Sea, within the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, in northeastern Papua New Guinea. They are located at , about northwest of Bougainville Island, and about east of Rabaul ...

, Emirau,

Hollandia Hollandia may refer to: * HVV Hollandia, Dutch football team * Hollandia Victoria Combinatie, defunct Dutch football team * ''Hollandia'' (1742 ship), a ship of the Dutch East India Company, wrecked in 1743 on her maiden voyage * Jayapura, a city ...

, Guam,

Lingayen Gulf The Lingayen Gulf is a large gulf on northwestern Luzon in the Philippines, stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central. The Agno River and the Balili ...

, and Okinawa. During these campaigns, Cutler commanded 107 direct air, 10 submarine, and 4 artillery attacks. In 1945 he was awarded a

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

in lieu of a second

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 ...

for meritorious service as commander of six echelons of tank landing ships during the Solomon Islands campaign. He was promoted to captain while on terminal leave and released to inactive duty in August 1945. In November 1945, Cutler was promoted to Commodore in the United States Naval Reserve. He retired from the reserve with the rank of Vice admiral.

Business career

Cutler began his professional career in the lumber business in Canada and Boston. He later enter the textile field in Boston and

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

. Cutler died on November 30, 1963, in Greenville, South Carolina.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cutler, Roger W 1889 births 1963 deaths American male rowers American real tennis players United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy personnel of World War II Cutler family Harvard Crimson rowers Harvard College alumni Sportspeople from Brookline, Massachusetts People from Greenville, South Carolina Sportspeople from Needham, Massachusetts Recipients of the Silver Star United States Navy officers United States Navy reservists Spouses of Massachusetts politicians