Ralph Weymouth (May 26, 1917 – January 22, 2020)Ralph Weymouth
. Military Times. Accessed 18 September 2017 was a decorated Vice 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 ...

and

anti-nuclear The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes various nuclear technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental movements, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, nationa ...

campaigner. Weymouth was born in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

to Ralph Wells Weymouth and his wife Lisbeth Cunningham Sewall. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1938, served two years on surface ships, began naval aviator training, and earned his wings in 1941. 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 opposing ...

while serving as Commanding Officer of Bombing Squadron 16 (VB-16) on the , he received the

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 ...

for actions against the Japanese Navy in the

Battle of the Philippine Sea The Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 19–20, 1944) was a major naval battle of World War II that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invas ...

. He was also awarded the Legion of Merit twice and the Distinguished Flying Cross four times. His service continued through the

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

and

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was a major conflict of the Cold War. ...

s. During service in post-war Japan, Weymouth became concerned at the effects of nuclear war on the inhabitants of

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole Nanban trade, port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hi ...

and Hiroshima and became an opponent of

nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...

s, becoming more active in retirement. He married Laure Bouchage, of Breton descent, granddaughter of

Anatole Le Braz Anatole le Braz, the "Bard of Brittany" (2 April 1859 – 20 March 1926), was a Breton poet, folklore collector and translator. He was highly regarded amongst both European and American scholars, and known for his warmth and charm. Biography Le B ...

, in 1940, and they had eight children, including Tina Weymouth, former bassist for

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

and currently with

Tom Tom Club Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth and as a side project from Talking Heads. Their best known songs include " Wordy Rappinghood", " Genius of Love", and a cover ...

, and

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Yann Weymouth. Weymouth died at age 102 in

Rockport, Maine Rockport is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. It is thirty-five miles southeast of Augusta. The population was 3,644 at the 2020 census. Rockport is a popular tourist destination and art colony. History Rockport, or "the River", wa ...

, on January 22, 2020.

References

External links

National World War II Museum
– Becoming a Naval Aviator – Ralph Weymouth {{DEFAULTSORT:Weymouth, Ralph 1917 births 2020 deaths United States Navy admirals Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) American centenarians Men centenarians Military personnel from Seattle United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy personnel of the Korean War United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War American anti–nuclear weapons activists Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)