Ulysses Simpson Grant Sharp Jr. (April 2, 1906 – December 12, 2001) was a
United States Navy four star admiral who served as Commander in Chief,
United States Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT) from 1963 to 1964; and Commander-in-Chief,
United States Pacific Command (CINCPAC) from 1964 to 1968. He was PACOM commander during the
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The Gulf of Tonkin incident ( vi, Sự kiện Vịnh Bắc Bộ) was an international confrontation that led to the United States engaging more directly in the Vietnam War. It involved both a proven confrontation on August 2, 1964, carried out b ...
. Sharp was related to
Ulysses S. Grant, who married Sharp's great-aunt.
Military career
Sharp was born in
Chinook, Montana, and named for
Ulysses S. Grant, who was married to his grandmother's sister. Raised in
Fort Benton, Montana
Fort Benton is a city in and the county seat of Chouteau County, Montana, United States. Established in 1846, Fort Benton is the oldest continuously occupied settlement in Montana. The city's waterfront area, the most important aspect of its 1 ...
, he graduated from the
United States Naval Academy in 1927. He is also a 1950 graduate of the
Naval War College.
During World War II, he commanded the destroyer in the Pacific Theater, earning two
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 ...
s.
His brother, LCDR Thomas F. Sharp (USNA class of 1935), was reported lost on May 13, 1943 when his submarine was sunk during its seventh combat patrol of the World War II Pacific campaign.
By the Korean War, he was commanding a destroyer squadron, assisting in the planning of the
Inchon landing
The Battle of Incheon (), also spelled Battle of Inchon, was an amphibious invasion and a battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations Command (UN). The operation involved s ...
. He served as deputy chief of naval operations for policy and planning in the early 1960s.
After receiving his fourth star, Sharp took command of the Pacific Fleet in 1963, followed by command of Pacific Command. During his tenure, due to the Tonkin Gulf Incident, the U.S. increased its presence in Vietnam after the passage of the
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution or the Southeast Asia Resolution, , was a joint resolution that the United States Congress passed on August 7, 1964, in response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident.
It is of historic significance because it gave U.S. p ...
. Sharp's views on U.S. strategy in the war, namely massive military action, differed sharply with the Johnson administration's preference for a gradual buildup of forces. Sharp was featured on the August 14, 1964, cover of
TIME Magazine.
Awards and decorations
Post military career
After retiring from the Navy, Sharp was a critic of U.S. policy in the Vietnam War, lecturing frequently and writing articles. He wrote an article in
Reader's Digest in 1969 titled ''We Could Have Won in Vietnam Long Ago'', and in 1979 his book ''Strategy for Defeat: Vietnam in Retrospect''
[Sharp, U. S. Grant. Strategy for Defeat: Vietnam in Retrospect. San Rafael, Calif: Presidio Press, 1978.] was published.
His first wife, Patricia, whom he married in 1931, died in 1986. In 1988 he married the former Nina Blake.
After suffering a fall in October 2001, Sharp's health steadily declined until he died on December 12, 2001, at his home in San Diego. He was buried in
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.
See also
*
Gulf of Tonkin incident
The Gulf of Tonkin incident ( vi, Sự kiện Vịnh Bắc Bộ) was an international confrontation that led to the United States engaging more directly in the Vietnam War. It involved both a proven confrontation on August 2, 1964, carried out b ...
*
McNamara Line
References
Further reading
* Ewing, James W. ''Admiral Sharp, Air Power and Victory: A Critical Analysis of Strategy for Defeat, Vietnam in Retrospect, by Admiral U.S.G. Sharp, USN''. Maxwell AFB, AL: Air Command and Staff College, Air University, 1988.
Marquis, Christopher . Ulysses S. Grant Sharp Jr., Vietnam War Admiral, 95New York Times obituary, December 18, 2001
* Moïse, Edwin E. Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1996.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, U. S. Grant Jr.
1906 births
2001 deaths
United States Navy admirals
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
Recipients of the Silver Star
People from Chinook, Montana
Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
People from Fort Benton, Montana
Grant family
Military personnel from Montana