Arthur Philip Fairfield (October 29, 1877 – December 14, 1946) was a vice admiral 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 ...

Biography

Born in

Saco, Maine Saco is a city in York County, Maine, York County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,381 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General ...

, Fairfield served on the

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of naval cruiser of the late-19th century, gained their description because an armoured deck offered protection for vital machine-spaces from fragments caused by shells exploding above them. Protected cruisers re ...

during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

, before graduating from 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 1901. In

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Commander Fairfield commissioned the destroyer on 1 June 1918, and while commanding the destroyer earned the award of 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 his ''"prompt and efficient action in contact on September 8 with a submarine which attempted an attack upon a convoy"''. Commander Fairfield taught at the United States Naval Academy following World War I, where he compiled a new Naval Academy textbook ''Naval Ordnance'' in 1920 for publication in 1921. Captain Fairfield commanded the heavy cruiser from 1930–1932, and in 1936 commanded Squadron 40-T, a special temporary squadron, organized to evacuate American nationals from the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

areas. With the light cruiser as his flagship Rear Admiral Fairfield sailed with the destroyers and and the Coast Guard Cutter ''Cayuga'' to Spain, and saved hundreds of Americans and other nationals from the dangers of the war. In 1938–39 Fairfield served as Assistant Chief of Naval Operations, and in 1939–1940, was commander of Battleship Division Three of the

United States Fleet The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The acronym CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for Commander in Chief, United States Fleet. This was replaced by COMINCH in December 1941 ...

. Fairfield was promoted to vice admiral when he retired on November 1, 1941. He was called back to active duty after the U.S. entered World War II the following month. He served as an advisor to the

Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

, and was Chairman of the Board of Medals and Decorations, among other duties. Fairfield retired again in 1945, and died on December 14, 1946. He and his wife Nancy Douglas Duval (1874–1947) are buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

in Virginia.

Namesake

The

Liberty ship Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Ma ...

, launched in June 1944 as the ''William Hodson'', which served as the ''Chung Tung'' under Lend-Lease to the Republic of China, was renamed ''Arthur P. Fairfield'' in 1947, then ''Admiral Arthur P. Fairfield'' in 1948, while being operated by the American Pacific Steamship Company.

References

External links

*
Arthur P. Fairfield
at ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website
Arthur Philip Fairfield Letters, 1917–1932 (bulk 1925–1932) MS 363
held by Special Collection & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy 1877 births 1946 deaths Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) United States Navy vice admirals United States Naval Academy alumni Navy Midshipmen athletic directors People from Saco, Maine United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy World War II admirals Burials at Arlington National Cemetery American military personnel of the Spanish–American War {{US-navy-bio-stub