J. William Kime
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John William Kime (15 July 1934 – 14 September 2006) was an
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, ...
of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 19th commandant from 1990 to 1994.


Early life and career

Kime was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. At the age of 10, he moved with his family to
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
. In 1951, he graduated from
Baltimore City College Baltimore City College, known colloquially as City, City College, and B.C.C., is a college preparatory school with a liberal arts focus and selective admissions criteria located in Baltimore, Maryland. Opened in October 1839, B.C.C. is the thir ...
, and was accepted into the School of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland, but declined the admission offer for financial reasons. Soon thereafter, he accepted a job at the local
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plant, installing glove boxes in
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s. The following year, he saw a television advertisement on Coast Guard careers, which inspired him to enroll at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. In 1957, Kime graduated second in his academy class. Upon graduation, he served aboard before assuming command of LORAN Station Wake Island in 1960. Continuing his education, he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a master's degree in naval architecture and marine engineering and the professional degree of naval engineer in 1964. He also was in charge of the structural design of the Polar-class icebreakers and was the first engineer officer on , home ported in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1977, he became a distinguished graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and was assigned to headquarters as assistant chief of the Merchant Marine Technical Division. His other assignments included command of Marine Safety Office Baltimore in 1978–81, deputy chief of the Office of Marine Environment and Systems, 1981–82; chief of the Seventh Coast Guard District Operations Division, 1982–84; chief of Headquarters Office of Marine Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection, 1986–1988. Prior to becoming Coast Guard commandant, he served as commander of the Long Beach, California-based 11th Coast Guard District and Pacific Regional Coordinator for the
Office of National Drug Control Policy The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is a component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The Director of the ONDCP, colloquially known as the Drug Czar, heads the office. "Drug Czar" was a term first used ...
. It is noteworthy that Kime was promoted from
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 ...
(a two-star rank) 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, ...
(a four-star rank), never having held the three-star rank of vice admiral.


Commandant

As commandant, Kime was passionate about maritime safety and environmental protection issues, and oversaw implementation of the landmark Oil Pollution Act of 1990, and established the position of Drug Interdiction Coordinator. In the wake of the
Exxon Valdez oil spill The ''Exxon Valdez'' oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989. ''Exxon Valdez'', an oil supertanker owned by Exxon Shipping Company bound for Long Beach, California struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef, west o ...
, he pioneered how the Coast Guard prevents and responds to oil and hazardous chemical spills, significantly minimizing environmental damage. The groundwork he laid can also be seen in how the Coast Guard responds to a broad range of threats and hazards to maritime, homeland, and national security interests. His vision set the stage for the Coast Guard's transition to focused organizational competencies in prevention and response. He led the service during the end of the Cold War, collapse of communism, Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, as well as increasing operations in traditional mission areas.


Later life

Upon his retirement from the Coast Guard in 1994, Kime brought his leadership to the maritime industry, serving as the chief executive officer of management companies in the United States, United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden. Until 2005, he served as the U.S. representative to the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the world's largest private shipping organization. He died of cancer in Towson, Maryland, on 14 September 2006 at age 72. A memorial service was held at the Fort Myer Memorial Chapel in Arlington, Virginia, on 29 September followed by interment in Arlington National Cemetery on Coast Guard Hill. Sources: ALCOAST 464/06 (R 142239Z SEP 06), ALCOAST 469/06 06 (R 152010Z SEP 06), ALCOAST 475/06 (R 202141Z SEP 06), and L.A. Times obituaries, September 20, 2006.


Awards and decorations

Kime received the following awards and decorations: * Transportation Distinguished Service Medal * Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal *
Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM) is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members who perform superior meritorious service in a position of significant ...
*
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 ...
* Meritorious Service Medals with "O" device with four gold
Award stars A inch star (9.7mm) is a miniature gold or silver five-pointed star that is authorized by the United States Armed Forces as a ribbon device to denote subsequent awards for specific decorations of the Department of the Navy, Coast Guard, Public Hea ...
* Coast Guard Commendation Medal * Coast Guard Achievement Medal *
Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon The Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon is a personal military award of the United States Coast Guard. The award was established in March 1979 by Admiral John B. Hayes. Criteria The Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon is awarded t ...
s with "O" device with two gold Award stars * Coast Guard Unit Commendation with "O" device one gold Award star *
Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or s ...
*
International Maritime Prize The International Maritime Prize is an award granted by the International Maritime Organization to individuals or Non-governmental organizations that "have made the most significant contribution to the work and objectives of IMO." The prize is usua ...


References


External links

*
United States Coast Guard Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kime, J. William 1934 births 2006 deaths Commandants of the United States Coast Guard United States Coast Guard admirals Office of National Drug Control Policy officials Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Transportation Distinguished Service Medal People from Greensboro, North Carolina Military personnel from North Carolina Military personnel from Baltimore Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni United States Coast Guard Academy alumni Baltimore City College alumni Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Deaths from cancer in Maryland