Joseph Knefler Taussig Jr. (May 28, 1920 – December 14, 1999) was a United States Navy officer during and after World War II, and a Navy civilian official in the 1980s. He was the son of Vice Admiral Joseph Taussig, and the grandson of Rear Admiral Edward David Taussig.

Early life and education

Taussig was born in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...

, on May 28, 1920. After attending high school in Washington D.C., Taussig entered 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 ...

and graduated on February 7, 1941. He then was assigned to .

Pearl Harbor attack

Taussig was the officer of the deck of USS ''Nevada'' and senior officer in charge of her anti-aircraft batteries during the

Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...

on December 7, 1941. Taussig was severely wounded but refused to leave his station until the crew carried him away. He ended up having his leg amputated, then returned to duty three days later. 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 his actions that day. When he retired from active duty in 1954, at age 34, he was the youngest captain in the Navy.

Civilian service

In 1981 he returned to Navy service as a civilian. Taussig was "the .S.Navy's first designated high-level safety specialist" and self-styled "safety

czar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the t ...

", appointed as a civilian special assistant to the

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

in 1985. He twice received the

Navy Distinguished Public Service Award The Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, established in 1951, is an award presented by the U.S. Secretary of the Navy to civilians for specific courageous or heroic acts or exceptionally outstanding service of substantial and long-term benef ...

Personal life

Taussig married Betty Bostwick Carney, daughter of Rear Admiral

Robert Bostwick Carney Robert Bostwick Carney (March 26, 1895 – June 25, 1990) was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander-in-chief of the NATO forces in Southern Europe (1951–1953) and then as Chief of Naval Operations (1953–1954) duri ...

(future Chief of Naval Operations), in 1943. He died from an embolism at

Anne Arundel Medical Center The Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) is a regional health system headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. In addition to the main campus in Annapolis, the group has outpatient pavilions in Bowie, Kent Island, Odenton, Easton and Waugh Chapel. ...

, on December 14, 1999, aged 79. Betty Carney Taussig established the Joseph K. Taussig Jr. Award at the United States Naval Academy in 2001, in memory of her husband. She died at the age of 94 on April 27, 2015.Alt URL
/ref> Taussig and his wife are buried at the

United States Naval Academy Cemetery The United States Naval Academy Cemetery and Columbarium is a cemetery at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. History In 1868 the Naval Academy purchased a 67-acre piece of land called Strawberry Hill as part of their effort ...

Namesake

The Executive Suite at the

United States Naval Institute The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...

headquarters in Annapolis is named in his honor.

References

Sources

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