Frank Herman Schofield (January 4, 1869 – February 20, 1942) was a decorated

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, ...

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 ...

, where he served with distinction in 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 = (clock ...

and

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 ...

. He was also acting

governor of Guam The governor of Guam ( ch, I Maga'låhen / ) is the head of government of Guam and the commander-in-chief of the Guam National Guard, whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Island (formerly the State of the Territor ...

from January 11, 1904, to January 28, 1904.

Military career

Born in

Jerusalem, New York Jerusalem is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Yates County, New York, Yates County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 4,469 at the 2010 census. The town is named after the ancient city of Jerusale ...

, Schofield graduated 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 ...

on June 6, 1890, and was commissioned

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

in 1892. During the Spanish–American War, he served as executive officer of the , participating in the blockade of

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

n ports and in the capture of four enemy ships. Between 1898 and 1917, he served in various capacities afloat and ashore including duty in the

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific du ...

and a brief position as acting

Governor of Guam The governor of Guam ( ch, I Maga'låhen / ) is the head of government of Guam and the commander-in-chief of the Guam National Guard, whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Island (formerly the State of the Territor ...

from January 11, 1904, to January 28, 1904. During this time, while commanding the he reported seeing "three meteors which he says appeared near the horizon and below the clouds, traveling in a group directly toward the Supply", which has been interpreted by some as an early UFO observation. After

American entry into World War I American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry ...

, he was ordered to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, where he served on the staff of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, European Waters until December 1918. He then assumed duties on the United States Naval Advisory Staff to the Peace Commission in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. Awarded 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 World War I and Peace Commission service, he was detached from the Naval Advisory Staff in May 1919 and, in July, returned to sea duty as commanding officer of the battleship, . During the 1920s, he served on the

General Board The General Board of the United States Navy was an advisory body of the United States Navy, somewhat akin to a naval general staff and somewhat not. The General Board was established by general order 544, issued on March 13, 1900 by Secretary ...

from 1921 to 1923; was promoted to

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 ...

in 1924; commanded Destroyer Squadrons, Battle Fleet, from 1924 to 1926; headed the War Plans Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations from 1926 to 1929; was a member of the Naval Advisory Staff, Geneva Conference in 1927; and commanded Battleship Division 4, Battle Fleet in 1929. In 1930, he was commissioned Commander in Chief, Battle Force, with the accompanying rank of admiral; and in 1933, after 47 years of service, he retired. Admiral Schofield died at

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...

, on February 20, 1942. He was 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 ...

.Burial Detail: Schofield, Frank H
– ANC Explorer

References

External links

*
Frank H. Schofield Letters, 1931-1933 (bulk 1931) MS 21
held by Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy {{DEFAULTSORT:Schofield United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy admirals Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Navy personnel of World War I 1869 births 1942 deaths People from Jerusalem, New York Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Governors of Guam