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Contact Info
Home Town Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Last Address Retired to Seminole, Florida.
Date of Passing Oct 06, 2007
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Captain Joseph James Doak, Jr., U.S.N.
World War Two and Viet-Nam
Commodore DESRON 23
Joseph J. Doak Jr., USN, was born on 30 January 1923 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he attended Public Schools and Saint Joseph’s College. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.
Upon graduation from the Naval Academy in June 1944, he was assigned to the USS QUINCY (CA-71) and served in her throughout the remainder of World War II. The USS QUINCY participated in the Normandy and Southern France invasions before sailing for the Pacific war where she saw action including Okinawa and entered Tokyo Bay on 1 September 1945.
Following the war, Captain Doak served in a variety of sea and shore assignments. In July 1951, he was ordered to USS HEALY (DD-672) for the first of several tours of duty in various billets in destroyers, including Gunnery Officer of HEALY, and Executive Officer of USS BORDELON (DDR-881) and commanding officer of USS VAN VOORHIS (DE-1028) and USS DOUGLAS H. FOX (DD-779. His shore assignments had been as an instructor at the Naval Academy and at Tufts University.
On the 11th of August 1962, at the moment of breaking her commissioning pennant, USS BARNEY (DDG-6) became the responsibility of her first commanding officer - Commander Joseph J. Doak, Jr. On 11 December 1963 at La Spezia, Italy, he was relieved as Commanding Officer by Commander Keith V. Johnson.
CAPT. Joseph James Doak Jr., USS SIERRA (AD-18), June 1966 - September 1967
COMMODORE DESRON 23 (Destroyer Squadron 23), Captain J. J. Doak (July 1968 - January 1970).
Other Comments:
Joseph James Doak Jr. Capt. USN retired, 84, of Seminole, formerly of Philadelphia, PA, passed away in his home under the care of hospice, on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007, after a long battle with cancer.
Joe was a 1944 graduate of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He spent 30 active years in the Navy. Among his many naval accomplishments, Joe commanded three destroyers, a destroyer tender, and as a commodore, led a squadron of six destroyers to Vietnam. He was a veteran of WWII, and the Vietnam War.
Upon retirement from the Navy, Joe chose to go back to teaching as he did previously at the Naval Academy, and at Tufts University.
In 1980, Joe and his wife, Betty, retired to Florida. Joe enjoyed traveling extensively, golfing, and was an avid Philadelphia Phillies fan.
Joe is survived by his wife, Betty of 56 years; a daughter, Maryellen; four sons, Joseph James III, Thomas Michael, Peter Thaddeus, and Daniel Francis; daughter, Elizabeth Anne; and six grandchildren.
A Memorial Service will be held at St. Jerome Catholic Church on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 10:30 am in the chapel.
Inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery.
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Okinawa Gunto Operation
From Month/Year
March / 1945
To Month/Year
June / 1945
Description The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg. was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were approaching Japan, and planned to use Okinawa, a large island only 340 mi (550 km) away from mainland Japan, as a base for air operations on the planned invasion of Japanese mainland (coded Operation Downfall). Four divisions of the U.S. 10th Army (the 7th, 27th, 77th, and 96th) and two Marine Divisions (the 1st and 6th) fought on the island. Their invasion was supported by naval, amphibious, and tactical air forces.
The battle has been referred to as the "typhoon of steel" in English, and tetsu no ame ("rain of steel") or ("violent wind of steel") in Japanese. The nicknames refer to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of kamikaze attacks from the Japanese defenders, and to the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island. The battle resulted in the highest number of casualties in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Based on Okinawan government sources, mainland Japan lost 77,166 soldiers, who were either killed or committed suicide, and the Allies suffered 14,009 deaths (with an estimated total of more than 65,000 casualties of all kinds). Simultaneously, 42,000–150,000 local civilians were killed or committed suicide, a significant proportion of the local population. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki together with the Soviet invasion of Manchuria caused Japan to surrender less than two months after the end of the fighting on Okinawa.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
March / 1945
To Month/Year
June / 1945
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories QUINCY stood out of Hampton Roads 5 March 1945, arriving Pearl Harbor the 20th. After training in the Pearl Harbor area, she steamed for Ulithi via Eniwetok, joining the 5th Fleet there 11 April. Two days later, she departed Ulithi and joined Rear Admiral Wiltse's Cruiser Division 10, in Vice Admiral Mitscher's Fast Carrier Task Force. From 16 April, QUINCY supported the carriers in their strikes on Okinawa, Amami Gunto, and Minami Daito Shima. She returned to Ulithi with units of the task force 30 April.
In company with units of TF 58, QUINCY departed Ulithi 9 May for the area east of Kyushu, arriving 12 May for carrier strikes against Amami Gunto and Kyushu. Before dawn on 14 May, the cruiser splashed a Japanese plane. Her own aircraft strafed targets in Omonawa on Tokune Shima 19 May. QUINCY continued to support carrier aircraft strikes against Okinawa, Tokuno Shima, Kikai Jima, Amami Gunto, and Asumi Gunto until the force returned to base 13 June. Enroute, QUINCY safely rode out the severe typhoon of 5 June.
During the period of replenishment and upkeep at Leyte Rear Admiral Wiltse, ComCruDiv 10 transferred to QUINCY. The cruiser departed Leyte 1 July with Task Force 38 to begin a period of strikes at Japan's home islands which lasted until the termination of hostilities. She supported carriers in strikes in the Tokyo Plains area, Honshu, Hokkaido, and Shikoku.
QUINCY joined the Support Force, 23 August, and four days later, helped occupy Sagami Wan, Japan, and entered Tokyo Bay 1 September.
