During his naval career, Dr. Pollard made significant contributions to the following: the high-altitude balloon flight series known as STRATOLAB, which set a world altitude record of nearly 114,000 feet using life support systems and medical monitoring provided by the Navy; the selection of the three Navy and one Marine Corps Mercury astronauts of the original seven and their training in meeting the stresses of space flight; the space flight experiments, in cooperation with the Army, of squirrel monkeys Old Reliable, Able and Baker; the national effort in bioastronautics as it progressed in the 1960's by providing Navy scientists' technology and facilities to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and serving as the Navy's member on various committees of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council. He was for several years the Director, Astronautical Medicine Division for the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
Other Memories During his naval career, Dr. Pollard made significant contributions to the following: the high-altitude balloon flight series known as STRATOLAB, which set a world altitude record of nearly 114,000 feet using life support systems and medical monitoring provided by the Navy; the selection of the three Navy and one Marine Corps Mercury astronauts of the original seven and their training in meeting the stresses of space flight; the space flight experiments, in cooperation with the Army, of squirrel monkeys Old Reliable, Able and Baker; the national effort in bioastronautics as it progressed in the 1960's by providing Navy scientists' technology and facilities to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and serving as the Navy's member on various committees of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council. He was for several years the Director, Astronautical Medicine Division for the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
Other Memories In the post-WWII years, Dr. Pollard concentrated on medical research and development and held numerous research assignments, both operational and staff, including serving on the staff of the Research and Development Board in the Office of the Secretary of Defense; in the Office of Naval Research; as Director, Research Division and, also, as Assistant Chief for Research and the Military Medical Specialties of the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
During his naval career, Dr. Pollard made significant contributions to the following: the high-altitude balloon flight series known as STRATOLAB, which set a world altitude record of nearly 114,000 feet using life support systems and medical monitoring provided by the Navy; the selection of the three Navy and one Marine Corps Mercury astronauts of the original seven and their training in meeting the stresses of space flight; the space flight experiments, in cooperation with the Army, of squirrel monkeys Old Reliable, Able and Baker; the national effort in bioastronautics as it progressed in the 1960's by providing Navy scientists' technology and facilities to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and serving as the Navy's member on various committees of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council. He was for several years the Director, Astronautical Medicine Division for the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
Criteria The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service... The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service during the current War on Terrorism. In addition, all members of the National Guard and Reserve who were part of the Selected Reserve in good standing between August 2, 1990, to November 30, 1995, are eligible for the National Defense Service Medal. In the case of Navy personnel, Midshipment attending the Naval Academy during the qualifying periods are eligible for this award, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Midshipmen ae only eligible if they participated in a summer cruise that was in an area which qualified for a campaign medal. MoreHide
Other Memories In the post-WWII years, Dr. Pollard concentrated on medical research and development and held numerous research assignments, both operational and staff, including serving on the staff of the Research and Development Board in the Office of the Secretary of Defense; in the Office of Naval Research; as Director, Research Division and, also, as Assistant Chief for Research and the Military Medical Specialties of the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
In the post-WWII years, Dr. Pollard concentrated on medical research and development and held numerous research assignments, both operational and staff, including serving on the staff of the Research and Development Board in the Office of the Secretary of Defense; in the Office of Naval Research; as Director, Research Division and, also, as Assistant Chief for Research and the Military Medical Specialties of the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
Criteria The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service... The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service during the current War on Terrorism. In addition, all members of the National Guard and Reserve who were part of the Selected Reserve in good standing between August 2, 1990, to November 30, 1995, are eligible for the National Defense Service Medal. In the case of Navy personnel, Midshipment attending the Naval Academy during the qualifying periods are eligible for this award, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Midshipmen ae only eligible if they participated in a summer cruise that was in an area which qualified for a campaign medal. MoreHide
Criteria Occupation duty in the European-African-Middle Eastern area may be credited to organizations for duty performed on and subsequent to May 8, 1945. Terminal dates for eligibility periods and occupation ... Occupation duty in the European-African-Middle Eastern area may be credited to organizations for duty performed on and subsequent to May 8, 1945. Terminal dates for eligibility periods and occupation territories in this area are as follows: Italy: November 8, 1945 to December 15, 1947, Trieste: May 9, 1945 to October 25, 1954, Germany (exclusive of Berlin): May 9, 1945 to May 5, 1955, Berlin: May 9, 1945 to October 2, 1990, Austria: May 9, 1945 to October 25, 1955, Asiatic-Pacific Area: September 2, 1945 to April 27, 1952. Units performing service in the Korean area during the period of June 27, 1950 to April 27, 1952, inclusive, and which are eligible for the Korean Service Medal, will not be credited with eligibility for the Navy Occupation Service Medal for the same period. MoreHide
On 27 May 1942, I was detached from Commander, 14th Naval District, and at 2000 reported on board USS Yorktown for duty. She was alongside Pier B-16 in Pearl Harbor. My room assignment was 0207, and I was introduced to my roommate, LTJG Edward A. Kearney, MC, USN, a Surgeon. I was introduced to Commander C.C.Yanquell for whom I was numerical relief; met Captain W.D. Davis, MC, USN, the Medical Officer; Dr. A. M. French; Dr. N.E. Dobos, Flight Surgeon; and Commander Dixie Keifer, USN, Executive Officer.
The USS Yorktown sunk on 7 June 1942 claimed the lives of 141 of her officers and crewmen.
Other Memories On 15 December 1941 I was detached from the U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine, Pensacola, Florida, destined to eventually join the crew of USS Yorktown. After a short cruise in USS Hornet and her plane guard USS Noa (DD-343) in the Atlantic, I drove across country by auto to San Diego and served briefly in Aircraft Scouting Force Pacific, Transition Training Squadron. After sailing in USS Fulton (AS-11) to Pearl Harbor, I served briefly while attached to the 14th Naval District in the Old Naval School Dispensary, Honolulu, T.H. When USS Yorktown arrived in Pearl Harbor from the Coral Sea, my orders to her were after this long time to be carried out.
Other Memories On 15 December 1941 I was detached from the U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine, Pensacola, Florida, destined to eventually join the crew of USS Yorktown. After a short cruise in USS Hornet and her plane guard USS Noa (DD-343) in the Atlantic, I drove across country by auto to San Diego and served briefly in Aircraft Scouting Force Pacific, Transition Training Squadron. After sailing in USS Fulton (AS-11) to Pearl Harbor, I served briefly while attached to the 14th Naval District in the Old Naval School Dispensary, Honolulu, T.H. When USS Yorktown arrived in Pearl Harbor from the Coral Sea, my orders to her were after this long time to be carried out.
Other Memories On 15 December 1941 I was detached from the U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine, Pensacola, Florida, destined to eventually join the crew of USS Yorktown. After a short cruise in USS Hornet and her plane guard USS Noa (DD-343) in the Atlantic, I drove across country by auto to San Diego and served briefly in Aircraft Scouting Force Pacific, Transition Training Squadron. After sailing in USS Fulton (AS-11) to Pearl Harbor, I served briefly while attached to the 14th Naval District in the Old Naval School Dispensary, Honolulu, T.H. When USS Yorktown arrived in Pearl Harbor from the Coral Sea, my orders to her were after this long time to be carried out.
Criteria The Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal may be awarded to service members who, while serving in any capacity with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguish themselves by heroism, outstanding achievem... The Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal may be awarded to service members who, while serving in any capacity with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguish themselves by heroism, outstanding achievement or meritorious service (but not of sufficient nature to warrant a higher decoration). MoreHide
Comments Dr. Pollard attended numerous special courses in military medicine, but was especially concerned with aviation medicine, being a designated Naval Flight Surgeon and having had duty on board the aircra... Dr. Pollard attended numerous special courses in military medicine, but was especially concerned with aviation medicine, being a designated Naval Flight Surgeon and having had duty on board the aircraft carriers USS HORNET (CV 8), USS YORKTOWN (CV 5) and USS CORAL SEA (CVB 43), as well as in numerous aircraft squadrons. He was a survivor of the USS YORKTOWN (CV 5) in the Battle of Midway and was the last officer, along with the Commanding Officer, to abandon the sinking ship. He established and implemented the plan for the air transportation of patients used by the Navy in World War II and was commended for this by the Secretary of the Navy. MoreHide
Criteria The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following condi... The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following conditions: On permanent assignment within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; or, For service in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service in active combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat. MoreHide
Criteria The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following condi... The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following conditions: On permanent assignment within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; or, For service in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service in active combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat. MoreHide
Criteria The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following condi... The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following conditions: On permanent assignment within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; or, For service in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service in active combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat. MoreHide
Criteria The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following condi... The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following conditions: On permanent assignment within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; or, For service in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service in active combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat. MoreHide
Description The Battle of Midway in the Pacific Theater of Operations was one of the most important naval battles of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, only six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, The Battle of Midway in the Pacific Theater of Operations was one of the most important naval battles of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, only six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea, the United States Navy (USN), under Admirals Chester W. Nimitz, Frank Jack Fletcher, and Raymond A. Spruance decisively defeated an attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), under Admirals Isoroku Yamamoto, Chuichi Nagumo, and Nobutake Kondo on Midway Atoll, inflicting irreparable damage on the Japanese fleet. Military historian John Keegan called it "the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare." It was Japan's first naval defeat since the Battle of Shimonoseki Straits in 1863.
The Japanese operation, like the earlier attack on Pearl Harbor, sought to eliminate the United States as a strategic power in the Pacific, thereby giving Japan a free hand in establishing its Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. The Japanese hoped that another demoralizing defeat would force the U.S. to capitulate in the Pacific War and thus ensure Japanese dominance in the Pacific.
The Japanese plan was to lure the United States' aircraft carriers into a trap. The Japanese also intended to occupy Midway as part of an overall plan to extend their defensive perimeter in response to the Doolittle air raid on Tokyo. This operation was also considered preparatory for further attacks against Fiji, Samoa, and Hawaii itself.
The plan was handicapped by faulty Japanese assumptions of the American reaction and poor initial dispositions.Most significantly, American codebreakers were able to determine the date and location of the attack, enabling the forewarned U.S. Navy to set up an ambush of its own. Four Japanese aircraft carriers—Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu, all part of the six-carrier force that had attacked Pearl Harbor six months earlier—and a heavy cruiser were sunk at a cost of one American aircraft carrier and a destroyer. After Midway and the exhausting attrition of the Solomon Islands campaign, Japan's shipbuilding and pilot training programs were unable to keep pace in replacing their losses, while the U.S. steadily increased its output in both areas.... More
Other Memories On 15 December 1941 I was detached from the U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine, Pensacola, Florida, destined to eventually join the crew of USS Yorktown. After a short cruise in USS Hornet and her plane guard USS Noa (DD-343) in the Atlantic, I drove across country by auto to San Diego and served briefly in Aircraft Scouting Force Pacific, Transition Training Squadron. After sailing in USS Fulton (AS-11) to Pearl Harbor, I served briefly while attached to the 14th Naval District in the Old Naval School Dispensary, Honolulu, T.H. When USS Yorktown arrived in Pearl Harbor from the Coral Sea, my orders to her were after this long time to be carried out.
Criteria The American Campaign Medal was awarded for For thirty days service outside the Continental United States but within the American Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946; or,... The American Campaign Medal was awarded for For thirty days service outside the Continental United States but within the American Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946; or, an aggregate service of one year within the Continental United States during the same period under the following circumstances: On permanent assignment outside the continental limits of the United States; or, On permanent assignment as a member of a crew of a vessel sailing ocean waters for a period of 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service outside the continental limits of the United States in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non consecutive days; or, For service in active combat against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat; or, For service within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate period of one year. MoreHide
Criteria The American Defense Service Medal was awarded for service in the Armed Forces between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941. Army members had to serve 12 months to be eligible, but Navy and Marine ... The American Defense Service Medal was awarded for service in the Armed Forces between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941. Army members had to serve 12 months to be eligible, but Navy and Marine Corps members were eligible based on any length of service. MoreHide
During his naval career, Dr. Pollard made significant contributions to the following: the high-altitude balloon flight series known as STRATOLAB, which set a world altitude record of nearly 114,000 feet using life support systems and medical monitoring provided by the Navy; the selection of the three Navy and one Marine Corps Mercury astronauts of the original seven and their training in meeting the stresses of space flight; the space flight experiments, in cooperation with the Army, of squirrel monkeys Old Reliable, Able and Baker; the national effort in bioastronautics as it progressed in the 1960's by providing Navy scientists' technology and facilities to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and serving as the Navy's member on various committees of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council. He was for several years the Director, Astronautical Medicine Division for the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.