Vice Admiral Arthur R. Gralla was a decorated World War II veteran, who served as Naval Inspector General, 1969 and was the commander of the Military Sealift Command before his retirement in 1971.
His Navy career gave had many varied experiences. He served as an admiral's aide with the Special Service Squadron in the South Atlantic. After this assignment, he was a researcher for the Fire Control Research and Development Division, in the Navy Department's Bureau of Ordnance.
In World War II, Gralla was a gunnery officer abroad the cruiser USS Reno. The cruiser was credited with downing 20 Japanese aircraft. In another action in 1944, the USS Reno was torpedoed and Gralla was decorated for his role in helping to save the ship.
After World War II, he became a member of the Air Defense Board, an instructor of the Armed Forces Staff College, administrative aide to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations and a commanding officer of a missile test ship.
Vice Admiral Arthur Gralla received many decorations which included the Legion of Merit with a Gold Star, Navy Marine Corps Medal and Bronze Star Medal with a Gold Star.
He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1934 and he received a master's degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Vice Admiral Arthur R. Gralla died on May 22, 1998 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery
