Navy Distinguidhed Service Medal
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 341 (August 1945)
Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Vice Admiral William Lowndes Calhoun, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States as Commander Base Force and Commander Service Force, Pacific Fleet, from December 1939 to February 1945. Admiral Calhoun was charged with logistic support of the Pacific Fleet and naval shore-based establishments in the Pacific Ocean Area. He applied keen intelligence and resourceful initiative to the complexities of his assignment and, working with tireless energy, planned and organized a greatly enlarged service of supply which enabled him to provide personnel, provisions, fuel and ammunition for all fleet operations. An extremely able administrator, he also planned the requirements for each proposed new base and, in addition, acted for the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet, in supervising matters relating to the maintenance of ships of the fleet. By his keen foresight, decisive judgment and tenacious determination in the fulfillment of an urgent mission, he contributed essentially to the efficiency of combined operations and to the success of our war effort in the Pacific Area.