This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Kent Weekly (SS/DSV) (DBF), EMCS
to remember
Calhoun, William Lowndes (Uncle Bill), ADM.
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Contact Info
Home Town Palatka, FL
Last Address San Diego, Ca
Date of Passing Oct 19, 1963
Location of Interment Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (VA) - San Diego, California
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.
On Dec 7th she was docked at Pearl Harbor: Battleship Row; forward of the Maryland and Oklahoma
Fate: The California was struck by two torpedoes and one bomb. The first torpedo hit at 8:05 a.m.; the second came moments later. With a gaping hole in the ship, it started capsizing. Despite efforts to bail water from the ship, it sank to the harbor bottom after three days of progressive flooding.
Crew: 2,200
Deceased: 105
The ship was raised via cofferdams, moved to the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard on April, 1942, with repairs to her cage mainmast and all six 14" forward guns were removed to facilitate her refloating. It took until January, 1944 for the ship's total reconstruction but it was a match for most of the newer US battleships in all but it's main guns (still 14").
An after view of the USS California.
January, 1945, the USS California was hit by a Japanese kamikaze where 44 of her crew died and 155 injured. Battle repairs were made to keep her battle-worthy and on station. She stayed on station until the end of the month and returned to Puget Sound for repairs. She was back on station for the landings at Okinawa and from there until the Japanese surrender in mid-August.
Of historical interest is that after the official end of WWII, the USS California was still on duty and after different assignments in Philippines and other areas in SE Asia, she returned to the US on Dec 7, 1945 - exactly 4 years to the day of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
