Bryant, Carleton Fanton, VADM

Vice Admiral Carleton F. Bryant, USN (Retired), (1892-1987)

Carleton Fanton Bryant was born in New York City on 29 November 1892. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1914 and, in the ranks of Ensign and Lieutenant, served for nearly five years as an officer of the battleship Wyoming. In 1919-1921 he received postgraduate instruction in the field of ordnance at Navy facilities and at Lehigh University. This was followed by three years of sea duty in the destroyer Stribling and the battleship Pennsylvania. Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in mid-1924, Bryant was an inspector of ordnance material from then until 1927, when he was assigned to the new aircraft carrier Saratoga, in which he served until mid-1930.

After recruiting duty in 1930-1932, Lieutenant Commander Bryant was sent to the Far East, where he commanded the gunboats Asheville and Oahu and the destroyer Stewart. Further ordnance duty followed his 1934 promotion to Commander and subsequent return to the United States. During 1937-1942 he was commanding officer of the gunboat Charleston and served in Washington, D.C., mainly with the Office of Naval Intelligence. Captain Bryant went to the battleship Arkansas in April 1941 and commanded her during two eventful years of rising tension and war in the Atlantic.

After achieving Flag Rank, in May 1943 Rear Admiral Bryant was given command of an Atlantic Fleet battleship division. His force provided effective gunfire support during the June 1944 Normandy Operation and the invasion of Southern France two months later. From October 1944 until the beginning of 1946, he was Commander, Fleet Operations Training Command, Atlantic Fleet. Elevated to the rank of Vice Admiral when he retired in May 1946, Carleton F. Bryant died at Camden, Maine, on 11 April 1987.

Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Rear Admiral Carleton Fanton Bryant, United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States as Commander Fleet Operational Training Command, United States Atlantic Fleet from November 1944 to January 1946. Rear Admiral Bryant, faced with the tremendous task of providing initial training to ships of the Fleet and keeping them abreast of new developments, exhibited rare skill and unexcelled judgment in the formulation and execution of comprehensive plans designed to carry out the function of the Fleet Operational Training Command. His forceful leadership, thorough knowledge and sound solutions of the problems of such an unparalleled training program were reflected in the increased operational readiness and combat effectiveness of the Navy in all theaters of war. Rear Admiral Bryant's extreme efficiency, complete devotion to duty and exceptionally meritorious service contributed greatly to the successful prosecution of the war and his achievements reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.