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Home Town Brooklyn, NY
Last Address Burial: Arlington National Cemetery Arlington Arlington County Virginia, USA Plot: Sec: 66, Site: 4357-A
Arthur Robert Gralla, Sr.
Vice Admiral, United States Navy
Arthur R. Gralla, 85, a vice admiral and decorated World War II veteran who served as inspector general of the Navy and commanded the Military Sealift Command before his retirement in 1971, died of pneumonia May 27, 1998 at Arleigh Burke Pavilion in McLean, Virginia. He lived in Arlington.
As an admiral, he commanded the Destroyer Flotilla II of the Atlantic Fleet and, in the mid-1960s, helped to establish the Naval Ordnance Systems Command. In the latter capacity, he contributed to the modernization of major weapon systems and received the Distinguished Service Medal for his efforts.
He was named Naval inspector general in 1969 and became commander of Military Sealift Command a year later.
Early in his career, he served as an admiral's aide with the Special Service Squadron in the South Atlantic and as a researcher for the Fire Control Research and Development Division in the Navy Department's Bureau of Ordnance.
During World War II, he served in the South Pacific, primarily on the cruiser USS Reno, where he was a gunnery officer. The Reno was credited with downing nearly 20 enemy aircraft. He was decorated for his pivotal role in saving the Reno after it was torpedoed late in 1944.
His post-World War II assignments included serving as a member of the Air Defense Board, instructor at the Armed Forces Staff College, administrative aide to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations and commanding officer of a missile test ship.
His military honors included the Legion of Merit with Gold Star, Navy Marine Corps Medal and Bronze Star Medal with Gold Star.
He was a native of Brooklyn, New York, who got his first taste of life on the sea as an apprentice seaman in the U.S. Merchant Marine.
He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1934 and received a master's degree during post-graduate training in Ordnance Engineering (Fire Control) at MIT. He was elected to the MIT Chapter of Sigma Xi, a post-graduate honor fraternity.
Survivors include his wife, Mildred Lesser Gralla of Arlington; two sons, Arthur R. Gralla Jr. of Houston and Richard J. Gralla of New Orleans; and three grandchildren.
Buried in Section 66 of Arlington National Cemetery.
Other Comments:
Vice Adm. A. R. Gralla, 85, Hero in Pacific
Vice Adm. Arthur Robert Gralla, a veteran of three wars whose combat ribbons told of two crippled warships with some 5,500 sailors and airmen snatched from danger in the Pacific, died on May 22 at the Arleigh Burke Pavilion in McLean, Va. He was 85 and, most recently, a resident of Arlington.
Admiral Gralla entered the country's honor roll of war heroes in late 1944 as the gunnery officer of the cruiser Reno. On Oct. 14 of that year, he directed his antiaircraft batteries to deliver ''devastating fire'' against waves of Japanese torpedo bombers, bringing down 11 and preventing damage to his naval task force.
Ten days later, the aircraft carrier Princeton was bombed and set on fire in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, in the Philippines. His well-aimed batteries shielded the stricken carrier, and he was credited with sparing it.
Then, in November, off the island of Samar, the Reno took a torpedo that caused an underwater explosion and flooded parts of the vessel.
''Voluntarily taking charge of dewatering operations in the ship's flooded stern with high waves making footing dangerous,'' the Navy stated, ''Commander Gralla directed shoring to prevent further water from entering the compartment leading to the flooded'' main storeroom.
''When the water had lowered sufficiently to permit entry,'' the Navy said, ''he descended into the partially filled storeroom floating with debris and obnoxious gases before permitting his men to go below and then directed pumping operations in oil-covered water up to his armpits with the ship rolling heavily and the additional threat of possible pressure rupture of other water filled compartments.''
The Reno survived. Its gunnery officer received the Bronze Star, Gold Star (in lieu of a second Bronze Star), and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his conduct in those three fateful engagements.
Admiral Gralla retired at the end of 1971 after 37 years in the service. His last command was the Military Sealift Command, the ocean-going shipping agency of the armed forces.
Arthur Gralla was born in Brooklyn. Attending Brooklyn College, he worked as an apprentice merchant seaman one summer and won an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. He graduated with honors in 1934, ninth in a class of 463, and completed his education with a master's degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1942.
In 1961 he headed an inquiry into a fire aboard the carrier Saratoga off Athens in the Ionian Sea, which killed 7 crewmen and injured 23. When the Navy revamped its management in 1966, he was put in charge of its Bureau of Ordnance Systems.
He was promoted to vice admiral in 1969, when he briefly served as Navy inspector general. Later that year he was given his final assignment at what was then called the Military Sea Transportation Service.
Admiral Gralla is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mildred Lesser Gralla; their two sons, Arthur R. Jr., of Houston, a retired Navy captain, and Dr. Richard J., of New Orleans; a sister, Edna Berlly of Boca Raton, Fla., and three grandchildren.
Norton Sound (AV-11) was laid down by the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., San Pedro, Calif. 7 September 1942; launched 28 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Ernest L. Gunther, wife of Rear Admiral Ernest L. Gunther and commissioned 8 January 1945, Captain Ben Scott Custer in command.
After Pacific shakedown, the new seaplane tender stood out from San Diego 26 February and steamed for Pearl Harbor. She reported to Commander, Marshall-Gilbert Area for training in mid-March, and she arrived Saipan 1 April to provide seaplane tending services.
Norton Sound anchored 1 May at Aka Kaikyo, Kerama Retto, and by 21 June had assisted in splashing three hostile air raiders. Air alerts continued until midnight, 14 August. Word of the Japanese surrender arrived eight hours later, and into September the tender engaged in upkeep and air operations at Okinawa.
She steamed for Sasebo, Japan 21 September, returning to Okinawa one week later. Norton Sound called at Shanghai, China 1 October and by the 23d she was at Tsingtao where she tended seaplanes until 7 November. The next lay she anchored at Shanghai; and, from that time until April of 1946, she remained on duty with the occupation forces between China and Japan.
Norton Sound departed Tokyo Bay 7 April for Norfolk, Va. After overhaul there she joined the Atlantic Fleet. She operated off the east coast until October 1947, when she steamed for San Diego to rejoin the Pacific Fleet.
Shortly thereafter Norton Sound was selected for conversion to a mobile missile launching platform. She entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in February 1948 for seven months, while special equipment was installed for handling, stowing, launching, and controlling guided missiles.
Upon completion of her modifications in October 1948, Norton Sound steamed for her new homeport of Port Hueneme Calif. Enroute she conducted tests with Skyhook balloons and off southern California she underwent a very intensive missile training program. Late that fall Norton Sound successfully launched a training missile, thus marking the beginning of the Navy's shipborne family of guided missiles.
Following installation of launching equipment for Aerobee missiles at Long Beach Naval Shipyard in February 1949, the ship steamed to equatorial waters off the South American coast and successfully launched two Aerobees. These launchings provided fundamental scientific information on the, earth's radiation belt.
On 1 July 1949, Norton Sound headed for the geomagnetic equator, some 1500 miles south of Hawaii, and conducted extensive tests with seventeen huge Skyhook balloons and nine smaller balloon clusters, all of which carried aloft scientific instrumentation packages. All of these tests had scientific value and emphasized Norton Sound's value to the Navy as a floating proving ground for developing skills and procedures for future tactical guided missile installations in combatants.
After special modifications in February and March 1950 at San Francisco Naval Shipyard, Norton Sound launched a five ton Viking rocket 11 May in project "Reach". This rocket carried a 500 pound scientific instrumentation package to an altitude of 106.4 miles, and provided additional data on cosmic rays.
Project "Reach" concluded the first phase of Norton Sound's history as a mobile missile launching platform. This first phase was devoted to extending scientific research frontiers and gaining experience prerequisite to firing tactical weapons. The second phase required the application of the resultant knowledge. The newer missiles launched from the ship had a more direct bearing on the future of the Navy's combatant missile capability.
In the fall of 1950 Norton Sound underwent a four month overhaul at San Francisco Naval Shipyard. New handling, launching, stowage, and guidance systems were installed for operations involving the Terrier missile. She was reclassified AVM-1 on 8 August 1951. This was the first of three extensive alterations accomplished through 1955. Research, development and evaluation launchings of Terrier and Tartar missiles continued from this period through 1958.
In 1958 Norton Sound participated in project "Argus" From a position south of the Falkland Islands she launched three rockets which carried low-yield atomic warheads. Detonation occurred at an altitude of 300 miles, and the effects were monitored by the Explorer IV satellite and by other instrumented rockets. Analysis of data from Project "Argus" contributed materially to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belt.
The ship returned to San Diego in June 1959 and resumed Terrier and Tartar test launchings. She continued these operations until June 1962, when she steamed for Norfolk, Va. She decommissioned there 10 August, and in November she was towed to Baltimore, Md. for installation of the Typhon Weapon Control System. The conversion was completed early in 1964, and Norton Soundrecommissioned 20 June emerging in her present configuration to continue tasks in weapons research.
Baltimore was designated homeport for Norton Sound, and for several months she operated in Chesapeake Bay, evaluating the Typhon System. Assigned to Port Hueneme, Calif. in July 1965, she arrived there the last day of that month. Her mission was then increased to include evaluation of the Sea Sparrow missile, the first of which she launched 13 September.
During a three month stay at Long Beach Naval Shipyard commencing 15 July 1966, all Typhon equipment was removed following discontinuance of the system. For the next two years Norton Sound evaluated various countermeasures for missile threats to naval surface forces. She also tested hardware designed to enhance ECM capabilities, and equipment involving a new concept in gyro design.
Norton Sound entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard 13 June 1968 for regular overhaul. The yard also installed a new, light-weight 5"/54 gun mount with associated gunfire control components for operational evaluation tests. Into 1969 she continues active in test and evaluation work with the Pacific Fleet.
Norton Sound received two battle stars for World War II service.for World War II service
