This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Kent Weekly (SS/DSV) (DBF), EMCS
to remember
Smoot, Roland Nesbit, VADM USN(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town Provo, UT
Last Address Seal Beach, CA
Date of Passing Feb 13, 1984
Location of Interment Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Glendale, California
Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy. Smoot was the senior U.S. military advisor to President Chiang Kai-skek in 1958-62 during Taiwanese and Chinese tensions which became a major campaign issue between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. A graduate of the NavalAcademy in 1923, he served on destroyers, cruisers, submarines and battleships during his 40 year career. He held two Navy Crosses, one for directing a destroyer squadron against the Japanese in the WWII battle of the SurigaoStraits and the other for his efforts during the invasion of Okinawa in the latter stages of the war. After retirement be became president of an oil drilling firm. He was also president of Leisure World's home owner association in Seal Beach, California and was a board member (Council of Regents) of Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks, Glendale, California. He was the nephew of Reed Smoot, U.S. Senator from Utah, who was a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and at the time of Senator Smoot's death, was third in succession to become President of the Mormon church.
Other Comments:
Navy Cross
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Division: Destroyer Squadron 56
General Orders: Commander 7th Fleet: Serial 13680 (December 7, 1944)
Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain Roland Nesbit Smoot (NSN: 0-58232), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commander, Attack Section ONE, Destroyer Squadron FIFTY-SIX, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Surigao Strait during the Battle for Leyte Gulf in the Philippine Islands on the night of 24 - 25 October 1944. Leading his ships in a daring and successful attack on the enemy battle-line, by his courage, skill in combat, and determination, Captain Smoot gave encouragement to his force in a manner that caused his action to be very instrumental in the success of this most difficult operations. This successful attack contributed in large measure to eliminating an imminent and dangerous threat to our transports and other ships in Leyte Gulf. Captain Smoot's high professional skill, forceful leadership, and gallant devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Surrender of Japan, End of WWII
From Month/Year
August / 1945
To Month/Year
August / 1945
Description The surrender of the Empire of Japan was announced by Imperial Japan on August 15 and formally signed on September 2, 1945, bringing the hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting major operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent. Together with the United Kingdom and China, the United States called for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed forces in the Potsdam Declaration on July 26, 1945—the alternative being "prompt and utter destruction". While publicly stating their intent to fight on to the bitter end, Japan's leaders (the Supreme Council for the Direction of the War, also known as the "Big Six") were privately making entreaties to the still-neutral Soviet Union to mediate peace on terms more favorable to the Japanese. Meanwhile, the Soviets were preparing to attack Japanese forces in Manchuria and Korea (in addition to southern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands) in fulfillment of promises they had secretly made to the United States and the United Kingdom at the Tehran and Yalta Conferences.
