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Contact Info
Home Town Eldorado
Last Address Birth: Jul. 24, 1915 in Eldorado, Jackson County, Oklahoma Death: Aug. 5, 2009 Riverside Regional Medical Center Newport News, Virginia Complications after a fall.
Date of Passing Aug 05, 2009
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Last Known Activity:
Navy Admiral Ralph Wynne Cousins led Naval Air Operation in Vietnam.
A HIGHLY DECORATED Navy aviator during World War II and commander of the attack carrier strike force during some of the heaviest fighting of the Vietnam War, retired Admiral Ralph W. Cousins died in Newport News, Va., in August at the age of 94. From 1967 to 1969, Cousins commanded the attack carrier strike force and led the Gulf of Tonkin naval operations that were carried out from aircraft carriers. In 1970 he was promoted to four-star admiral and became the Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO).
A dive bomber pilot on the Lexington during the Battle of the Coral Sea Noun 1. battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, Cousins led bombing attacks against the Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho and survived the sinking of his own ship. He was awarded the Navy Cross in WWII. His other military decorations included three awards of the Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Legion of Merit and two Air Medals.
PIRAZ Station SAR, North Vietnam
From Month/Year
January / 1965
To Month/Year
December / 1968
Description Forward most ship, off Hai Phong. Passive Air Control for USN Air Strike Ops over North Vietnam.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
January / 1965
To Month/Year
December / 1968
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories From 1967 to 1969, during some of the fiercest fighting of the war, Adm. Cousins was commander of the attack carrier strike force and was responsible for all naval aviation operations carried out from aircraft carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin. He developed tactics for combating antiaircraft missiles fired at Navy airplanes and in 1967 directed the first successful attack on a missile installation in North Vietnam.
