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Contact Info
Home Town Washington DC
Date of Passing Jun 14, 2009
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
JOHN HOWARD MAURER Navy Cross
Rear Admiral, USN (Ret)
UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEET
Flagship of the Commander-in-Chief
In the name of the President of the United States, The Commander-in-Chief
United States Pacific Fleet, takes pleasure in presenting the NAVY CROSS to:
COMMANDER JOHN H. MAURER
UNITED STATES NAVY
for service as net forth in the following CITATION: The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to John H. Maurer, Commander, U.S. Navy, for gallantry and intrepidity and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. ATULE (SS-403), on the FIRST War Patrol of that submarine during the period 9 October 1944 to 11 December 1944, in enemy controlled waters of the Luzon Strait of the Philippine Islands. With cool aggressiveness, sound judgment and skill, Commander Maurer launched well-planned attacks which resulted in sinking enemy ships totaling over 25,000 tons. Through his experience and sound judgment Commander Maurer brought his ship safely back to port. His conduct throughout was an inspiration to his officers and men and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
C. W. NIMITZ
Fleet Admiral, U.S. Navy
Other Comments:
RADM John Maurer (“Jason” to many friends), 97, passed away peacefully in Tavares, Florida, on June 14th, 2009.
Admiral Maurer was born in Washington, DC, to Robert A. and Roberta H. Maurer on April 28th, 1912. He attended school in Washington and entered the United States Naval Academy, graduating with the Class of 1935. His initial duty upon graduation was aboard the battleship USS Colorado, where he participated in the search for Amelia Earhart.
On December 11th, 1937, Admiral Maurer married the former Billie Byrd in Norfolk. He then attended Submarine School in Connecticut.
After Submarine School and during World War II, he served on USS Pickerel, USS Tarpon, and as Executive Officer of USS Harder. During his tour on Harder, Admiral Maurer was awarded a Silver Star for personal valor. Leaving Harder, Admiral Maurer assumed command of USS Atule, then being built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Admiral Maurer commanded Atule for three years, including four war patrols, and was awarded the Navy Cross and a second Silver Star.
After the War, Admiral Maurer served on various submarine and nuclear weapons billets in Washington, New Mexico and Hawaii. He attended the National War College and served as a Submarine Division Commander, and later as a Submarine Squadron Commander. He commanded the USS Hassayampa (a fleet oiler) and the cruiser USS Saint Paul and was Chief of Staff for both the Pacific and (later) the Atlantic Submarine Forces. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1963.
As a Flag Officer, Admiral Maurer served as the Commander Middle East Force in Bahrain and as the Commander of Pacific Fleet Submarines in Pearl Harbor. After Hawaii, Admiral Maurer was the Chief of Staff for the Strike Command in Tampa. His final assignment was as Commander of Naval Forces in Key West. The Admiral retired in 1974 and made his home in the Florida Keys.
Admiral Maurer’s wife, Billie, passed away in 1992. The Admiral is survived by two sons (John, Jr., and Peter), his daughter (Anne), five grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.
A Memorial Mass and burial with military honors was held at Arlington National Cemetery.
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Okinawa Gunto Operation
From Month/Year
March / 1945
To Month/Year
June / 1945
Description The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg. was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were approaching Japan, and planned to use Okinawa, a large island only 340 mi (550 km) away from mainland Japan, as a base for air operations on the planned invasion of Japanese mainland (coded Operation Downfall). Four divisions of the U.S. 10th Army (the 7th, 27th, 77th, and 96th) and two Marine Divisions (the 1st and 6th) fought on the island. Their invasion was supported by naval, amphibious, and tactical air forces.
The battle has been referred to as the "typhoon of steel" in English, and tetsu no ame ("rain of steel") or ("violent wind of steel") in Japanese. The nicknames refer to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of kamikaze attacks from the Japanese defenders, and to the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island. The battle resulted in the highest number of casualties in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Based on Okinawan government sources, mainland Japan lost 77,166 soldiers, who were either killed or committed suicide, and the Allies suffered 14,009 deaths (with an estimated total of more than 65,000 casualties of all kinds). Simultaneously, 42,000–150,000 local civilians were killed or committed suicide, a significant proportion of the local population. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki together with the Soviet invasion of Manchuria caused Japan to surrender less than two months after the end of the fighting on Okinawa.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
March / 1945
To Month/Year
June / 1945
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Participated in operations at Leyte, Iwo Jima, Okinawa-Gunto, and in the Third Fleet operations against Japan.