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EDWARD MCGLASSON, III-Family
to remember
Ford, Walter Chilcott, RADM.
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Contact Info
Home Town Buffalo, NY
Last Address Severna Park, MD
Date of Passing Nov 20, 1999
Location of Interment U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery and Columbarium (VLM) - Annapolis, Maryland
Military Service Number 59 556
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
US Navy Rear Admiral. Ford graduated from the United StatesNavalAcademy in 1925. He served in World War II where he commanded the Destroyer USS Perkins from 1941 to 1943 which included the battle of the Solomon Islands on November 30, 1942. He was the Commanding Officer of Destroyer Squadron 23 which saw combat in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Guadalcanal campaign. For his actions in the CoralSeas he was awarded the Bronze Star and for his night operations against the Japanese forces at Guadalcanal and in the Solomon Islands won him the Silver Star. After the war he was assigned as an administrative aide to the under secretary of the Navy then was named the first executive director of the newborn Central Intelligence Agency and served from 1947 to 1949. He next was appointed assistant naval chief of staff for intelligence in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Command. In addition to his Silver Star and Bronze Star he was awarded the Legion of Merit for services to the Government as Secretary, Academic Board at Annapolis for indoctrination of midshipmen. He retired as a Rear Admiral in 1955 and worked as a maritime consultant and corporate director.
Other Comments:
Silver Star
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Rank: Commander
Division: U.S.S. Perkins (DD-377)
General Orders: Board Serial 960 (May 9, 1946)
Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Commander Walter Chilcott Ford (NSN: 0-59556), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as Commanding Officer of the Destroyer U.S.S. PERKINS (DD-377), during an action with Japanese Naval Forces in the Solomon Island area on the night of 30 November 1942. Engaging the enemy with gun and torpedo fire, Commander Force contributed to the destruction of the Japanese force and the frustration of its mission. His bold and skillful handling of his ship in the face of grave danger was of inestimable value in rendering assistance to a damaged cruiser. His courageous conduct and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Guadalcanal Campaign (1942-43)/Battle of Tassafaronga
From Month/Year
November / 1942
To Month/Year
November / 1942
Description The Battle of Tassafaronga, sometimes referred to as the Fourth Battle of Savo Island or, in Japanese sources, as the Battle of Lunga Point, was a nighttime naval battle that took place on November 30, 1942 between United States (US) Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy warships during the Guadalcanal campaign. The battle took place in Ironbottom Sound near the Tassafaronga area on Guadalcanal.
In the battle, a US warship force of five cruisers and four destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Carleton H. Wright attempted to surprise and destroy a Japanese warship force of eight destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka. Tanaka's warships were attempting to deliver food supplies to Japanese forces on Guadalcanal.
Using radar, the US warships gained surprise, opened fire, and sank one of the Japanese destroyers. Tanaka and the rest of his ships, however, reacted quickly and launched numerous torpedoes at the US warships. The Japanese torpedoes hit and sank one US cruiser and heavily damaged three others, enabling the rest of Tanaka's force to escape without significant additional damage but also without completing the intended supply delivery mission. Although a severe tactical defeat for the US, the battle had little strategic impact as the Japanese were unable to take advantage of the victory to further resupply or otherwise assist in their ultimately unsuccessful efforts to recapture Guadalcanal from Allied forces.
