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Contact Info
Last Address Arlington National Cemetery
Date of Passing Dec 14, 2001
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Last Known Activity:
HUGH BLANCHARD VICKERY
Upon graduation, Hugh reported to TRENTON (CL-11). In August, 1941, she escorted allied merchantmen in the Pacific approaches to the Panama Canal, and in December, 1941, escorted troop ships to Australia. In August, 1942, Hugh reported to Bath, Maine, for the commissioning of USS TAYLOR (DD-468) as gunnery officer. After a minimum shakedown, TAYLOR was off to North African operations. Next it was through the Panama Canal and a year of nightly battles around the Solomons as well as frequent air defense actions; TAYLOR was an early fighter director ship. Along the way, TAYLOR caught RO-25 on the surface in Kula Gulf and sank her with gunfire. The squadron transferred to the Central Pacific in time for Tarawa and Halsey's first raid on Kwajalein. In mid-December, 1943, back in San Francisco, Hugh was ordered to MAYO (DD-422) as XO, but MAYO took torpedo damage in the Med and Hugh never caught up to her. While awaiting orders in BuPers, Hugh married Dorothy Borden (Penny), whom he had known since dancing school days. He was ordered to GAINARD (DD-706) and she joined the fleet just in time for D-Day at Okinawa (1 April 1945). Though not specially fitted as a fighter director ship, GAINARD served more days on radar picket and as fighter director ship than any other ship present, all without damage by kamikazes.
As the war ended, Hugh took command of USS METCALF (DD- 595), one of the last Fletcher class. He then reported to the Naval Intelligence and Language School for instruction. After learning French in four months, he was ordered in 1948 to French Morocco; as Asst. Naval Attache. 1950 saw Hugh back at sea as the CO of ELLYSON (DMS-19) out of Charleston, SC, and later of SIGOURNEY (DD-643). ONI then made its claim on Hugh for the time he had spent in their school. He served in ONI for three years and then three more at sea on the 7th Fleet Staff. His last fling in the Pentagon started in 1958 in OP-6O. He retired voluntarily on 1 December 1960, and they moved to Greenwich, CT, where he worked for American Machine and Foundry, and later for Bankers Trust Company on Wall Street. In 1962, he got a chance to join CIA, a very interesting organization, but by 1969 he had had enough. He was eligible to retire under CIA rules and did so.
December 19, 2001
Hugh Blanchard Vickery, 83, a retired Navy commander who did intelligence work at the CIA from 1962 to 1969, died of congestive heart failure Dec. 14 at the Collington retirement community in Mitchellville.
Cmdr. Vickery, the son of Vice Admiral Howard Vickery, served in the Navy for 24 years before retiring from active duty in 1960 from the strategy, plans and policy division in the office of the chief of naval operations.
Other Comments:
Central Pacific Campaign (1941-43)/Battle of Tarawa
From Month/Year
November / 1943
To Month/Year
November / 1943
Description The Battle of Tarawa (US code name Operation Galvanic) was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It took place at the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, located in what is now the nation of Kiribati. Nearly 6,400 Japanese, Koreans, and Americans died in the fighting, mostly on and around the small island of Betio.
The Battle of Tarawa was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region. It was also the first time in the war that the United States faced serious Japanese opposition to an amphibious landing. Previous landings met little or no initial resistance. but this time the 4,500 Japanese defenders were well-supplied and well-prepared, and they fought almost to the last man, exacting a heavy toll on the United States Marine Corps. The U.S. had suffered similar casualties in other campaigns, for example over the six months of the Guadalcanal Campaign, but in this case the losses were incurred within the space of 76 hours.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
November / 1943
To Month/Year
November / 1943
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories n August, 1942, Hugh reported to Bath, Maine, for the commissioning of USS TAYLOR (DD-468) as gunnery officer. After a minimum shakedown, TAYLOR was off to North African operations. Next it was through the Panama Canal and a year of nightly battles around the Solomons as well as frequent air defense actions; TAYLOR was an early fighter director ship. Along the way, TAYLOR caught RO-25 on the surface in Kula Gulf and sank her with gunfire. The squadron transferred to the Central Pacific in time for Tarawa and Halsey's first raid on Kwajalein.
