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Contact Info
Home Town Monrovia, Liberia
Date of Passing Apr 13, 2001
Location of Interment Annapolis National Cemetery (VA) - Annapolis, Maryland
Born to missionary parents in Monrovia, Liberia, he entered the U. S. Naval Academy in June 1944. He graduated in June 1948 and reported to Pensacola for flight training in the fall.
During the Korean War he made two deployments with VF-112 flying the F9F-2 Panther jets, and was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and a Navy Commendation with Combat "V".
This duty was followed by a year of USAF exchange duty with the 63rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron (F-86A and F-86F) at Oscoda, Michigan. In October 1953, he reported to the Naval Air Training Command to instruct in the F9F-2 at Kingsville, Texas.
From 1954 to 1956, Captain Adams attended the Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California, where he received a B.S. degree in aeronautical engineering in June 1956. This was followed by a year of graduate work at the Forestal Research Center, Princeton University. There he majored in airplane performance, stability and control, receiving an M.S. degree in aeronautical engineering in June 1957.
Two years were then spent in Air Development Squadron Three (VX-3) where Captain Adams' activity was concentrated on F-6A (SKYRAY) weapons system and tactics developments.
In August 1959, he became the Air Operations Officer on the staff of Commander SECOND Fleet. In August 1961, the Captain was selected to attend the U. S. Navy Test Pilot School at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland. Here he earned the distinction of being the outstanding student in his class.
Following completion of the Test Pilot School, he joined the Flight Test Division at Patuxent River, flying test flights in A-4E, A-5A, A-6A, F-8E, T-39, E-2A and the F-4B aircraft. In 1963, he was advanced to the position of Head, Flying Qualities and Performance Branch of the Flight Test Division. Upon completion of this tour of duty, he reported to VF-14 as Executive Officer in February 1965.
Following a deployment with the SIXTH Fleet in the Mediterranean, he assumed command of VF-14 in December 1965 and began preparing the squadron for combat operations in Southeast Asia. The Squadron deployed with Air Wing One on the USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (CVA-42) in June 1966 and entered combat in August.
In November 1966, Captain Adams, having flown 54 combat missions, returned to the staff of Commander Naval Air force, Atlantic for six months' temporary duty with the air wing training section. He then assumed command of Key West based VF-101, which trained F-4 Phantom pilots and NFOs for Atlantic Fleet attack carrier air wings.
In July 1968, he was ordered to the USS SARATOGA (CVA-60), as Executive Officer. He served in this capacity until August 1969, after which he reported to the Office of the Director of Defense Research & Engineering as Navy Military Assistant in the office of the Assistant Director, Air Warfare.
Among his many responsibilities in this assignment was the updating and rewriting of the Development Concept Paper (DCP) for the F-14 and preparation of the initial drafts of the DCP's for the AIM-7F and AGILE missiles.
Captain Adams became a student at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in August 1971. While at ICAF he wrote a paper on the management practices changes in the Department of Defense in the acquisition of major weapon systems, lectured on the management of R&D in the Department of Defense and was chairman of a research project and paper on U. S. Foreign Trade (Export) Policy prepared for the Council on International Economic Policy, Executive office of the President.
In August 1972 he assumed duties as Commanding Officer, USS MARS (AFS-1).
Vietnam War/Counteroffensive Phase II Campaign (66-67)
From Month/Year
July / 1966
To Month/Year
May / 1967
Description This Campaign period was from 1 July 1966 to 31 May 1967. The growing Coastal Force devoted most of its attention to amphibious raids, patrols of shallow inlets and river mouths, troop lifts, and blocking support for allied ground sweeps. For instance, during Operation Irving in October 1966, ground forces and junk units in II Coastal Zone killed 681 Viet Cong troops. In addition, the junkmen established a government presence among the fishermen and provided them with medical services and other assistance. Sometimes the Coastal Force sailors convinced Communist soldiers to desert their units.
The enemy, who often attacked the 27 vulnerable Coastal Force bases, overran the triangular-shaped fortifications of Coastal Group 15 at Cua An Hoa in July 1965 and of Coastal Group 16 at Co Luy in August 1967. Other bases, however, withstood repeated assaults. In doing so, these facilities played a part in the allied effort that denied the enemy easy access to the coastal regions.
Viet Cong mines also took their toll of the command's MLMS fleet, which worked to keep open the shipping channel to Saigon. In August 1966 and again in January 1967, enemy mines sank an MLMS in the Rung Sat. The River Force did not fully employ its strength. The political troubles of 1965 and 1966 in the Republic of Vietnam, in which high-ranking River Force officers figured prominently, damaged morale and distracted personnel from their military mission.
The navy and the army rarely launched joint amphibious assaults against the Viet Cong. Operations reflected the River Force's lack of technically skilled crewmen, the poor maintenance and repair of river craft, and the absence of inspired leadership. Usually, only half of the command's units were ready for combat action, and many of these boats were committed by the army to static guard, resupply, troop lift, or other nonoffensive duties.
The reliance on defense over offense reflected the historic Vietnamese strategy of husbanding resources until there was clear advantage over an enemy. The Vietnamese Navy's River Force sailors often fought hard and bravely, killing many of the enemy and suffering heavy losses of their own, but their valor and sacrifice was not rewarded with strategic success.
