This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Robert Cox, YNCS
to remember
Kinkaid, Thomas Cassin, ADM USN(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town Hanover, NH
Last Address Bethesda, MD
Date of Passing Nov 17, 1972
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Thomas Cassin Kinkaid is known for his service during World War II. He built a reputation as a "fighting admiral" in the aircraft carrier battles of 1942 and commanded the Allied forces in the Aleutian Islands Campaign.
He was Commander Allied Naval Forces and the Seventh Fleet under General of the Army Douglas MacArthur in the Southwest Pacific Area, where he conducted numerous amphibious operations, and commanded an Allied fleet during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle of World War II and the last naval battle between battleships in history.
Other Comments:
The USS Kinkaid (DD-965), named for Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid ), was a Spruance-class destroyer launched in 1974. She was decommissioned in 2003 and sunk in 2004.
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 38 (April 3, 1947)
Citation:
"The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Admiral Thomas Cassin Kinkaid (NSN: 0-6585), United States Navy, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility in the Southwest Pacific Area, from January to September 1945.
...
As Commander of the Allied Naval Forces supporting SIXTH Army, he demonstrated a consummate mastery of all phases of joint Army-Navy activity as well as a conspicuously outstanding knowledge of strategic warfare and naval tactics as he directed the planning and execution of naval support of amphibious operations in the Admiralties and Philippine Islands. His employment of naval forces against the Japanese Fleet in the Battle for Leyte Gulf resulted in disaster for the enemy and removed a dangerous threat to the entire plan for the liberation of the Philippine Islands.
...
Through his seasoned, resourceful leadership, and consistently noteworthy professional competence in the most capable execution of devastating naval blows, Admiral Kinkaid made a distinguished and most significant contribution to the successful and expeditious conclusion of the Philippine Liberation Campaign."
Description The Mexican Service Medal is an award of the United States military which was established by General Orders of the United States War Department on December 12, 1917. The Mexican Service Medal recognizes those service members who performed military service against Mexican forces between the dates of April 12, 1911 and June 16, 1919.
To be awarded the Mexican Service Medal, a service member was required to perform military duty during the time period of eligibility and in one of the following military engagements.
Veracruz Expedition: April 21 to November 23, 1914
Punitive Expedition into Mexico: March 14, 1916 to February 7, 1917
Buena Vista, Mexico: December 1, 1917
San Bernardino Canyon, Mexico: December 26, 1917
La Grulla, Texas: January 8 – January 9, 1918
Pilares, Chihuahua: March 28, 1918
Nogales, Arizona: November 1–26, 1915, or August 27, 1918
El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua: June 15 – June 16, 1919
The United States Navy issued the Mexican Service Medal to members of the Navy and Marines who participated in any of the above actions, as well as to service members who served aboard U.S. naval vessels patrolling Mexican waters between April 21 and November 26, 1914, or between March 14, 1916, and February 7, 1917.
The Mexican Service Medal was also awarded to any service member who was wounded or killed while participating in action any against hostile Mexican forces between April 12, 1911 and February 7, 1917.
Although a single decoration, both the Army and Navy issued two different versions of the Mexican Service Medal. The Army Mexican Service Medal displayed an engraving of a yucca plant, while the Navy version depicts the San Juan de Ulúa fortress in Veracruz harbor. Both medals displayed the annotation "1911 - 1917" on the bottom of the medal.
The Mexican Service Medal was a one time decoration and there were no service stars authorized for those who had participated in multiple engagements. For those Army members who had been cited for gallantry in combat, the Citation Star was authorized as a device to the Mexican Service Medal. There were no devices authorized for the Navy's version of the decoration.
A similar decoration, known as the Mexican Border Service Medal also existed for those who had performed support duty to Mexican combat expeditions from within the United States.
