Zumwalt, Elmo Russell, ADM

Elmo Russell "Bud" Zumwalt Jr. was a United States Navy officer and the youngest person to serve as Chief of Naval Operations. As an admiral and later the 19th Chief of Naval Operations, Zumwalt played a major role in United States military history, especially during the Vietnam War.

A decorated war veteran, Zumwalt reformed United States Navy personnel policies in an effort to improve enlisted life and ease racial tensions. After he retired from a 32-year navy career, he launched an unsuccessful campaign for the United States Senate.

USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is a guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy. She is the lead ship of the Zumwalt class and the first ship to be named after Admiral Elmo Zumwalt. Zumwalt has stealth capabilities, having a radar cross-section similar to a fishing boat despite her large size.

The youngest Admiral in U.S. Naval history. Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. was born in San Francisco. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1942. He served on a destroyer during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in World War II and received the Bronze Star. During the Korean War, he served on the USS WISCONSIN.

At the age of 44, Admiral Zumwalt became the youngest officer ever promoted to rear admiral. Admiral Zumwalt was Commander of the United States Naval Forces during the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1970. At age 49, he became the youngest four-star admiral in United States Naval history and the youngest man ever to serve as Chief of Naval Operations.

He initiated wide-ranging reforms in an effort to revitalize the Navy. He ordered the Navy to end racial and sexual discrimination and demeaning restrictions on sailors. Time Magazine hailed Zumwalt as "the Navy's most popular leader since World War II."

While he was commander of Naval forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970, he had ordered the use of the defoliant "Agent Orange" in the Mekong Delta. His son, who was a patrol boat commander in the Mekong Delta died of cancer in 1988 that was attributed to his exposure to Agent Orange. Despite this, Zumwalt believed that the use of Agent Orange saved hundreds and maybe thousands of lives.

He served as the Vice-Chairman and then Chairman of the National Marrow Donor Program during the period from 1987 through 1995. In 1998, Zumwalt was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. After his death, President Clinton said, "Admiral Zumwalt was one of the greatest models of integrity, leadership and genuine humanity our nation has ever produced."