John Russell Young Blakely
John Russell Young Blakely was a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy.
John Russell Young Blakely | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 17, 1872 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | March 28, 1942 (aged 69) Denver, Colorado |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1892–1932 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands held | USS Des Moines USS Seattle USS Arizona |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Navy Cross Navy Distinguished Service Medal |
Biography
Blakely was born on 17 July 1872 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1892.
After serving in various Navy ships and at many shore stations, he took his first command, the protected cruiser USS Des Moines (C-15), in 1914. As captain of this ship, and later the armored cruiser USS Seattle (ACR-11), Blakely rendered important service in transporting and escorting troops and supplies to Europe during the First World War. For his outstanding contribution he was awarded the Navy Cross.
Following the war Blakely served with the Chief of Naval Operations, at the Naval War College, and with the rank of captain he commanded the battleship USS Arizona (BB-39). After a tour as Assistant to the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation in 1925, he was promoted to Rear Admiral on 4 June 1926 and given command of a cruiser division temporarily assigned to the Asiatic Fleet after the 1927 unrest in Nanjing, China. Blakely served as the commander of Light Cruiser Division 3 (Richmond, Cincinnati and Marblehead) from February 1927 to April 1928[1][2] and Light Cruiser Division 2 (Trenton, Milwaukee, and Memphis) from April 1928 to June 1929.[3] He also commanded the 15th Naval District[4] and served on the important General Board before poor health forced him to retire 1 June 1932.
He was also a recipient of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.
Rear Admiral Blakely died on 28 March 1942 in Denver, Colorado. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on 1 April 1942.[5]
Namesake
USS J.R.Y. Blakely (DE-140) was named in his honor. The ship was launched by Consolidated Steel Corp., Ltd., Orange, Texas, 7 March 1943; sponsored by Miss Mary Young Blakely, niece of Rear Admiral Blakely; and commissioned 16 August 1943, Comdr. J. H. Forshew in command.
References
- Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps (PDF). U.S. Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1 January 1928. pp. 10–11. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- Annual Reports of the Navy Department: Including Operations to November 15, 1928. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1929. p. 93. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps (PDF). U.S. Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1 January 1929. p. 10. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps (PDF). U.S. Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1 January 1930. pp. 10–11. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- "Blakely, John R". ANCExplorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
Attribution
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.