Charles Johnston Badger was an
admiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. His active-duty career included service in the
Spanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Biography
The son of Commodore
Oscar C. BadgerOscar C. Badger received appointment as a midshipman in the United States Navy on 9 September 1841 and, after a tour of duty in Independence, served in Saratoga along the Atlantic coast of Africa.-Service in Africa and during the Mexican-American War:While serving in the latter ship, he saw his...
(1823–1899), Charles Badger was born August 6, 1853 in
Rockville, MarylandRockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
. He attended the
United States Naval AcademyThe United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, graduating in 1873. Badger served in
CincinnatiUSS Cincinnati was a protected cruiser of the United States Navy and was launched on 10 November 1892 by New York Navy Yard; sponsored by Miss S. Mosby; and commissioned on 16 June 1894, Captain Henry Glass in command...
(C-7) during the Spanish-American War, and climaxed his career as Commander in Chief,
Atlantic FleetThe United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
. He was awarded the
Distinguished Service MedalThe Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...
for his contribution as chairman of the Navy
General BoardThe General Board of the United States Navy was an advisory body of the United States Navy, effectively a naval general staff. The General Board was established by general order 544, issued on March 13, 1900 by John Davis Long. The order was officially recognized by Congress in 1916...
during World War I. Rear Admiral Badger died September 7, 1932 and is buried in
Arlington National CemeteryArlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Legacy
Two Navy ships have been named in honor of R.Adm. Badger:
USS Charles J. BadgerUSS Charles J. Badger was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger ....
(DD-657), and
USS BadgerUSS Badger was a Knox-class destroyer escort, originally designated as DE-1071 and reclassified as a frigate in 1975 in the United States Navy. Her primary mission of ASW remained unchanged. This ship was not the first to bear the name. The first was named for Commodore Oscar C...
(FF-1071).
Rear Admiral Badger was a cousin of
Secretary of the NavyThe Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
George E. Badger (1790–1865); Admiral
Oscar C. Badger IIOscar Charles Badger II was an admiral of the United States Navy who served in both World Wars, and, as a junior officer, received the Medal of Honor.-Early history:...
(1890–1958) was his son.
See also
External links