Richard H. Jackson
Encyclopedia
Richard Harrison Jackson (May 10, 1866 - October 2, 1971) was a four-star admiral
in the United States Navy
. Originally cashiered from the Navy for poor grades at the U.S. Naval Academy
, he was commissioned ensign
by special act of Congress
for his heroism during the 1889 Apia cyclone
. He served as commander in chief of the Battle Fleet
in 1926 and lived to be 105 years old.
, the youngest of seven children of George Moore Jackson and Sarah Cabell Perkins, and was appointed by Alabama Congressman Joseph Wheeler
to the U.S. Naval Academy
, which he entered on June 4, 1883.
Jackson graduated from the Academy in 1887 and was immediately sent to sea as a passed cadet, first aboard the protected cruiser Boston
, then aboard the wooden-hulled screw steamer Trenton
. In those days, Academy graduates were required to complete two years of satisfactory sea duty before being awarded an ensign's commission. However, due to an 1882 statute limiting the number of available naval commissions, there were not enough vacancies in the service to retain all of the Academy's graduates. Jackson's poor grades placed him near the bottom of his graduating class, so he was to be cashiered from the Navy upon completing his sea duty.
While awaiting his discharge, Jackson was serving aboard Trenton in Samoa
when it was wrecked by the 1889 Apia cyclone
on March 16, 1889. As the ship had been caught with no steam in its boilers, crewmen were ordered to form a line along the deck and spread their coats to form a makeshift sail. Jackson led a group of sailors into the rigging where they spread their coats to increase the sail area, at significant hazard to their lives. This desperate measure successfully propelled Trenton out of danger long enough to help rescue the ship's company of the similarly wrecked Vandalia
, before both crews were compelled to abandon ship.
On returning to the Naval Academy, Jackson passed his final examinations but fell just below the grade cutoff and was second on the list of cadets denied a commission and honorably discharged. In the hopes of becoming a naval surgeon, he and several of his Academy classmates studied medicine at the University of Virginia
, where Jackson was a member of Beta Theta Pi
and graduated fourth in the medical class of 1890. Meanwhile, word of Jackson's heroics at Apia had reached Congress, which was spurred to act by testimonials from Trentons commanding officer, Captain Norman von Heldreich Farquhar
, and Secretary of the Navy
Benjamin F. Tracy
.
On September 26, 1890, Congress passed special legislation authorizing the President to appoint one additional ensign in the United States Navy. The final statute noted that Jackson had behaved "with conspicuous gallantry by leading the men into the mizzen rigging to form a sail, when this position in the rigging was one of great danger, as the mast was liable to be carried away and fall overboard when the ship struck, and did thereby contribute largely to the success of the maneuver which the captain of the Trenton, in his official report to the admiral, says saved the lives of four hundred men from certain destruction."
Congressman Wheeler, Jackson's original Academy sponsor, declared more extravagantly, "England would have knighted this young man."
and monitor Puritan
. In 1897, he married the daughter of Rear Admiral William T. Sampson
, who would achieve fame a year later at the Battle of Santiago Bay
. He won the annual essay contest administered by the United States Naval Institute
in 1900.
He served aboard the torpedo boat Foote during the Spanish-American War
, followed by duty aboard the torpedo boat Gwin and three years with the gunboat Nashville
. In 1903 he returned to the Naval Academy as an instructor in the Department of English and Law, concluding his tour in 1905 by commanding the protected cruiser Atlanta
during midshipman training missions. He was navigator of the armored cruiser Colorado
from 1905 to 1907 and executive officer from 1907 to 1908. From 1908 to 1910, he was in charge of the Naval Proving Ground
at Indian Head, Maryland
.
In 1910 he sailed to the Far East for shore duty at Naval Station Cavite
. In 1911 he went to sea as commanding officer of the protected cruiser , then as commanding officer of the gunboat Helena
, in which role he also served as senior officer in command of the gunboats of the Yangtze River Patrol
during the Chinese Revolution
. He returned to the United States in 1912 for another tour at the Naval Academy, followed by duty with the General Board from 1913 to 1915 and command of the battleship Virginia
in 1915.
In June 1917, following the United States entry into World War I
, he was dispatched to Paris as special representative from the Navy Department
to the French Ministry of Marine, then served as naval attaché in Paris until after the Armistice
in November 1918, when he returned to the United States to report to the Office of Naval Intelligence
. In 1919, as senior officer for the U.S. Naval Forces in Bermuda
, he commanded the Azores
detachment of the Atlantic Fleet that stood guard for the Navy flying boat NC-4
on its historic first trans-Atlantic crossing by an aircraft.
. He was assistant chief of naval operations
from 1923 to 1925.
On October 5, 1925, he was promoted to the temporary rank of vice admiral as Commander Battleship Divisions, Battle Fleet. The following year, he "fleeted up" to Commander in Chief, Battle Fleet, relieving Admiral Charles F. Hughes on September 4, 1926 and advancing to the temporary rank of full admiral. His tour as Battle Fleet commander was marked by innovations in naval air tactics, including the invention of divebombing, under Jackson's subordinate, Captain Joseph M. Reeves
, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier Langley
; and by Fleet Problem VII, the annual fleet exercise, whose highlight was Langleys successful air raid on the Panama Canal
.
Completing his tour as Battle Fleet commander on September 10, 1927, Jackson was relieved by Admiral Louis R. de Steiguer
and reverted to his permanent rank of rear admiral and shore duty as a member of the General Board. In December, he was appointed to head the court of inquiry into the sinking of the submarine S-4
. He remained on the General Board until he retired in 1930 upon reaching the statutory age of 64.
In retirement, Jackson resided in Pearl City, Hawaii
, where, on December 7, 1941, he observed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
from his front doorstep. His eye-witness account was enclosed in the official after action report sent to the Navy Department by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz on February 15, 1942. In July 1942, Jackson was advanced to admiral on the retired list by a new law that allowed each officer to retire in the highest rank in which he had served.
, attended by an aide and housekeeper. He died of cardiac failure while being treated for a hip fracture at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, California
at the age of 105. At the time of his death, he was the oldest military officer in the United States.
He was a tenth-generation descendant of Pocahontas
and a third cousin of Air Force
four-star general Charles P. Cabell
.
His decorations include the Navy Cross
, awarded for distinguished service as naval attaché and liaison officer in Paris during World War I. In 1898, he took honorable mention in the annual essay contest administered by the United States Naval Institute
. He won the top prize in 1900 with the topic of "Torpedo Craft, Types and Employment", earning a gold medal, life membership in the Naval Institute, and $100 in cash.
Admiral
Admiral 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 Navy
United States Navy
The 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...
. Originally cashiered from the Navy for poor grades at the U.S. Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, he was commissioned ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
by special act of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
for his heroism during the 1889 Apia cyclone
1889 Apia cyclone
The 1889 Apia cyclone was a Pacific tropical cyclone, which swept across Apia, Samoa on March 15, 1889 during the Samoan crisis. The effect on shipping in the harbour was devastating, largely because of what has been described as 'an error of judgement that will forever remain a paradox in human...
. He served as commander in chief of the Battle Fleet
Battle Fleet
The United States Battle Fleet or Battle Force was part of the organization of the United States Navy from 1922 to 1941.The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence. This fleet comprised the main body of ships in the Navy,...
in 1926 and lived to be 105 years old.
Early life
He was born on a plantation near Tuscumbia, AlabamaTuscumbia, Alabama
Tuscumbia is a city in and the county seat of Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,423 and is included in The Shoals MSA....
, the youngest of seven children of George Moore Jackson and Sarah Cabell Perkins, and was appointed by Alabama Congressman Joseph Wheeler
Joseph Wheeler
Joseph Wheeler was an American military commander and politician. He has the rare distinction of serving as a general during war time for two opposing forces: first as a noted cavalry general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and later as a general in the...
to the U.S. Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, which he entered on June 4, 1883.
Jackson graduated from the Academy in 1887 and was immediately sent to sea as a passed cadet, first aboard the protected cruiser Boston
USS Boston (1884)
The fifth USS Boston, a protected cruiser, was launched 4 December 1884 by John Roach & Sons, Chester, Pennsylvania, and commissioned 2 May 1887, Captain Francis M. Ramsay in command....
, then aboard the wooden-hulled screw steamer Trenton
USS Trenton (1876)
|...
. In those days, Academy graduates were required to complete two years of satisfactory sea duty before being awarded an ensign's commission. However, due to an 1882 statute limiting the number of available naval commissions, there were not enough vacancies in the service to retain all of the Academy's graduates. Jackson's poor grades placed him near the bottom of his graduating class, so he was to be cashiered from the Navy upon completing his sea duty.
While awaiting his discharge, Jackson was serving aboard Trenton in Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
when it was wrecked by the 1889 Apia cyclone
1889 Apia cyclone
The 1889 Apia cyclone was a Pacific tropical cyclone, which swept across Apia, Samoa on March 15, 1889 during the Samoan crisis. The effect on shipping in the harbour was devastating, largely because of what has been described as 'an error of judgement that will forever remain a paradox in human...
on March 16, 1889. As the ship had been caught with no steam in its boilers, crewmen were ordered to form a line along the deck and spread their coats to form a makeshift sail. Jackson led a group of sailors into the rigging where they spread their coats to increase the sail area, at significant hazard to their lives. This desperate measure successfully propelled Trenton out of danger long enough to help rescue the ship's company of the similarly wrecked Vandalia
USS Vandalia (1876)
The second USS Vandalia was a screw sloop in the United States Navy. She was laid down at the Massachusetts Boston Navy Yard in 1872 and was commissioned there on 10 January 1876.-European Squadron, 1876–1878:...
, before both crews were compelled to abandon ship.
On returning to the Naval Academy, Jackson passed his final examinations but fell just below the grade cutoff and was second on the list of cadets denied a commission and honorably discharged. In the hopes of becoming a naval surgeon, he and several of his Academy classmates studied medicine at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, where Jackson was a member of Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi , often just called Beta, is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. It has over 138 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada...
and graduated fourth in the medical class of 1890. Meanwhile, word of Jackson's heroics at Apia had reached Congress, which was spurred to act by testimonials from Trentons commanding officer, Captain Norman von Heldreich Farquhar
Norman von Heldreich Farquhar
Rear Admiral Norman von Heldreich Farquhar was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War...
, and Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The 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...
Benjamin F. Tracy
Benjamin F. Tracy
Benjamin Franklin Tracy was a United States political figure who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1889 through 1893, during the administration of U.S. President Benjamin Harrison.-Biography:...
.
On September 26, 1890, Congress passed special legislation authorizing the President to appoint one additional ensign in the United States Navy. The final statute noted that Jackson had behaved "with conspicuous gallantry by leading the men into the mizzen rigging to form a sail, when this position in the rigging was one of great danger, as the mast was liable to be carried away and fall overboard when the ship struck, and did thereby contribute largely to the success of the maneuver which the captain of the Trenton, in his official report to the admiral, says saved the lives of four hundred men from certain destruction."
Congressman Wheeler, Jackson's original Academy sponsor, declared more extravagantly, "England would have knighted this young man."
Naval career
Having received his commission, Jackson served as assistant inspector of ordnance and then inspector of ordnance at the Midvale Steel Works, then drew sea duty aboard the torpedo boat CushingUSS Cushing (TB-1)
USS Cushing was a torpedo boat in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War. She was named for William B. Cushing....
and monitor Puritan
USS Puritan (BM-1)
The second USS Puritan was a Puritan class monitor in the United States Navy, constructed in 1882. She was the only ship in her class.-Construction:...
. In 1897, he married the daughter of Rear Admiral William T. Sampson
William T. Sampson
William Thomas Sampson was a United States Navy rear admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.-Biography:...
, who would achieve fame a year later at the Battle of Santiago Bay
Battle of Santiago de Cuba
The Battle of Santiago de Cuba, fought between Spain and the United States on 3 July 1898, was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War and resulted in the destruction of the Spanish Navy's Caribbean Squadron.-Spanish Fleet:...
. He won the annual essay contest administered by the United States Naval Institute
United States Naval Institute
The United States Naval Institute , based at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is a private, non-profit, professional military association that seeks to offer independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national defense issues...
in 1900.
He served aboard the torpedo boat Foote during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The 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...
, followed by duty aboard the torpedo boat Gwin and three years with the gunboat Nashville
USS Nashville (PG-7)
USS Nashville , a gunboat, was the only ship of its class. It was the third ship of the United States Navy to hold the name Nashville....
. In 1903 he returned to the Naval Academy as an instructor in the Department of English and Law, concluding his tour in 1905 by commanding the protected cruiser Atlanta
USS Atlanta (1884)
The second USS Atlanta was a protected cruiser and one of the first steel warships of the "New Navy" of the 1880s.Atlanta was laid down on 8 November 1883 at Chester, Pennsylvania by John Roach & Sons; launched on 9 October 1884; sponsored by Miss Jessie Lincoln, the daughter of Secretary of War...
during midshipman training missions. He was navigator of the armored cruiser Colorado
USS Colorado (ACR-7)
The second USS Colorado , also referred to "Armored Cruiser No. 7", and later renamed Pueblo , was a United States Navy Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser....
from 1905 to 1907 and executive officer from 1907 to 1908. From 1908 to 1910, he was in charge of the Naval Proving Ground
Indian Head Naval Surface Weapons Center
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division is a United States naval military installation located in Charles County, Maryland....
at Indian Head, Maryland
Indian Head, Maryland
Indian Head is a town in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,422 at the 2000 census. It has been the site of a naval base specializing in gun and rocket propellants since 1890. Production of nitrocellulose and smokeless powder began at the Indian Head Powder Factory in 1900...
.
In 1910 he sailed to the Far East for shore duty at Naval Station Cavite
U.S. Naval Station Sangley Point
Naval Station Sangley Point was a communication and hospital facility of the United States Navy which occupied the northern portion of the Cavite City peninsula and is surrounded by Manila Bay, approximately eight miles southwest of Manila, the Philippines. The station was a part of the Cavite...
. In 1911 he went to sea as commanding officer of the protected cruiser , then as commanding officer of the gunboat Helena
USS Helena (PG-9)
USS Helena was a gunboat of the United States Navy that participated in the Spanish-American War and was later stationed in the Far East for many years....
, in which role he also served as senior officer in command of the gunboats of the Yangtze River Patrol
Yangtze Patrol
The Yangtze Patrol, from 1854 to 1945, was a prolonged naval operation to protect American interests in the Yangtze River's treaty ports. Initially the patrol was carried out by ships of the United States Navy's East India and Asiatic Squadrons. In 1922, the "YangPat" was established as a formal...
during the Chinese Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
. He returned to the United States in 1912 for another tour at the Naval Academy, followed by duty with the General Board from 1913 to 1915 and command of the battleship Virginia
USS Virginia (BB-13)
USS Virginia was a United States Navy battleship, the lead ship of her class of five. She was the fifth ship to carry her name.Virginia was laid down on 21 May 1902 Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia; launched on 6 April 1904; sponsored by Miss Gay Montague,...
in 1915.
In June 1917, following the United States entry into World War I
World War I
World 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...
, he was dispatched to Paris as special representative from the Navy Department
United States Department of the Navy
The Department of the Navy of the United States of America was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy and, from 1834 onwards, for the United States Marine Corps, and when directed by the President, of the...
to the French Ministry of Marine, then served as naval attaché in Paris until after the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
in November 1918, when he returned to the United States to report to the Office of Naval Intelligence
Office of Naval Intelligence
The Office of Naval Intelligence was established in the United States Navy in 1882. ONI was established to "seek out and report" on the advancements in other nations' navies. Its headquarters are at the National Maritime Intelligence Center in Suitland, Maryland...
. In 1919, as senior officer for the U.S. Naval Forces in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, he commanded the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
detachment of the Atlantic Fleet that stood guard for the Navy flying boat NC-4
NC-4
The NC-4 was a Curtiss NC flying boat which was designed by Glenn Curtiss and his team, and manufactured by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. In May 1919, the NC-4 became the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, starting in the United States and making the crossing as far as Lisbon,...
on its historic first trans-Atlantic crossing by an aircraft.
Flag officer
Promoted to rear admiral in 1921, he served as a member of the General Board before being sent to sea in 1922 as commander of Battleship Division Three, Battleship Divisions, Battle FleetBattle Fleet
The United States Battle Fleet or Battle Force was part of the organization of the United States Navy from 1922 to 1941.The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence. This fleet comprised the main body of ships in the Navy,...
. He was assistant chief of naval operations
Vice Chief of Naval Operations
The Vice Chief of Naval Operations is the second highest ranking officer in the United States Navy. In the event that the Chief of Naval Operations is absent or is unable to perform his duties, the VCNO assumes the duties and responsibilities of the CNO. The VCNO may also perform other duties...
from 1923 to 1925.
On October 5, 1925, he was promoted to the temporary rank of vice admiral as Commander Battleship Divisions, Battle Fleet. The following year, he "fleeted up" to Commander in Chief, Battle Fleet, relieving Admiral Charles F. Hughes on September 4, 1926 and advancing to the temporary rank of full admiral. His tour as Battle Fleet commander was marked by innovations in naval air tactics, including the invention of divebombing, under Jackson's subordinate, Captain Joseph M. Reeves
Joseph M. Reeves
Joseph Mason "Bull" Reeves was an admiral in the United States Navy, who was an early and important supporter of U.S. Naval Aviation...
, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier Langley
USS Langley (CV-1)
USS Langley was the United States Navy's first aircraft carrier, converted in 1920 from the collier USS Jupiter , and also the U.S. Navy's first electrically propelled ship...
; and by Fleet Problem VII, the annual fleet exercise, whose highlight was Langleys successful air raid on the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
.
Completing his tour as Battle Fleet commander on September 10, 1927, Jackson was relieved by Admiral Louis R. de Steiguer
Louis R. de Steiguer
Admiral Louis Rodolph de Steiguer was an officer in the U.S. Navy. He was Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Battle Fleet from 1927 to 1928.-Early career:...
and reverted to his permanent rank of rear admiral and shore duty as a member of the General Board. In December, he was appointed to head the court of inquiry into the sinking of the submarine S-4
USS S-4 (SS-109)
USS S-4 was an S-class submarine of the United States Navy. In 1927, she was sunk by being accidentally rammed by a Coast Guard destroyer with the loss of all hands but was raised and restored to service until stricken in 1936.-Building:...
. He remained on the General Board until he retired in 1930 upon reaching the statutory age of 64.
In retirement, Jackson resided in Pearl City, Hawaii
Pearl City, Hawaii
Pearl City is a census-designated place located in the Ewa District and City & County of Honolulu on the Island of Oahu. As of the 2010 Census, the CDP had a total population of 47,698. Pearl City is located along the north shore of Pearl Harbor. ʻAiea borders Pearl City to the east, while Waipahu...
, where, on December 7, 1941, he observed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
from his front doorstep. His eye-witness account was enclosed in the official after action report sent to the Navy Department by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz on February 15, 1942. In July 1942, Jackson was advanced to admiral on the retired list by a new law that allowed each officer to retire in the highest rank in which he had served.
Personal life
He married the former Catherine Sampson in 1897; she died in 1924. Toward the end of his life, he lived in a two-story house across from a golf course in Coronado, CaliforniaCoronado, California
Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, is an affluent resort city located in San Diego County, California, 5.2 miles from downtown San Diego. Its population was 24,697 at the 2010 census, up from 24,100 at the 2000 census. U.S. News and World Report lists Coronado as one of the most expensive...
, attended by an aide and housekeeper. He died of cardiac failure while being treated for a hip fracture at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
at the age of 105. At the time of his death, he was the oldest military officer in the United States.
He was a tenth-generation descendant of Pocahontas
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...
and a third cousin of Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
four-star general Charles P. Cabell
Charles P. Cabell
Charles Pearre Cabell was an United States Air Force General and deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency.-Early life:...
.
His decorations include the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
, awarded for distinguished service as naval attaché and liaison officer in Paris during World War I. In 1898, he took honorable mention in the annual essay contest administered by the United States Naval Institute
United States Naval Institute
The United States Naval Institute , based at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is a private, non-profit, professional military association that seeks to offer independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national defense issues...
. He won the top prize in 1900 with the topic of "Torpedo Craft, Types and Employment", earning a gold medal, life membership in the Naval Institute, and $100 in cash.