Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Allen Bevins Reed (April 3, 1884 – February 28, 1965) was a U.S. Naval officer whose career began aboard vessels in the Asiatic and Pacific Fleets. Early in his career he was Captain Takeshita Isamu's escort during a ceremonial visit to the mayor of

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, and he was a member of a

Naval Board of Inquiry Naval Board of Inquiry and Naval Court of Inquiry are two types of investigative court proceedings, conducted by the United States Navy in response to an event that adversely affects the performance, or reputation, of the fleet or one of its shi ...

. Reed assumed the command of a landing force of 120 men in Nicaragua in 1912, to protect a railway line following a coup d'état attempt by General Luis Mena. Over his career, Reed commanded eight ships, and after he was made captain, he was commander of Division 80 of Destroyer Squadron 11, Division 30 of Battle Fleet from the flagship , and Division 45 of the Battle Fleet from . Reed received the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army ...

for his command of the during dangerous transatlantic voyages of World War I. Reed was the

plank owner A plankowner"U.S. Navy Style Guide", Navy.mil website (also referred to a plank ownerCutler and Cutler, p 167 and sometimes a plank holder) is an individual who was a member of the crew of a United States Navy ship or United States Coast Guard Cut ...

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...

of the newly commissioned

heavy cruiser A heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in calibre, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Treat ...

, and in the summer of 1934, President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

took a cruise on the ship through the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

and the Pacific Ocean. In the latter years of his naval career, Reed was attached to the office of the

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...

where his assignments included Director of Fleet Maintenance Division. He was Chairman of the

Executive Committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...

of the Army and Navy Munitions Board and served on the Joint Economy Board between the Army and Navy. He retired in 1939, but remain on active duty at the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was head of the

United States Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 1950. The co ...

and was the navy

liaison Liaison or Liaisons may refer to: General usage * Affair, an unfaithful sexual relationship * Collaboration * Co-operation * Liaison, an egg-based thickening used in cooking Arts and entertainment * Liaisons (''Desperate Housewives''), a 2007 ...

to the Office of Production Management, which later became the

War Production Board The War Production Board (WPB) was an agency of the United States government that supervised war production during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established it in January 1942, with Executive Order 9024. The WPB replaced the Su ...

Naval Academy

Reed entered the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

(USNA) on September 22, 1900, as one of 93 fourth class naval cadets. On July 1, 1902, the Academy changed the title of "naval cadet" to "

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

". He was on the track, gymnastics and football teams there. Reed's fellow graduates of the class of 1904 included future

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

William S. "Bull" Halsey, Jr. Completing his academic studies, Reed received his warrant as a

passed midshipman A passed midshipman, sometimes called as "midshipman, passed", is a term used historically in the 19th century to describe a midshipman who had passed the lieutenant's exam and was eligible for promotion to lieutenant as soon as there was a vac ...

. On January 25, 1904, he was detached from Annapolis "to home and ready for sea".

Naval service

Early career

On March 21, 1904, Reed reported for duty aboard the school ship USS ''Mohican'' and was then on several vessels of the Asiatic and Pacific Fleets for more than four years. During that time he was commissioned an ensign, which then required successful completion of two years sea duty. Reed was a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

and senior engineer on the by October 13, 1909, when he was

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...

Captain Takeshita Isamu's escort during a ceremonial visit to the mayor of

. He was stationed at the

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY or MINS) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean and was in service 142 years from 1854 to 1996. It is located on Mare Island, northeast of San Francisco, in Vallejo, Califor ...

in 1910, and in April 1911 Reed became a member of the Naval Board of Inquiry that convened to investigate fraud involving naval

Paymaster A paymaster is someone appointed by a group of buyers, sellers, investors or lenders to receive, hold, and dispense funds, commissions, fees, salaries (remuneration) or other trade, loan, or sales proceeds within the private sector or public secto ...

Arthur M. Pippin and two others. The men were court-martialed and sentenced to

hard labor ''Hard Labor'' is the eleventh album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1974. For this album, the band replaced long-time producer Richard Podolor with Jimmy Ienner, who was known for his production work with the Raspberries ...

San Quentin State Prison San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated area, unincorporated place ...

Reed was an executive officer on when he was given command of a landing force of 120 men who landed at

Corinto, Nicaragua Corinto is a town, with a population of 18,602 (2022 estimate), on the northwest Pacific coast of Nicaragua in the province of Chinandega. The municipality was founded in 1863. History Early years The town of Corinto was founded in 1849. It first ...

on August 29, 1912. This followed a coup d'état attempt by General Luis Mena, Minister of War to overthrow President

Adolfo Díaz Adolfo Díaz Recinos (15 July 1875 in Alajuela, Costa Rica – 29 January 1964 in San José, Costa Rica) served as the President of Nicaragua between 9 May 1911 and 1 January 1917 and again between 14 November 1926 and 1 January 1929. Born in C ...

and the ''Denver'' was one of six ships brought in to provide troops to protect the railway line from Corinto to Managua.

Mexico and Panama Canal

By May 26, 1913, Reed was next on the Torpedo Flotilla tender , as executive officer and navigator, and he came to command it into June 1915. ''Iris'' along with five torpedo boats from the Pacific Fleet Torpedo Flotilla, were ordered to the

Gulf of California The Gulf of California (), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Vermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja California peninsula from ...

, also known as the Sea of Cortez following the

Tampico Affair The Tampico Affair began as a minor incident involving United States Navy sailors and the Mexican Federal Army loyal to Mexican dictator General Victoriano Huerta. On April 9, 1914, nine sailors had come ashore to secure supplies and were detai ...

by May 4, 1914. They patrolled the vicinity of

La Paz La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...

and

Mazatlán Mazatlán () is a city in the Mexican list of states of Mexico, state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding , known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast across from th ...

, Mexico, during the ongoing

civil unrest Civil disorder, also known as civil disturbance, civil unrest, civil strife, or turmoil, are situations when law enforcement and security forces struggle to maintain public order or tranquility. Causes Any number of things may cause civil di ...

there. During May and June 1914, ''Iris'' evacuated American citizen refugees from Mazatlan and Acapulco, including the American consul, Hon. Clement S. Edwards. He was made Captain of the Port at

Balboa, Panama Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. It was the capital of the Panama Canal Zone under American administration. History The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the constru ...

by June 11, 1915.

World War I

About December 26, 1917,

President Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

approved an

Act of Congress An act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called Public and private bills, private laws), or to the general public (Public and private bills, public laws). For a Bill (law) ...

that temporarily promoted a total of 188 officers to rear admirals, captains, and commanders. Reed was one of the group of men temporarily promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He was awarded the

in 1920 "for distinguished service in the line of his profession as commanding officer of the , engaged in the important, exacting and hazardous duty of transporting and escorting troops and supplies to European ports through waters infested with enemy submarines and mines."

Between the two world wars

Reed was Commander of the battleship from March 1923 to May 1924, He was commander of the ''Clemson''-class destroyer by July, and by November, he was commanding the . By July 1925, Reed was at the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...

, in the Senior Class of 1926. After World War I, the college was led by Admiral

William S. Sims William Sowden Sims (October 15, 1858 – September 28, 1936) was an admiral in the United States Navy who fought during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to modernize the navy. During World War I, he commanded all United States naval force ...

, who promoted innovative thinking. Sims was commander of the Naval Forces in Europe during the war. He was assigned to the Ships' Movement Division of the office of the

in Washington, D.C., by July 1926 and was there through at least January 1, 1928. During that time, Reed was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on March 16, 1927. In August 1928, he commanded Division 80 of Destroyer Squadron 11, reporting to Lewis B. Porterfield. By April 1929, he was commander of Division 30 of

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. Thi ...

from the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

. In January 1930, he was commander of Division 45 of

from the

. He was then at the Material Division of the office of the

from 1930 to 1932. Reed assumed command of a new cruiser, USS ''New Orleans'', at New York Navy Yard in February 1934. Among ''New Orlean''

junior officer Junior officer, company officer or company grade officer refers to the lowest operational commissioned officer category of ranks in a military or paramilitary organization, ranking above non-commissioned officers and below senior officers. D ...

s under Captain Reed's command in 1934 were Ensign E.L. Jahncke, Jr. and Ensign T.H. Moorer. Jahncke was the son of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and Moorer rose to the rank of admiral and served as

(CNO) from 1967 to 1970 and

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: appointment; gra ...

from 1970 to 1974. USS ''New Orleans'' made a

shakedown Shakedown or Shake Down may refer to: * Shakedown (continuum mechanics), a type of plastic deformation * Shakedown (testing) or a shakedown cruise, a period of testing undergone by a ship, airplane or other craft before being declared operational ...

Transatlantic crossing Transatlantic crossings are passages of passengers and cargo across the Atlantic Ocean between Europe or Africa and the Americas. The majority of passenger traffic is across the North Atlantic between Western Europe and North America. Centuries ...

Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other ge ...

and

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

in May and June 1934. President

took a cruise beginning July 5 on the ship, which went through the

, had an exercise off of the California coast with , and ended at

Astoria, Oregon Astoria is a Port, port city in and the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the ...

, on August 2, 1934. The ''New Orleans'' then went through the Panama Canal to Cuba, and then exercised off of the New England coast. It made its first visit to the port of New Orleans in the spring of 1935. On March 30, 1935, Louisiana Governor Oscar K. Allen presented Reed and the ship with the silver services from the former battleship and the former cruiser , and named Reed an honorary citizen of the city. It was still under his command in April 1935. He was Director of Fleet Maintenance Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations from October 1935 to 1939. In 1937, Reed also served on the Joint Economy Board between the Army and Navy and was the appointed Chairman of the

of the Army and Navy Munitions Board.

World War II

He retired by October 1, 1939, but he remained on active duty during the initial years of

. He was head of the United States Maritime Commission in the second half of 1939 and in 1940. Reed was a

to the Office of Production Management in Washington, D.C., which with the

Supply Priorities and Allocations Board The Supply Priorities and Allocations Board (SPAB) was a United States administrative entity within the Office for Emergency Management which was created and dissolved during World War II. The board was created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt ...

later became the

. He was an advisor to the

Council of National Defense The Council of National Defense was a United States organization formed during World War I to coordinate resources and industry in support of the war effort, including the coordination of transportation, industrial and farm production, financial s ...

in 1941, which was a World War I organization that was reactivated for World War II and operated in 1940 and 1941. On September 6, 1944, his wife, Bess M. Reed, sponsored the at its launch from the Portsmouth (Maine) Navy Yard.

Personal life

Reed was from Liberty, Missouri. He graduated from Liberty High School in 1900. Lieutenant Reed married the Bessie Moorhead of

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, on September 25, 1909, at the home of her parents in Omaha, Nebraska. Their son, Allen B. Reed, Jr. was born on June 11, 1912. He was also a captain in the Navy. In 1914, the Reeds lived in San Diego, California, where their daughter, Annis was born. They had two other daughters, Elizabeth and Katherine. He died February 28, 1965, and was buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

. His wife, Bessie, died on September 27, 1966, and is buried with him at Arlington. Allen B. Reed, Jr. is also buried at Arlington. He died September 2, 1996.

Date of ranks

United States Naval Academy Midshipman – Class of 1904

Decorations and awards

Gallery

File:US Naval Academy Gymnastics Team 1904.jpg, USNA Gymnastics Team, 1904. A.B. Reed, seated, second from right; H.E. Kimmel, seated, second from left File:USNA First Class Cadet Petty Officers 1904.jpg, USNA First Class Cadet Petty Officers, 1904. A.B. Reed, seated, front row, center File:USN Midshipman Allen B. Reed.jpg, Midshipman Allen B. Reed in 1904

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Allen B. 1884 births 1965 deaths Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) United States Naval Academy alumni Burials at Arlington National Cemetery