Bertram Joseph Rodgers (March 18, 1894 – November 30, 1983) was a highly decorated Vice Admiral in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. He received his

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' 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 eq ...

as a Captain of USS ''Salt Lake City'' in the battle of the Komandorski islands, during the Aleutian Islands Campaign. Rodgers later served as Commander, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, Commandant,

12th Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Comman ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

or Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Germany. He completed his career as President, Permanent General Court Martial in 1956.

Early career

Bertram Joseph Rodgers was born on March 18, 1894 in

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

as the son of a Glass Decorator Linus James Rodgers and his wife Clara E. Werling. He had seven siblings and completed the St. George's Catholic School and graduated from the South Pittsburgh High School in June 1912. Rodgers subsequently received an appointment to the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) 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 Secretary of ...

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

from 32rd District and entered the Academy as

Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...

in June that year. While at the Academy, he was active in varsity baseball team for all four years and won the Naval Academy "N" in each of the four years. Among other duties, Rodgers served as Midshipman-Ensign and Ordnance officer of the Second Cadet Battalion under his classmate and future admiral, Ralph E. Davison and also was active in Hop Committee. Among his classmates were several future distinguished general officers including: Frank E. Beatty Jr.,

Russell S. Berkey Russell Stanley Berkey (August 4, 1893 – June 17, 1985) was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. Admiral Berkey was a native of Indiana and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1916. Following graduation he se ...

, Ralph E. Davison,

Calvin T. Durgin Calvin Thornton Durgin (January 7, 1893 – March 25, 1965) was a vice admiral who served in the U.S. Navy from 1916 until 1951. He served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air in 1949. Biography Calvin T. Durgin was born in Palmyra, New ...

C. Turner Joy Charles Turner Joy (17 February 1895 – 6 June 1956) was an admiral of the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War. During the last years of his career, while fighting leukemia, he served as Superintendent of the Naval Academy. ...

, Gerald F. Bogan,

John E. Wilkes John E. Wilkes (May 26, 1895 – July 20, 1957) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy, who served in World War I and World War II. In December 1941 he was appointed Commander of Submarines, Asiatic Fleet. In 1944 Wilkes was commander of all ...

Homer L. Grosskopf Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the '' Iliad'' and the '' Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of ...

, Osborne B. Hardison, George F. Hussey Jr.,

Robert Carney Robert Bostwick Carney (March 26, 1895 – June 25, 1990) was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander-in-chief of the NATO forces in Southern Europe (1951–1953) and then as Chief of Naval Operations (1953–1954) duri ...

, Oscar R. Cauldwell, William Fechteler,

Don P. Moon Don Pardee Moon (April 18, 1894 – August 5, 1944) was a rear admiral of the United States Navy, who fought in the invasion of Europe. He was born in Kokomo, Indiana, United States. He married and had four children. Biography Moon entered th ...

, Denis L. Ryan, Samuel P. Ginder,

Charles P. Cecil Charles Purcell Cecil (4 September 1893 31 July 1944) was a US Navy Admiral during World War II and two time recipient of the Navy Cross. Background Charles Purcell Cecil was born in Louisville, Kentucky, 4 September 1893. He graduated from t ...

, Willard A. Kitts, Andrew C. McFall,

Henry M. Mullinnix Henry Maston Mullinnix (July 4, 1892 – November 24, 1943) was a United States Navy aviator and admiral who served in World War I and was killed in action commanding a Navy escort carrier division and task force group in the Gilbert Islands ...

Thorvald A. Solberg Rear Admiral Thorvald A. Solberg (17 February 1894 – 16 May 1964) was a senior officer in the United States Navy, and the Chief of the Office of Naval Research from 1948 to 1951. Biography Thorvald A. Solberg was born in Mason, Wisconsin, on 1 ...

Maurice G. Holmes Maurice may refer to: People *Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr *Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...

Gilbert C. Hoover Gilbert Corwin Hoover (July 25, 1894 – January 8, 1980) was a United States Naval officer from 1916 to 1947. He served in both world wars, was involved in the early stages of the development of the Atomic Bomb, and managed the Atomic Energy Co ...

Arnold W. Jacobsen Arnold Windom Jacobsen (May 9, 1892 – March 22, 1970) was an officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general, who served as commanding officer of the Marine Corps Supplies Depots during World War II and was responsible ...

Arthur W. Radford Arthur William Radford (27 February 1896 – 17 August 1973) was an admiral and naval aviator of the United States Navy. In over 40 years of military service, Radford held a variety of positions including the vice chief of Naval Operations, ...

Rodgers graduated with

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degree in June 1916 and was commissioned

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diff ...

at the time. He was subsequently attached to the battleship ''USS South Carolina'' participated in the patrol cruises and convoy escort duties in the Atlantic Ocean during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and made stops in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a Channel ( ...

, and

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Lieutenant (junior grade) Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies. United States Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), ...

and

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

. He also befriended with future Fleet Admiral

Chester Nimitz Chester William Nimitz (; February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in ...

, who served then as Ship's Executive officer. He was detached in June 1919 and ordered to the

Naval Submarine Base New London Naval Submarine Base New London is the primary United States Navy East Coast submarine base, also known as the "Home of the Submarine Force." It is located in Groton, Connecticut directly across the Thames River from its namesake city of New Lo ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

for submarine training, which he aboard the stations ship, USS ''Fulton'' one month later and spent next three months aboard the training submarine ''USS H-4'' along the West Coast of the United States. Rodgers subsequently commanded the submarines ''USS H-8'' and ''USS R-8'' during the patrols off the coast of San Pedro and Santa Catalina Island until June 1923, when he was sent to the

Union Iron Works Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

for duty in connection with fitting out of submarine USS ''S-41''. He was promoted to the permanent rank of Lieutenant on July 1, 1920. Rodgers was detached before that submarine was commissioned and ordered to

Coco Solo Coco Solo was a United States Navy submarine base and naval air station, active from 1918 to the 1960s. History The submarine base at Coco Solo was established May 6, 1918. The site corresponds with modern-day Cativá in Panama. It was on th ...

submarine base in the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...

in October 1923. He served as Engineer and Repair officer until September 1925, when he returned to the United States for duty at

Portsmouth Navy Yard The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Founded in 1800, PNS is U.S. Navy's oldest continu ...

in connection with fitting out of submarine ''USS Bonita''. Upon the commissioning of that vessel, Rodgers was appointed an Executive officer under lieutenant commander Charles A. Lockwood and participated in the patrolling the Atlantic shores and Caribbean until May 1927. Rodgers was promoted to

Lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

on October 2, 1926. He was subsequently ordered to the Naval Air Station Lakehurst,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

for lighter-than-air instruction, which he completed on June 26, 1928 and was designated

Naval aviator Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-base ...

. Rodgers then served successively aboard the airships

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

Akron Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city pro ...

& Macon until June 1934, when he was appointed Commanding officer of destroyer, USS ''Blakeley'', succeeding lieutenant commander

Glenn B. Davis Glenn Benson Davis (January 2, 1892 – September 9, 1984) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral. He distinguished himself as Commanding officer of battleship USS ''Washington'' during the Naval ...

in that capacity. After serving with ''Blakely'' with the

Scouting Fleet The Scouting Fleet was created in 1922 as part of a major, post-World War I reorganization of the United States Navy. The Atlantic and Pacific fleets, which comprised a significant portion of the ships in the United States Navy, were combined into ...

, Rodgers returned to

and assumed duty as Port Captain, Balboa Naval Facility in October 1935. While in this capacity, he was promoted to

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain ...

on July 1, 1936 and returned to sea in June 1938 as commander of destroyer, USS ''Selfridge''. Rodgers commanded his destroyer during the

Fleet Problem XXI The Fleet Problems are a series of naval exercises of the United States Navy conducted in the interwar period, and later resurrected by United States Pacific Fleet, Pacific Fleet around 2014. The first twenty-one Fleet Problems — labeled with ro ...

in April 1940, which focused on the defense of the Hawaiian area. He was succeeded by

Leland P. Lovette Leland may refer to: Places United States * Leland, Illinois, a village * Leland, Iowa, a city * Leland, Michigan, an unincorporated community and census-designated place * Leland, Mississippi, a city * Leland, North Carolina, a town * Lela ...

on May 17, 1940 and ordered to 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 associ ...

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New ...

, where he completed Senior course in May 1941. Following the graduation, he was ordered to Washington, D.C. and attached to the War Plans Division,

Navy Department Navy Department or Department of the Navy may refer to: * United States Department of the Navy, * Navy Department (Ministry of Defence), in the United Kingdom, 1964-1997 * Confederate States Department of the Navy, 1861-1865 * Department of the Na ...

World War II

Following the United States entry into World War I, Rodgers was promoted to the rank of

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

on January 1, 1942 and transferred to the headquarters, Commander-in-Chief,

United States Fleet The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The acronym CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for Commander in Chief, United States Fleet. This was replaced by COMINCH in December 1941 ...

in Washington, D.C., where he served under Admiral Ernest J. King until January 1943. Upon request to be assigned for combat duty, Rodgers was ordered to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

, where he was appointed Commanding officer of the heavy cruiser USS ''Salt Lake City''.

Aleutian Islands

80-G-50209 Battle of the Komandorski Islands, 26 March 1943

In early 1943, Japanese forces sent a supply convoy to reinforce their forces on the

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin, "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain of 14 main, ...

near the coast of

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...

. The United States responded by sending a Cruiser Division 3, consisted of the

heavy cruiser The 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 caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval ...

, the

light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...

and the destroyers , , and , under Rear admiral Charles McMorris. The U.S. forces met Japanese ships near the Komandorski islands on March 26, 1943 and during a 3 and 1/2-hour engagement with an enemy force of far greater strength, Rodgers handled his cruiser with such excellent judgment and skill that she was able to inflict severe damage on one heavy cruiser and lesser damage on another heavy, and a light cruiser. He was decorated with the

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

military's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat. He also received his

Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy and U.S. Marine Corps commands may recommend any Navy or Marine Cor ...

Southeast Asia

Rodgers commanded ''Salt Lake City'' until the beginning of September of that year, when he was promoted to the rank of Commodore and appointed United States Senior Planning officer on the Joint Planning Staff,

South East Asia Command South East Asia Command (SEAC) was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during the Second World War. History Organisation The initial supreme commander of the theatre was General Sir Ar ...

and Senior United States Naval Officer in Southeast Asia. He was responsible jointly with the Senior British Army Planner for the formulation of plans for operations in Southeast Asia, utilizing United States, Chinese, British, and

Colonial troops Colonial troops or colonial army refers to various military units recruited from, or used as garrison troops in, colonial territories. Colonial background Such colonies may lie overseas or in areas dominated by neighbouring land powers such ...

. Rodgers served under Admiral Louis Mountbatten until the end of January 1944 and received

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

for his service.

Operation Dragoon

Rodgers was subsequently promoted to the temporary rank of

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...

on January 28, 1944 and ordered to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...

, where he assumed duty as Commander of Task Group Two, Eighth Amphibious Force with additional duty as Commander, Task Force 85 "Delta Force" under Admiral

Henry K. Hewitt Henry Kent Hewitt (February 11, 1887 – September 15, 1972) was the United States Navy commander of amphibious operations in north Africa and southern Europe through World War II. He was born in Hackensack, New Jersey and graduated from the Unit ...

. His Task Force consisted of Force Flagship Group (Flagship - USS ''Biscayne''; destroyer USS ''Forrest'', and seaplane one fighter-director tender); Transport Group (six transport ships, two Attack freighters, five destroyers, three british troop ships); Assault Group (beach assault landing crafts); Gunfire support group (one battleship, one light cruiser, two french light cruisers, eight destroyers, three french destroyers); Minesweeper group (eight minesweepers) and Combat and Firefighting Group (seven fleet tugs). He commanded his Task Force during the

Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil) was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence ( Southern France) on 15August 1944. Despite initially designed to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord, ...

, the Allied invasion of the Southern France in August 1944, where his command assisted in landing of assault troops, supplies and mechanized equipment of the 7th Army, mostly Major General William Eagle's 45th Infantry (Thunderbirds) Division on a stretch of beach between Pointe des Sardineux and Pointe de la Garonne. His efficient direction of unloading operations of convoys were contributing factors in sustaining the rapid advance of our ground forces into enemy-held territory. Rodgers was subsequently decorated with Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his service and was entitled to wear the

for ''USS Biscay'' service during the Operation Dragoon. He was also made British Honorary Commander of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as ...

and received

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

and French Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 with Palm.

Pacific Theater

Rodgers and his command were ordered to the Pacific theater of operations in December 1944 and his unit was now redesignated Amphibious Group ELEVEN. He assumed additional duty as Commander, Battleship Division 3 and led his command during the Iwo Jima Campaign in February-March 1945 and

Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...

in May-June of that year. In both campaigns, troops under his command were responsible for the support of the landings. Despite repeated attempts by hostile suicide boats to strike his ships and incessant attacks by enemy aircraft, Rodgers directed the units under his command in supporting minesweeping and underwater demolition operations in preparation for the main assaults on objectives; supported landings and subsequent advances of our troops; and provided scheduled bombardments in support of our daily attacks against each Japanese stronghold in turn. He was decorated with second Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his service in the Pacific theater.

Postwar career

NH 62849 Naval Air Station, Moffett Field, California

Following the war, Rodgers remained in Pacific and his command was transferred to the

United States Fifth Fleet The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It has been responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean since 1995 after a 48-year hiatus. It shares a commander and head ...

under Admiral

Raymond A. Spruance Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 – December 13, 1969) was a United States Navy admiral during World War II. He commanded U.S. naval forces during one of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific Theatre: the Battle ...

for participation in the Invasion of Japan. Following the Surrender of Japan, the main goal for his forces was changed to occupation and forces landed at

Kure is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Japan ...

, Hiroshima,

Matsuyama 270px, Matsuyama City Hall 270px, Ehime Prefectural Capital Building is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan and also Shikoku's largest city. , the city had an estimated population of 505,948 in 243541 househ ...

areas of southern

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island ...

and

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), ...

, Japan. Rodgers was appointed Commander, Amphibian Group 3 in February 1946 and took part in the Seventh Fleet's repatriation operations of Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese and in transporting Chinese Nationalists troops to North China and

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym "Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East ( Outer ...

. For his service in this capacity, he was decorated with Chinese Order of the Sacred Tripod, 4th Class by

Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...

. Following his return stateside in July 1946, Rodgers was appointed Commander, Amphibious Group One and participated in the first full-scale peacetime amphibious training exercises conducted off the coast of Southern California in November and December that year. At the end of his tenure, he witnessed the sinking of his World War II ship, USS ''Salt Lake City'', which was used as a target hull on May 25, 1948. He was subsequently appointed Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet in April 1948 and took part in the observation tour during the annual resupply expedition to Naval Petroleum Reserve Nr. 4 on

. Rodgers held that command until February 1952. Rodgers was appointed Commandant,

with headquarters in

and administered all Navy units in the following geographic areas

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

;

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

;

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

except

Clark Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educat ...

County; the northern part of

, including counties of

San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly h ...

Kings Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...

, Tulare,

Inyo Inyo may refer to: Places California * Inyo County, California * Inyo National Forest, USA * The Inyo Mountains * The Mono–Inyo Craters Other uses * Japanese for yin and yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophy, Chinese p ...

, and all counties north thereof. He was ordered to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

in March 1954 and commanded U.S. Naval Forces Germany until November 1955, when he was ordered to the United States and attached back to the 12th Naval District. Rodgers then served as President, Permanent General Court Martial until his retirement on April 1, 1956. He was advanced to the rank of Vice admiral on the retired list for having been specially commended in combat.

Retirement

Following his retirement from the Navy, Rodgers settled in

Coronado, California Coronado (Spanish language, Spanish for "Crowned") is a resort town, resort city located in San Diego County, California, United States, across the San Diego Bay from downtown San Diego. It was founded in the 1880s and incorporated in 1890. It ...

, where he was active in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Holy Name Society and the

Navy League of the United States The Navy League of the United States, commonly referred to as the Navy League, is a national association with nearly 50,000 members who advocate for a strong, credible United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard and ...

. He died of heart attack at Coronado Hospital on November 30, 1983 and was buried at sea in accordance with his wishes. Admiral Rodgers was preceded in death by his wife, Marie Fischer Rodgers, in 1981 and is survived by three sons: Bertram Joseph Jr., San Francisco; Paul Stephen, Santa Clara; and James Richard, Coronado; a daughter, Mrs. Marie E. Rodgers Casey, Alexandria, Va.; 13 grandchildren and a brother and sister. His son, Bertram J. Rodgers, Jr., worked as a consultant for an electronics company in Fremont, CA until his retirement in 2016.

Military decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Vice admiral Bertram J. Rodgers:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodgers, Bertram J. 1894 births 1983 deaths Military personnel from Pittsburgh United States Naval Academy alumni Naval War College alumni United States submarine commanders United States Navy vice admirals United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy World War II admirals Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)