Frederick Carl Sherman (27 May 1888 – 27 July 1957) was a highly decorated admiral of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during

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 ...

Early life

Sherman was born in

Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in and seat of government of St. Clair County, Michigan, United States. The population was 28,983 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the west by Port Huron Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Po ...

on 27 May 1888. His grandfather, Loren Sherman, was the longtime editor and publisher of ''The Daily Times'' in Port Huron. His father, Frederick Ward Sherman, sold the newspaper in 1907 and moved to California, where he was editor and publisher of ''The Daily Independent'' in Santa Barbara in 1911.

Naval career

Sherman graduated from 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 ...

in 1910. He served as commanding officer of

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

s and 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 ...

. After becoming a

naval aviator Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves '' navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seaborne aviation encompas ...

, Sherman served as executive officer of in 1937, and of

Naval Air Station San Diego Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado ( ...

to 1938. He commanded from 1940 until her loss in the

Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the battle ...

. Captain Sherman was the last man to leave the sinking ship. His wife wrote a book titled ''Admiral Wags'' which told the story of the family cocker spaniel who accompanied Sherman during his command of ''Lexington''. The dog can be seen in war footage used in the John Wayne movie ''In Harm's Way''. Promoted to rear admiral, he served as assistant chief of staff to Commander in Chief Atlantic Fleet, Admiral

Ernest King Ernest Joseph King (23 November 1878 – 25 June 1956) was a Fleet admiral (United States), fleet admiral in the United States Navy who served as Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (COMINCH) and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during Worl ...

until the end of 1942. He served in the Fast Carrier Task Force, as Commander, Carrier Division 2 in 1943, and as Commander, Task Group 38.3 in 1944–45. Sherman was a three-time recipient of 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 ...

. Promoted to vice admiral in 1945, he became Commander, United States Fifth Fleet before retiring in 1947. Upon retirement, he was promoted to admiral on the retired list.

Later life and legacy

Sherman wrote ''Combat Command'', a history of the Pacific Theater of World War II, drawing on his personal experiences. ''Combat Command'' was published in 1950 by E.P. Dutton Inc, and again by Bantam Books in 1982. Sherman appeared on the

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in films and vaudeville on television, radio, and the stage. He is considered one of America's greatest comed ...

radio game show ''

You Bet Your Life ''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radioTokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture, on the southern coast of the island of Honshu. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. Th ...

, watching the Japanese sign surrender terms at the end of

. He and a recent naval recruit contested the major prize of $1000 but were unsuccessful. Sherman died on 27 July 1957 in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

. The Frederick C. Sherman Field on nearby

San Clemente Island San Clemente Island (Tongva: ''Kinkipar''; Spanish: ''Isla de San Clemente'') is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. It is administer ...

was dedicated in his honor on 11 January 1961.

Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Vice Admiral Frederick C. Sherman:

References

: *
History of St. Clair County, Michigan
by William Lee Jenks, 1911

External links

– from Microworks.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Sherman, Frederick 1888 births 1957 deaths People from Port Huron, Michigan Military personnel from Michigan United States Naval Aviators United States submarine commanders United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy vice admirals United States Navy personnel of World War I Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Navy World War II admirals