Gerald Francis Bogan (July 27, 1894June 8, 1973) was a

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 ...

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

and

vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

who served in World War I and II.

Biography

Gerald Francis Bogan was born July 27, 1894, in

Mackinac Island, Michigan Mackinac Island ( , ) is a city in Mackinac County, Michigan, Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 583. Established as an important fur trading center i ...

to Dr. James H. Bogan (1867–1936) and Katharine Nash-Bogan (1868–1958). He 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 1916. He served in

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 ...

in convoy escort duty between the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

and

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

. After the war he served on destroyers. In 1925 he trained to be a Naval Aviator. He was among the first aviators to land on an aircraft carrier. Bogan served in the Pacific during World War II and was awarded 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 ...

, two Navy Distinguished Service Medals, and the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

with combat V device for actions during World War II.

Post–war

Bogan was promoted to

on February 2, 1946. Bogan later authored a confidential memorandum that was leaked by Captain

John G. Crommelin Rear Admiral John Geraerdt Crommelin Jr. (2 October 1902 – 2 November 1996) was a prominent American naval officer and later a frequent political candidate who championed white supremacy. Early life and naval career Born in Montgomery, Ala ...

during the

Revolt of the Admirals The "Revolt of the Admirals" was a policy and funding dispute within the United States government during the Cold War in 1949, involving a number of retired and active duty United States Navy admirals. These included serving officers Admiral Lo ...

in September 1949. His memo described the situation in the Navy as follows: "The morale of the Navy is lower today than at any time since I entered the commissioned ranks in 1916 ... The situation deteriorates with each press release." The memorandum was endorsed in writing by Admiral

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 ...

and

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 ...

Louis E. Denfeld. Bogan retired as a vice admiral in 1950 at age 55 rather than transfer from command of First Task Fleet in the Pacific to commander of Fleet Air at Jacksonville, a command normally filled by a

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

Post-Navy

In August 1963, Bogan was the captain of a 104-foot, $250,000, luxury

yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...

''Freedom II'' when it sank in the Pacific Ocean 600 miles from California. The yacht was en route from Honolulu to San Diego. Bogan and six crew members were rescued by the submarine . According to the crew, the yacht lost a wooden plank in its hull, causing it to flood and sink, though it was unclear what caused the loss of the plank. Bogan died at Scripps Hospital in San Diego on June 8, 1973. He was survived by his wife Katherine, stepson Harold, his two sisters Eleanore and Dorothy and his brother, James. Bogan was inducted into the

Naval Aviation Hall of Honor The United States Naval Aviation Hall of Honor, located at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, recognizes individuals "who by their actions or achievements made outstanding contributions to Naval Aviation." Since its incepti ...

, 1992.

Commands

(incomplete) *, 27 September 1942 – 7 April 1943 * TG 38.2 – CV – ; CVLs – ; ; 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 18 destroyers. *Commander, Air Force, Atlantic Fleet, February 1946 – December 1948. *Commander First Fleet, 8 January 1949 – 1 February 1950.

References

External links

The Revolt of the Admirals
Andrew L. Lewis, LCDR, USN. April 1998.
Bogan, Gerald Francis (1894–1973)Admiral Bogan photo collection
at

San Diego Air & Space Museum The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California. It is located in Balboa Park (San Diego), Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building (San Diego), Ford Building, which is li ...

Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Bogan, Gerald F. 1894 births 1973 deaths People from Mackinac Island, Michigan United States Naval Aviators United States Navy vice admirals United States Navy World War II admirals United States Naval Academy alumni Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Military personnel from Michigan