Nathan Crook Twining (17 January 1869 – 4 July 1924) was 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 ...
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 ...
.
Biography
Twining was born in
Boscobel, Wisconsin
Boscobel ( ) is a city in Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,286 at the 2020 census. Approximately 0.6 mi. (1 km) to the north of the city, across a riparian swamp, is the Wisconsin River. U.S. Route 61 cross ...
, on 17 January 1869, the son of Nathan Crook Twining Sr. (1834–1924) and his second wife, Mary Jane Rennie. He was raised, in part, by his father's third wife, Margaret E. "Maggie" Rockwell (1849–1919) of Batavia, Kane County, Illinois.
He was appointed a naval cadet in 1885 and 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 ...
on 7 June 1889. During the
Spanish–American War
The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
, he served in in
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
n waters and later was executive officer of when that ship circumnavigated the globe with the
Great White Fleet
The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the group of United States Navy battleships that completed a journey around the globe from 16 December 1907, to 22 February 1909, by order of President Foreign policy of the Theodore Roosevelt ...
.
As the capability of aircraft to bombard warships was grower ever more likely, in 1911 Twining developed the U.S. Navy's first anti-aircraft cannon. The prototype was a 1-pounder. It was not placed in production, but provided the conceptual basis for the upscale
3 inch anti-aircraft cannon mounted on most U.S. warships during World War I.
In 1911 he succeeded his father as an hereditary member of the Delaware
Society of the Cincinnati
The Society of the Cincinnati is a lineage society, fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of milita ...
.
He commanded during the
bombardment of Veracruz,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
in 1914.
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 served as Chief of Staff for Admiral
William 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 ...
, Commander of Naval Forces in European waters. He was also a member of the
Allied War Council.
Rear Admiral Twining retired early in 1923 due to ill health. He died on July 4, 1924, in
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Nantucket () is an island in the state of Massachusetts in the United States, about south of the Cape Cod peninsula. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck Island, Tuckernuck and Muskeget Island, Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and Co ...
.
Family
Twining was the uncle of
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
General
Nathan F. Twining
Nathan Farragut Twining ( ; October 11, 1897 – March 29, 1982) was a United States Air Force general. He was the chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 1953 until 1957, and the third chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1957 ...
, and
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
General
Merrill B. Twining.
Rear Adm. Twining was married to Caroline Twining. Caroline died on October 14, 1943, and is buried next to her husband at
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.
...
.
Honors
In 1943, the
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
was named in his honor.
[ ]
Awards
*
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919 and is presented to Sailors and Marines to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritorio ...
*
Specially Meritorious Service Medal
The Specially Meritorious Service Medal was a military decoration of the United States Navy which was created by Joint Resolution of Congress No. 18 of 3 March 1901. The medal was intended to recognize acts of non-combat meritorious service accompl ...
*
Sampson Medal
The Sampson Medal was a U.S. Navy campaign medal. The medal was authorized by an Act of Congress in 1901. The medal was awarded to those personnel who served on ships in the fleet of Rear Admiral William T. Sampson during combat operations in t ...
*
Spanish Campaign Medal
The Spanish Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which recognized those men of the U.S. military who had served in the Spanish–American War. Although a single decoration, there were two versions of the Spanish ...
*
Mexican Service Medal
The Mexican Service Medal was an award of the United States military for service in Mexico from 1911 to 1919.
History
The Mexican Service Medal awarded by the Army was established by General Orders of the United States War Department on December ...
*
Victory Medal
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Twining, Nathan C.
1869 births
1924 deaths
United States Navy admirals
United States Naval Academy alumni
People from Boscobel, Wisconsin
Military personnel from Wisconsin
American military personnel of the Spanish–American War
United States Navy personnel of World War I
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery