Forrestal (CVA 59) - Naval Cruise Book

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JAMES B. FORRESTAL James V. Forrestal was born in Beacon, New York, February 15, 1892. After graduation from high school, he attended Bartsmouth College and Princeton Uni- versity. Forrestal worked for short periods of time as a financial reporter and a tobacco salesman. During 1915, he entered the banking business in New York City. At the outbreak of World War I, Forrestal en- listed in the United States Navy. He was later commis- sioned as a Naval Aviator and served both in this coun- try and abroad. He was discharged in 1919 and reen- tered the banking industry. In June 1940, he accepted a post as Administrative Assistant to President Roosevelt, serving as Liaison for the President in the National Defense Program. In August 1940, he was appointed to the newly created office of Under Secretary of the Navy. Forrestal was appointed Secretary of the Navy in May 1944. He took the oath of office as the country's first Secretary of Defense in September 1947. He resigned in 1949 and entered the hospital in April of the same year. He died on May 22, 1949. A bronze bust of Forrestal at the entrance to the Pentagon bears the following inscrip- tion: This memorial to James V. Forrestal, as a sponta- neous tribute to his lasting accomplishments in provid- ing national security and his selfless devotion to duty, was erected by thousands of his friends and co-workers of all ranks and station. ll

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