Halsey (CG 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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FLEET ADMIRAL WILLIAM F HALSEY, JR. UNITED STATES NAVY Fleet Admiral HALSEY was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, 30 October 1882, The son of Captain William F. HALSEY, USN, and Anne Brewster HALSEY. He was appointed to the U.S. NAVAL Academy in 1900 and graduated in February 1904. After graduation, Admiral HALSEY served in many capacities ranging from Naval Attache to ship commands. Much of his early career during and subsequent to World War I was devoted to commanding destroyers. In 1935, at the age of 52, He won his wings and was designated a Naval Aviator. The succeeding years brought to the forefront his time-tested command abilities and saw Admiral HALSEY commanding first the USS SARATOGA and later the South Pacific Force and South Pacific area where he doggedly set about and succeeded in routing enemy forces from Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands. In June 1944, Admiral HALSEY assummed command of the Third Fleet and was designated commander of the Western Pacific Task Force. Beginning in August 1944, his forces left a trail of enemy ruin and destruction in Palaus, Philippines, Formosa (Taiwan), Okinawa and the South China Sea, and decisively defeated enemy sea and air force operations in the Western Carolines and the Philippines Islands. In the final phases of the war in the Pacific, Admiral HALSEY ' s Third- Fleet icipated in the Okinawa Campaign, and later his fast carrier task oroceeded northward and struck at Tokyo in July 1945. eust 29, 1945, Admiral HALSEY, flying his flag on the USS Missci-. r.tered Tokyo Bay, and on 1 September the formal surrender of the Jaj ;e Imperial Government was signed. In Novv 1945, Admiral HALSEY relinquished command of the Third Fleet which had exemplified his slogan: HIT HARD, HIT FAST, HIT OFTEN . Fleet Admiral HALSE Y retired from active duty in December 1946. Admiral HALSEY died in 1959 and was buried with full military honors jn 20 August in Arlington National Cemetery.