Midway (CVB 41) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 18 text:

CAI ' T AIN k. CRAK; uiii. born an.l raiw-.l in (ialcHhiirp. Illinoix. H - all«-nilc-.l Knii Collciic in (ialrsbiir); for l»o yrarc hi-for - atl ' ii(lin|: llic I. S. a jl Acadt-my. from wliirli lie (:ra liial il with tlic cla-s of V)2 t. W liilc al llic Academy lie excelled in liai-ketliall and Jacros ' C. After lours of duly on llie I .S.S. ARIZONA and llic I S.S. MA(,Ain. Ca].- tain (Iraij; cnlcrcil (lijiln Irainiiiii al l ' i-n. acola. Klorida. and was dchijinalcd a naval a iator in l ' ).iO. Th.-n followed t»o years aboard ibe I .S.S. NK, I)A. atialioii duties in Hawaii and carrier duly on the U.S.S. l-A.N il KV. During ibe first years of W orbl War II i aptain Craig beld various sljff assipnmenis in the Pacific area. May l ' )4. ' }. look him to Na al Air Station. DeLand. Florida, as ( ' ommandin« Oflicer, and in 1944 be bad two commands: tbe U.S.S. SABLE, a traininfr carrier operalinp on l.akc Micbigan and later an escort carrier, the U.S.S. CROATAN. After service as Chief of Staff for liolb Commander Carrier Division Four and Commander Fleet Air Quonsel. Rliode Island, be beaded tbe Aviation Dcparlmenl at tbe Naval Academy for tbe 1948 and 1949 academic years. In l od be was assigned as an aide to the Secretary of Defense in S asbington and later worked with ibe Foreign Military Affairs Branch of ibe Defense Depart- ment. Captain Craig assumed i-oniniand of llie L .S.S. MIDW.W on H March I ' .)1. K. Craig Captain, USN ( ominanau ■ ■; ,,,r, •;

Page 17 text:

IMMEDIATELY before reportiiif; for duty as COMCARDI FOUR. U. S. Atlantic Fleet, with the U.S.S. MIDWAY as his flagship. Rear Admiral Austin K. Doyle was Chief of aval Air Reserve Trainint; witli headquarters at Glenview, Illinois. A native of New York City, Admiral Doyle attended the Curtis High School, Staten Island, and was appointed to the U. S. Naval Academy in 1916 where he was graduated as an Ensign in 1919. Progressing in rank, he was commis- sioned Rear Admiral in September 194.5, to rank from December 19, 1943. Designated a naval aviator in December 1922, Admiral Doyle served aboard such ships as the U.S.S. WRIGHT, U.S.S. LANGLEY, U.S.S. LEXINGTON, U.S.S. IDAHO and the U.S.S. SARATOGA. He also had tours of shore duty in Washington, D. C; Pensacola, Florida, and al the Naval Academy where lie coached the 19.33 baseball team. During World ar II Admiral Doyle was in command of the U.S.S. NASSAU an l the U.S.S. HORNET. For his services in command of the NASSAU, during the operations in the Aleutians, Rear Admiral Doyle was awarded the Legion of Merit. For his services in command of the HORNET, he was awarded the Navy Cross, a Gold Star in lieu of the second Navy Cross, and a Gold Star in lieu of tlie second Legion of Merit. Austin K. Doyle Rear Admiral, USN y ominanaer

Page 19 text:

c. otnniandina Frank O ' Beirne Captain, USN Qi O CAPTAIN PRANK OBEIRNE wa,. born in Biloxi. Mis?. He lived in Illinois from early childhood until entering the L. S. Naval Academy in 1922. He received his wings in 1929. Following a short tour of sea duty, he returned to the Post Graduate School at Annapolis and later, the University of Michigan where he received a Master of Science in Engineering in 193.5. The following years found Captain O ' Beirne in tlie Pacific Theater with an occasional side trip to ashington. D. C During W orld ar . while in the Pacific, he served as Commanding Officer of tlie L.S.S. BRETON ( CVE-22 i and Chief of StaflF. COMCAOn SEVE.N on board the U.S.S. BON HOMME RICHARD. After another short tour in Washington at the National War College Captain O ' Beirne went to London as Assistant Naval Attache and Assistant Naval Attache for Air where he served until he returned to ashington for duty in the Strategic Plans Division. From there he received orders to the U.S.S. IVHD- W A as her eleventh Commanding Officer. For services rendered. Captain O ' Beirne displays the Bronze Star, tlie Air Medal, the Presidential L nit (atation. the Armv L nit Catation. the American Defense Service Medal witli one star, the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal with three stars, the Philippine Defense Ribbon witli one star, the American Area Campaign Medal and the ' orld W ar II Victory Medal.