John D. Bulkeley

Vice Admiral John D. Bulkeley (19 August 1911 – 6 April 1996) was a United States Navy officer who was noted for his service during World War II and the Cold War.

Contents

1 Early life and career

2 World War II

3 Cold War standoff with Castro

4 Last years

5 Awards and decorations

6 External links

Early life and career

John Bulkeley was born in New York City and grew up on a farm in Hacketstown, New Jersey . Unable to gain an appointment to Annapolis from his home state of New Jersey, he gained an appointment from the state of Texas. Due to budget constraints, only half of the 1933 Academy class received a commission upon graduation. John Bulkeley, noted early on for his intense interest in engineering, joined the Army Flying Corps . Like the crazy flying machines of the day, he landed hard more than once and, after a year, left flying for the deck of a cruiser, the USS Indianapolis, as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy.

Ensign John D. Bulkeley charted an interesting course in his early years and was recognized early on by the Navy's leadership. As a new ensign in the mid-1930s, he took the initiative to remove the Japanese ambassador's brief case from a stateroom aboard a Washington-bound steamer, delivering same to Naval Intelligence a short swim later. This bold feat, of which there were to be many more in his life, did not earn him any medals, but it did get him a swift one-way ticket out of the country and a new assignment as Chief Engineer of a coal burning gunboat, the USS Sacramento (PG-19), also known in those parts as "The Galloping Ghost of the China Coast". There he was to meet Alice Wood, a young, attractive English girl, at a dinner party aboard HMS Diana . In China they would witness the invasion of Swatow and Shanghai by Japanese troops and the bombing of USS Panay (PR-5), the first US Navy ship sunk in World War II.

World War II

At the dawn of World War II, a fleet lieutenant commanding Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three (a Phillipines-based detachment of six motor torpedo boats,) John Bulkeley hit his stride as a daring, resourceful and courageous leader, determined to fight to the last against enemy forces attacking the Philippine Islands. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, after being ordered out of the Philippines and arriving at Mindanao following a 600-mile open-ocean escape aboard a 77-foot motor torpedo boat through enemy lines, would say, "You have taken me out of the jaws of death. I shall never forget it." A lot of his impressive array of decorations were awarded as a result of his command of the squadron.

From the Pacific campaign, where he would command another squadron of PTs, he would go to the European theater just in time for the Normandy invasion. John Bulkeley led naval forces of torpedo boats and minesweepers in clearing the lanes to Utah Beach, keeping German E-boats from attacking the landing ships along the Mason Line and picking up wounded sailors from the sinking minesweeper USS Tide and destroyer USS Cory . As Normandy operations wound up, he got his first large ship command, the destroyer USS Endicott (DD-495) , and a month after the D-day invasion of Europe he came to the aid of two British gunboats under attack by two German corvettes. Charging in with only one gun working, he engaged both enemy vessels at point blank range, sending both to the bottom. When asked, he explained, "What else could I do? You engage, you fight, you win. That is the reputation of our Navy, then and in the future."

Cold War standoff with Castro

In the 1960s Bulkeley commanded the Guantanamo Naval Base, where he met and defeated the challenge of Fidel Castro's threats of severing the water supplies of the base. Perhaps a tribute of the time was the wanted poster, offering 50,000 pesos for him, dead or alive, by the communist leadership of Cuba along with a description, "…a guerrilla of the worst species".

Last years

Bulkeley retired from the Navy in 1988. He died in 1996.

Awards and decorations

Decorations include: the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, the Army Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a second award, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit with Combat V, the Purple Heart twice over, the Philippine Distinguished Conduct Star , the French Croix de Guerre.

Medal of Honor Citation: For extraordinary heroism, distinguished service, and conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty as commander of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3, in Philippine waters during the period 7 December 1941 to 10 April 1942. The remarkable achievement of Lt. Comdr. Bulkeley's command in damaging or destroying a notable number of Japanese enemy planes, surface combatant and merchant ships, and in dispersing landing parties and land-based enemy forces during the 4 months and 8 days of operation without benefit of repairs, overhaul, or maintenance facilities for his squadron, is believed to be without precedent in this type of warfare. His dynamic forcefulness and daring in offensive action, his brilliantly planned and skillfully executed attacks, supplemented by a unique resourcefulness and ingenuity, characterize him as an outstanding leader of men and a gallant and intrepid seaman. These qualities coupled with a complete disregard for his own personal safety reflect great credit upon him and the Naval Service.