Admiral John Sidney McCain Sr. USN |
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(1884-1945) |
September 21, 1942: Rear Admiral John S. McCain (left) and Rear Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch seen during a change of command in the Pacific.
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Vice Admiral John S. McCain Sr. and Admiral William F. Halsey on board USS New Jersey BB-63 en route to
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September 2, 1945: Vice Admiral John S. McCain Sr. and Commander John S. McCain Jr. seen in Tokyo Bay
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John S. McCain was born in Carroll County, Mississippi August 9, 1884, the son of Sidney McCain and wife Elizabeth-Ann Young and attended the University of Mississippi before going to the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1906. McCain, with many other junior officers, took part in the Great White Fleet's world cruise from 1907 to 1909. Nimitz, Halsey, McCain and many other participants in this event would later rise to flag rank in World War II. In the 1920s and early 1930s, McCain served on the USS Maryland, USS New Mexico, and USS Nitro. His first command was the USS Sirius. In 1936, he became a naval aviator and from 1937 to 1939 he commanded the aircraft carrier USS Ranger. In January, 1941, after promotion to rear admiral, he commanded the Aircraft Scouting Force in the Atlantic Fleet. After the outbreak of hostilities between the U.S. and Japan in December, 1941, McCain was appointed as Commander, Aircraft, South Pacific in May 1942. In this position, he commanded all land-based Allied air operations supporting the Guadalcanal campaign in the Solomon Islands and south Pacific area. In October On October 30, 1944 McCain assumed command of TF-58, now designated TF-38 as part of Adm. William Halsey's Third Fleet. He remained commander of the fast carrier task force that he led through the Battle of Okinawa and raids on the Japanese mainland. By war's end in August 1945, the stress of combat operations had worn McCain down to a weight of only 100 pounds. He requested home leave to recuperate but Halsey insisted that he be present at the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay, Japan on September 2, 1945. Departing immediately after the ceremony, McCain died of a heart attack at his home in Coronado, California on September 6, 1945. He was posthumously promoted to full admiral. |
(Text courtesy of Wikipedia)
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USS John S. McCain DD-928 |
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Page published Aug. 24, 2008 |