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Forrest Sherman | |
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| Birth name | Forrest Percival Sherman |
| Born | (1896-10-30)October 30, 1896 Merrimack, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Died | July 22, 1951(1951-07-22) (aged 54) Naples, Italy |
| Buried | |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Service years | 1917–1951 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Chief of Naval Operations United States Sixth Fleet USS Wasp Fighter Squadron VF-1B Scouting Squadron VS-2B USS Barry |
| Conflicts | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Navy Cross Navy Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Purple Heart |
Forrest Percival Sherman (October 30, 1896 – July 22, 1951) was anadmiral in theUnited States Navy and the youngest person to serve asChief of Naval Operations until AdmiralElmo Zumwalt in 1970. TheForrest Sherman-class destroyer and the airfield at Naval Air Station Pensacola (Forrest Sherman Field) were named for him.
Born inMerrimack, New Hampshire, Sherman was a member of theUnited States Naval Academy class of 1918, graduating in June 1917 due to America's entry intoWorld War I.
During and shortly after World War I, Sherman served in European waters as an officer of thegunboatUSS Nashville anddestroyerUSS Murray. In 1919–21, Sherman was assigned to thebattleshipUSS Utah and destroyersUSS Reid andUSS Barry, serving as commanding officer of the latter.
Following duty as Flag Lieutenant to Commander Control Force,Atlantic Fleet, he received flight training atNaval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Designated a Naval Aviator in December 1922, Lieutenant Sherman was assigned toFighter Squadron VF-2B until 1924, when he returned to Pensacola as an instructor. Study at theNaval War College was followed in 1927 by service in theaircraft carriersUSS Lexington andUSS Saratoga. While in the latter ship, he commandedScouting Squadron VS-2B and was Flag Secretary to Commander Aircraft Squadrons,Battle Fleet.
Promoted to the ranks of lieutenant commander in 1930 and commander in 1937, during that decade Sherman served at the Naval Academy, commandedFighter Squadron VF-1B, had charge of the Aviation Ordnance Section of theBureau of Ordnance, was Navigator of the aircraft carrierUSS Ranger, and had duty on a number of flag staffs. In 1941–42, he served with the Office of theChief of Naval Operations and was a member of the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, Canada-United States.
Commander Sherman worked closely with then US Army MajorAlbert C. Wedemeyer, author of the "Victory Plan of 1941", "the blueprint... for the mobilization of the United States Army for World War 2". Wedemeyer, while working in the War Plans Department, was commissioned to write the "Victory Plan by General George C. Marshall."
The Victory Plan predicted the future organization for an army that did not yet exist, outlined combat missions for a war not yet declared, and computed war production requirements for industries that were still committed to peacetime manufacture." Captain Forrest Sherman's personal relationship with Major Albert Wedemeyer "ensured a community of planning effort between the two services and pointed to a future in which the services would acknowledge that mobilization planning was a joint responsibility that one service alone could not conduct adequately.
— Charles E. Kirkpatrick,Writing the Victory Plan of 1941
In May 1942, after reaching the rank of captain, Sherman took command of the carrierUSS Wasp, taking the ship through the first month of theSolomon Islands campaign.
AfterWasp was sunk by a Japanesesubmarine on September 15, 1942, Sherman was awarded theNavy Cross for his extraordinary heroism in command of the carrier during the opening days of theSouth Pacific operations. Sherman then became Chief of Staff to Commander Air Force,Pacific Fleet. In November 1943, Rear Admiral Sherman was assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Pacific Fleet commander, AdmiralChester W. Nimitz. He held that position for the remainder of World War II, playing a critical role in planning the offensives that brought victory in the Pacific, and was present when Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945. Following a short tour as a carrier division commander, in December 1945 Vice Admiral Sherman became Deputy Chief of Naval Operations. During 1946 and 1947 he had a vital role in the negotiations for the unification process leading to the1947 National Security Act.
Sherman's next assignment, beginning in January 1948, was to command the navy's operating forces in theMediterranean Sea. He was recalled toWashington, D.C., at the end of October 1949 to become Chief of Naval Operations, with the rank of admiral. During the next sixteen months, he helped the navy recover from a period of intense political controversy (as in the so-called "Revolt of the Admirals"). Sherman's absence from the recent controversy, and his role in the unification negotiations made him the logical candidate.[1] As Chief of Naval Operations, he oversaw the responses to the twin challenges of ahot war in Korea and an intensifyingcold war elsewhere in the world.
On July 22, 1951, while on a military and diplomatic trip to Europe, Admiral Forrest Sherman died inNaples, Italy, following a sudden series of heart attacks. He was buried atArlington National Cemetery on July 27, 1951.
USS Forrest Sherman (DD-931), lead ship of theForrest Sherman-classdestroyers was named in his honor, followed byUSS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98), anArleigh Burke-classguided missile destroyer.
Also named in his honor wasSherman Island,Antarctica; Forrest Sherman Field atNAS Pensacola, home of theBlue Angels; and Forrest Sherman Field at Hospital Point at theUS Naval Academy. The US Department of Defense school in Naples, Italy was formerly calledForrest Sherman High School.
Admiral Sherman's decorations include:[2]
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| Naval Aviator Badge | ||
| Navy Cross | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Legion of Merit |
| Purple Heart (award for wounds received aboard the USSWasp) | Victory Medal with "Patrol" Clasp | American Defense Service Medal with "Fleet" clasp |
| American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with threebattle stars | World War II Victory Medal |
| Navy Occupation Service Medal | National Defense Service Medal | Philippine Liberation Medal with one battle star |
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Chief of Naval Operations 1949–1951 | Succeeded by |
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