Edward William Hanson | |
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| Governor of American Samoa | |
| In office June 26, 1938 – July 30, 1940 | |
| Preceded by | MacGillivray Milne |
| Succeeded by | Jesse Wallace |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 12, 1889 |
| Died | October 18, 1959(1959-10-18) (aged 70) La Jolla, California, US |
| Spouse | Nina A. Hertzberg |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy |
| Occupation | Naval officer |
| Awards | Navy Cross Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1911–1951 |
| Rank | Vice admiral |
| Commands | USS Erie USS Indianapolis 15th Naval District BatDiv 9 |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
Edward William Hanson (February 12, 1889 – October 18, 1959) was aUnited States NavyVice admiral and thegovernor of American Samoa from June 26, 1938, to July 30, 1940.[1] AsGovernor of American Samoa, Hanson believed that the nativeSamoans had a good way of life, and did little to interfere with established practices on the islands.[2]
Edward William Hanson was born on February 12, 1889, inAlexandria, Minnesota.[3][4] He attended theUnited States Naval Academy atAnnapolis, Maryland and graduated in 1911 with the rank ofEnsign.[5]
With the entry of the United States intoWorld War I,LTJG Hanson was appointed as commanding officer ofUSS Dale, aBainbridge-classdestroyer, which patrolledManila Bay in the summer of 1917. Hanson was ordered toGibraltar in the same year. During the voyage to Europe, which was longer than 11,000 miles, USSDale was under very unfavorable weather conditions. Hanson managed to sailDale without serious damage, so the ship was ready for immediate participation in operations against the enemy. LTJG Hanson was awarded theNavy Cross for his command of USSDale.[6]
Edward W. Hanson was awarded the Navy Cross. The official U.S. Navy citation for his Navy Cross reads:
After the War, Hanson served on the staff of the Harvard Naval Science Department atHarvard University and subsequently onUSS Black Hawk. Hanson also attended theNaval War College in 1925.[8] In 1927, he was transferred toUSS West Virginia, where he served as Ship Engineer for almost two years. In the next years, Hanson served also aboardUSS Arkansas,USS Wyoming andUSS Texas as a staff officer. Between years 1931–1932 Hanson returned toWest Virginia as hernavigator.
In July 1936, Hanson got his first command, when he was appointed commanding officer ofUSS Erie, a newly launchedgunboat. Hanson commanded the ship during protection of American interests and citizens during theSpanish Civil War. Then USSErie was used as atraining ship formidshipmen, operating out of theUnited States Naval Academy inAnnapolis.
On June 26, 1938, Hanson was appointed theGovernor of American Samoa. As Governor, he believed that the nativeSamoans had a good way of life, and did little to interfere with established practices on the islands.[9] At the time of his governorship, he was acommander.[10]
At the end of July 1940, Hanson ended his term as a Governor. He was subsequently promoted to the rank ofCaptain and appointed the commanding officer of theNaval Station Tutuila, also in American Samoa.
In October 1941, he was appointed the commanding officer of the heavy cruiserUSS Indianapolis.[11] Two months later (during theJapanese attack on Pearl Harbor), Hanson commanded USSIndianapolis during a training mission conducting a mock bombardment atJohnston Atoll. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hanson got order to search for Japanesecarriers responsible for the attack, though the ship did not locate them.
Hanson subsequently commanded USSIndianapolis during theNew Guinea campaign and also during theAleutian Islands Campaign in the Pacific War. He was subsequently appointed the commander of Battleship Division 9 in July 1942.[12]
Hanson commanded Battleship Division 9 for the rest of the war and spent this time in the Pacific. In August 1945, Hanson was transferred to Hawaii, where he succeeded Rear AdmiralWilliam R. Furlong as a Commander ofPearl Harbor Navy Yard.
On February 13, 1948, Hanson was assumed command of the15th Naval District, headquartered atBalboa in thePanama Canal Zone. While in this capacity, he was decorated withOrder of Vasco Núñez de Balboa, rank Commander by Government ofPanama andOrder of Merit, rank Commander byChile.[13][14]
Hanson retired from the Navy with the rank ofvice admiral on February 1, 1951, and settled inLa Jolla, California nearSan Diego. Edward William Hanson died there on October 18, 1959, aged 70. He is buried together with his wife Nina A. Hanson (1903–1974) atFort Rosecrans National Cemetery.
Here is the ribbon bar of Vice Admiral Edward W. Hanson:[15]
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| 1st Row | Navy Cross | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Row | Legion of Merit with"V" Device | Bronze Star Medal with"V" Device | Mexican Service Medal | |||||||||||
| 3rd Row | World War I Victory Medal with Destroyer Clasp | American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with fiveService stars | |||||||||||
| 4th Row | American Campaign Medal | World War II Victory Medal | National Defense Service Medal | |||||||||||
| 5th Row | Philippine Liberation Medal with two service stars | Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa, rank Commander (Panama) | Order of Merit, rank Commander (Chile) | |||||||||||
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)| Commandant(1900–1905) |  | |
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| Naval(1905–1951) | ||
| Civil(1951–1978) | ||
| Elected(since 1978) | ||
