Alfred C. Richmond

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Admiral Alfred C. Richmond
Born(1902-01-18)18 January 1902
Waterloo, Iowa, US
Died15 March 1984(1984-03-15) (aged 82)
Claremont, California, US
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery
Service / branchUnited States Coast Guard
Years of service1922–1962
RankAdmiral
CommandsCommandant
AwardsBronze Star
Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit

Alfred Carroll Richmond (18 January 1902 – 15 March 1984) was an admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 11th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from 1954 to 1962, the second longest tenure of any U.S. Coast Guard Commandant following Russell R. Waesche who served from 1936 to 1946.

Early life

Richmond was born 18 January 1902 in

Arlington, Virginia, with his family at the age of ten. After receiving a high school certificate from Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Virginia, he entered the College of Engineering at George Washington University at the age of 16. While a student at George Washington University, he was employed at the United States Naval Observatory. He graduated from GWU in 1922, the same year he was appointed as a cadet at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.[1]

Early career

Upon graduating from the Academy in 1924, with senior man honors, Richmond was commissioned as an

Coast Guard Auxiliary, which at the time was known as the Coast Guard Reserve.[Note 1]
London, England.[1]

World War II service

In May 1941, Richmond was transferred to the Bethlehem Shipbuilding yard at

U.S. Maritime Service personnel.[Note 2][1] He became the commanding officer when American Sailor was commissioned on 22 July 1941 and sailed her to the Maritime Service Training Station at Port Hueneme, California, where he also assumed command of the school in February 1942.[1][7] Richmond was promoted to commander on 17 July 1942 while stationed at Port Hueneme. With the termination of Coast Guard control of Maritime Service ships on 1 September 1942, he received orders to report aboard the Haida once again as the commanding officer where he was responsible for convoy escort duty for ships taking troops and cargo to Alaska.[1] In February 1943 he was directed to report to the Merchant Marine Inspection Office in New York where his duties included those of examining officer and hearing officer. Richmond was promoted to captain 1 June 1943 and in July was transferred to London, England. He was the Senior Coast Guard Officer in charge of the Merchant Marine Hearing Unit where he was responsible for administering and enforcing laws relating to the functions of Coast Guard vessels and personnel. He was also the hearing officer for accidents and casualties involving U.S. naval forces vessels and personnel in Europe. As the senior Coast Guard officer on the staff of the commander, U.S. Naval Forces in Europe he assisted in the organizing of Coast Guard assets used during Operation Overlord. For his part in planning the invasion, he received the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service. The French government awarded him the Croix de Guerre "for exceptional services rendered in the liberation of France".[1]

Post-World War II assignments

In May 1945, Richmond was assigned to Coast Guard Headquarters serving as Supply Division Chief, Program Planning Division Chief, Planning and Budgets Division Chief, and Assistant Chief of the Planning and Control Division.

rear admiral. The following year, he was given addition duties as Coast Guard Chief of Staff.[1]

Commandant

Richmond was appointed as

Safety of Life at Sea Convention in London, for which services he was awarded the newly inaugurated Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal. On 1 June 1960, he was promoted to admiral under the authority of Public Law 86-474, which required the commandant to hold the rank of admiral.[1] In 1960 he was chosen to preside at the sixth International Lighthouse Conference and as president of the executive committee of the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities.[1][12] In 1961, Richmond was again a delegate to the second assembly of IMCO as well as chairman of the National Committee for Prevention of Pollution of Seas by Oil.[1]

Retirement and personal life

Admiral Richmond was relieved by Admiral Edwin J. Roland in formal change-of-command ceremonies held aboard the USCGC Campbell on the Potomac River at Washington, DC, 31 May 1962 and officially retired from the Coast Guard on 1 June receiving a gold star in lieu of a second award of the Distinguished Service Medal for his "exceptionally meritorious service" as commandant from 1 June 1954 to 31 May 1962.[1] He moved with his wife, Gretchen Campbell Richmond, to Claremont, California, where he served as a civil defense official for many years. He died of cancer 15 March 1984 at the age of 82 in Claremont and is buried alongside her at Arlington National Cemetery.[15][1] Richmond was installed in the George Washington University Letterman Hall of Fame in November 1959 honoring his college letter in football. Richmond and his wife Gretchen were parents of two sons, John Mason Richmond and Alfred Carroll Richmond Jr.[1]

Dates of rank

Ensign
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
 Lieutenant
Lieutenant Commander
 Commander
Captain
O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6
October 1, 1924 October 1, 1926 October 1, 1928 October 16, 1932 July 14, 1942 June 1, 1943
Commodore
Rear Admiral
Vice Admiral
 Admiral
O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10
Never held March 10, 1950 June 1, 1954 June 1, 1960

See also

Notes

Footnotes
  1. Coast Guard Reserve on 19 February 1941.[4]
  2. ^ The Coast Guard assumed the administration of the ships of the U.S. Maritime Service on 1 September 1938. The ships were crewed by Coast Guard personnel until 1 July 1942. The American Sailor was the former merchant ship Edgemont launched in April 1919 at the Skinner & Eddy shipyards at Seattle, Washington. She was decommissioned by the Coast Guard 31 August 1942 and returned to Maritime Service control.[6]
  3. ^ The report mandated by Congress was known as the "Ebasco Report" and was a study conducted by private contractor Ebasco Services, Inc. that began an investigation into Coast Guard operating practices in September 1947 and presented the finished report to Congress 21 January 1948. The report listed 193 recommendations for improving operations, some of which could be handled internally within the Coast Guard or the Treasury Department. Some of the recommendations required changes in laws that only Congress had the authority to modify.[8]
  4. ^ Richmond's rapport with Congress came from his experience as planning and budget chief at Coast Guard Headquarters and his legal background. He was responsible for presenting the Coast Guard's annual requests before Congressional budget committees beginning in 1946, a task he performed annually until his retirement 16 years later.[13]
  5. ^ Several high profile rescues at sea occurred during Richmond's first term as commandant including the Andrea Doria. While the bulk of the Andrea Doria rescue was performed by civilian and navy vessels, it did point to the need for the establishment of a program to coordinate rescue efforts at sea by both military and civilian vessels and the eventual formation of AMVER which the Coast Guard administers.[11][14]
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Coast Guard Historian's Office "Alfred C. Richmond, USCG"
  2. ^ Johnson, p. 115
  3. ^ Canney, p. 106
  4. ^ Johnson, p. 182
  5. ^ Johnson, p. 161
  6. ^ Scheina, p. 199
  7. ^ Scheina, pp. 202–203
  8. ^ a b Johnson, pp. 263–264
  9. ^ a b Johnson, p. 296
  10. ^ Johnson, p. 297
  11. ^ a b Johnson, p. 308
  12. ^ a b Johnson, p. 311
  13. ^ Johnson, p. 260
  14. ^ Johnson, pp. 303–304
  15. ^ Burial Detail: Richmond, Alfred C (Section 11, Grave 36-1) – ANC Explorer

Public Domain This article incorporates

United States government
.
Public Domain This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

References cited
Military offices
Preceded by Commandant of the Coast Guard
1954–1962 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Assistant Commandant of the Coast Guard

1949–1954 		Succeeded by
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