Alfred Starbird
Alfred Dodd Starbird | |
---|---|
Sports career | |
Sport | Modern pentathlon |
Sports achievements and titles | |
Olympic finals | 1936 Summer Olympics |
Alfred Dodd Starbird (April 28, 1912 – July 28, 1983) was an American modern pentathlete, lieutenant general, and authority on nuclear weaponry. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, class of 1933, he was commissioned in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He was a member of the United States modern pentathlon team at the 1936 Summer Olympics, finishing seventh overall in a field of 42.
During World War II, Starbird served in the Operations Division of the War Department General Staff. He was an observer at landings at Oran and Normandy. In the latter part of the war in Europe, he commanded the 1135th Engineer Combat Group, which supported the assault crossing of the Rhine, and built bridges over the Danube.
From 1955 to 1961, Starbird was Director of Military Applications of the
After retiring from the Army in 1971, Starbird was director of the newly created Office of Test and Evaluation in the Department of Defense (DOD) from 1971 to 1975, and assistant administrator for National Security in the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) from 1975 to 1977. In 1977, ERDA became part of the new Department of Energy (DOE), and he became its acting secretary for Defense Programs. He retired in 1980.
Early life and education
Alfred Dodd Starbird was born in
On July 1, 1929, Starbird entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.[4] Although one of the younger members of his class,[5] he was 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall,[1] and distinguished himself in sports. He was captain of the cross country running team and also played basketball.[5] He graduated fifth in his class of 347 on June 13, 1933. As was normal for high-ranking graduates,[6] he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He was posted to the 5th Engineer Regiment at Camp Humphreys, Virginia, until February 1, 1935, and then to the 13th Engineer Regiment at Fort Belvoir (as Camp Humphreys had been renamed) until June 15, 1935.[4]
Olympic Games
Starbird, who was promoted to
After attending the officers' course at the Engineer School at Fort Belvoir, he returned to West Point as an instructor in Civil and Military Engineering on June 5, 1938.[4] He married Evelyn Wallington at Fort Myer, Virginia, where her father was stationed, in June 1939. They had three children: Edward, Susan and Catharine.[3]
World War II
During World War II, Starbird was promoted to captain in the Army of the United States on September 9, 1940, and major on February 1, 1942. On May 22, 1942, he was posted to the Operations Division of the War Department General Staff,[2] the U.S. Army's global command post,[8] working in its European section.[3]
For
During
On January 1, 1945, Starbird assumed command of the 1135th Engineer Combat Group. The 1135th Engineer Combat Group supported the
Nuclear weapons
On July 17, 1946, Starbird was posted to
Starbird joined the
In 1961, Starbird returned to duty with the Corps of Engineers as chief engineer of the North Pacific Division, supervising large military and civil construction projects in Portland, Oregon. In December 1961, he was suddenly ordered to take command of Joint Task Force 8 and conduct the Operation Dominic series of nuclear tests.[5][6] For this, he was awarded an oak leaf cluster to his Distinguished Service Medal. His citation read:
The success and productivity of this most complex and urgent program transcended all previous efforts in the history of United States nuclear testing and significantly enhanced the security of the nation and the free world.[5]
Starbird served as director of the
In 1971, Starbird became director of the newly created Office of Test and Evaluation in the Department of Defense (DOD). In 1975, he was appointed the assistant administrator for National Security in the ERDA, the successor to the Atomic Energy Commission. In 1977, ERDA became part of the new Department of Energy (DOE), and he became its acting secretary for Defense Programs.[5] He retired, only to be recalled to become director of the Joint DOD/DOE Long Range Resource Planning Group. He finally retired in 1980. As a civilian, he received an Atomic Energy Commission citation and gold medal for Commendatory Service in 1970, the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 1975 and the ERDA Citation in 1977.[5]
Starbird died of cancer at Walter Reed Hospital on July 28, 1983.[1] His son Edward graduated with West Point class of 1962, and rose to become a colonel in the Corps of Engineers.[19] Edward married Margaret Leonard, the daughter of Starbird's 1936 modern pentathlon teammate Charles F. Leonard Jr.[20] Their son, Starbird's grandson, Charles D. Starbird graduated with the class of 1990,[21] and granddaughter Kate Starbird is a former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the American Basketball League (ABL),[22] and a faculty member at the University of Washington.[23]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g "Alfred Starbird, Retired General". The New York Times. July 30, 1983. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Cullum 1950, p. 746.
- ^ a b c "A-Test Easy Choice". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. April 27, 1962. p. 13. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Cullum 1940, p. 985.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Alfred D. Starbird 1933". West Point Association of Graduates. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-309-03939-0.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Alfred Starbird". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- ^ Cline 1951, pp. 107–113.
- ^ Cline 1951, p. 182.
- ^ Matloff 1959, p. 219.
- ^ a b c "Valor awards for Alfred D. Starbird". Military Times. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ Beck et al. 1985, p. 525.
- ^ Fowle 1992, p. 469.
- ^ Beck et al. 1985, p. 545.
- ^ Hewlett & Holl 1989, pp. 473–477.
- ^ Drea 2011, pp. 129–130.
- ^ Drea 2011, pp. 178–179.
- ^ Drea 2011, pp. 508–509.
- ^ "COL Edward A. Starbird USA (Retired)". West Point Association of Graduates. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ "Charles F. Leonard, 92, Army general/Olympian". The Washington Times. March 6, 2006. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^ "United States Military Academy West Point – Howitzer Yearbook – Class of 1990". E-Yearbook. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ Porter 2005, p. 451.
- ^ "Kate Starbird Joins HCDE Faculty". April 13, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
References
- Beck, Alfred M.; Bortz, Abe; Lynch, Charles W.; Mayo, Lida; Weld, Ralph F. (1985). The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Germany (PDF). U.S. Amy in World War II – The Technical Services. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History. OCLC 40485571. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 16, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- Cline, Ray S. (1951). Washington Command Post: The Operations Division (PDF). U.S. Amy in World War II – The War Department. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History. OCLC 557820914. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- Cullum, George W. (1940). Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point New York Since Its Establishment in 1802: Supplement Volume VIII 1930–1940. Chicago: R. R. Donnelly and Sons, The Lakeside Press. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
- Cullum, George W. (1950). Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point New York Since Its Establishment in 1802: Supplement Volume IX 1940–1950. Chicago: R. R. Donnelly and Sons, The Lakeside Press. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
- OCLC 826061852. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- Fowle, Barry W. (1992). "The Rhine River Crossings". In Fowle, Barry W. (ed.). Builders and fighters : U.S. Army Engineers in World War II. Fort Belvoir, Virginia: Office of History, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. pp. 463–475. OCLC 25712713.
- OCLC 82275622.
- Matloff, Maurice (1959). The War Department: Strategic Planning for Coalition Warfare, 1943–1944 (PDF). U.S. Amy in World War II – The War Department. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History. OCLC 670082949. Archived from the original(PDF) on May 6, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- Porter, David L., ed. (2005). Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood. OCLC 488642886.
External links
- Alfred Starbird at Olympics.com
- Alfred Starbird at Olympedia