Frank Friday Fletcher

Frank Friday Fletcher
Rear Admiral
Commands held	Atlantic Fleet
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War Battle of Veracruz World War I
Awards	Medal of Honor Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Relations	Frank Jack Fletcher (nephew)
Signature

Frank Friday Fletcher (November 23, 1855 – November 28, 1928) was a United States Navy admiral who served in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was awarded the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions as commander of navy forces at the Battle of Veracruz, Mexico. The Fletcher-class destroyer, the most produced class of United States Navy destroyers, was named after him. He was also the uncle of Frank Jack Fletcher, another U.S. Navy admiral who also received the Medal of Honor for actions at Veracruz, and who commanded American naval forces at the battles of Coral Sea and Midway during World War II.

Biography

Fletcher was born on November 23, 1855, in

From 1892 to 1895, Fletcher commanded the navy's first torpedo boat, USS Cushing, based at the Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island, and developed the navy's first torpedo warfare doctrine. He then served in the battleship USS Maine before returning to the Newport Torpedo Station in October 1896. After a brief tour as Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance in the spring of 1898, Lieutenant Fletcher became commanding officer of the converted yacht USS Kanawha. From October 1898 to July 1901 he commanded the surveying ship USS Eagle and, in March 1899, was promoted to lieutenant commander.^[1]

Fletcher's Medal of Honor, front and back

In the fall of 1901, Fletcher returned to ordnance duty and was closely involved with torpedo warfare. A year later he became Chief of Staff of the Asiatic Fleet and later in 1905 assumed command of the cruiser USS Raleigh. Fletcher attended the Naval War College courses in both 1907 and 1908 and in 1908 was assigned to the navy's General Board during the next year. That same year, he became a member of the District of Columbia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.^[2]

He was promoted to

Admiral Fletcher retired on November 23, 1919, with the rank of rear admiral (as was customary at that time), and later served as an official advisor on contemporary defense issues. Fletcher died on November 28, 1928, in New York City.^[4] He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.^[1]

Legacy

The Fletcher-class destroyer was named for Fletcher and was the most numerous class of destroyers produced during World War II, with 175 completed, and one of the most successful designs of the war.^[5] The lead ship in the class, USS Fletcher (DD-445), was in commission from 1942 to 1969.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy. Born: November 23, 1855, Oskaloosa, Iowa. Accredited to: Iowa. G.O. No.: 177, December 4, 1915.

Citation:

For distinguished conduct in battle, engagements of Vera Cruz, 21 and 22 April 1914. Under fire, Rear Adm. Fletcher was eminent and conspicuous in the performance of his duties; was senior officer present at Vera Cruz, and the landing and the operations of the landing force were conducted under his orders and directions. In connection with these operations, he was at times on shore and under fire.

Awards

• Medal of Honor
• Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Navy)
• Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)
• Spanish Campaign Medal
• Mexican Service Medal
• World War I Victory Medal

Dates of rank

• Midshipman: June 18, 1870
• Passed Midshipman: June 21, 1875

Ensign	Master	Lieutenant Junior Grade	Lieutenant	Lieutenant Commander	Commander
O-1	O-2	O-2	O-3	O-4	O-5
July 18, 1876	April 1, 1882	March 3, 1883	February 18, 1889	March 3, 1899	March 12, 1904

Captain	Commodore	Rear Admiral	Vice Admiral	Admiral
O-6	O-7	O-8	O-9	O-10
May 1908	Never Held	October 1911	Never Held	March 10, 1915

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients (Veracruz)

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.