Joseph J. Clark
Joseph J. Clark | |
---|---|
Early years
Joseph J. Clark was born to William A. and Lillie Berry Clark in
World War I and inter-war service
Although Clark was officially a member of the Class of 1918 at the
Clark served a wide variety of posts throughout the rest of the 1920s and the 1930s. In 1925, he helped Commander
He was the aeronautical member of the Board of Inspection and Survey, Navy Department, from 1933 to July 1936, and during his next tour of sea duty July 1936 to June 1937, served as the Lexington's air officer and representative at Fleet Air Detachment,
Clark was then sent to
World War II
At the start of U.S. involvement in World War II, Clark was known as an aggressive commander, ready to take his group into battle.[4] He commanded the carrier USS Suwannee in the Atlantic Ocean and off the coast of North Africa, until he was ordered to take command of the newly commissioned USS Yorktown (CV-10).[b] During Clark's command, Yorktown became the setting for the documentary The Fighting Lady, which detailed World War II aircraft carrier operations. In the documentary, Clark is identified only by his nickname of "Jocko" and is voiced by Harry Morgan.[5]
In January 1944,
Clark commanded his task group in conjunction with the rest of Task Force 58 in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. His flagship was the carrier Hornet. On the second day of the battle, with his planes returning after sundown, Clark ordered his ships to light up, allowing most planes to land safely.[7]
Korean War
Clark commanded the Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 77) during the
Final years
After retiring from the navy, he lived in New York City, where he was chairman of Hegeman - Harris, Inc., an investment company.[1]
He was made an honorary chief by both the Sioux and Cherokee Nations.[1]
Clark died on July 13, 1971, at the naval hospital in
Honors and awards
His many awards and medals include the
Clark's flag lieutenant was historian Clark G. Reynolds's uncle. Reynolds was chosen to co-author Clark's autobiography, and later wrote his own biography of Clark.[9]
Clark was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1952.[10]
The National Aeronautic Association honored him in 1969 with the Elder Statesman of Aviation Award.[1]
In 1979, the guided-missile frigate USS Clark (FFG-11) was named in his honor.[1]
Notes
- ^ Oklahoma became a state on November 16, 1907.
- ^ This ship was named after the aircraft carrier Yorktown, which was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
- ^ named for a sunken carrier USS Hornet (CV-8).
- nervous breakdown", triggered by stress and his chief of staff's death in battle; this explained his slack off in behavior. He was allowed to keep his rank, but was reassigned to noncombat duty in a training command in the U.S. and was never again considered for combat command.
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f Childers, James D. "Clark, Joseph James (1893–1971)." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Accessed December 1, 2017.
- ISBN 0-933126-78-6.
- ^ "The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland". Newspapers.com. July 14, 1971. p. 9. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
- ^ Potter p. 144
- ^ "ACADEMY COLLECTIONS | details". collections.new.oscars.org. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ Potter p. 179
- ^ Potter p. 168
- ^ Burial Detail: Clark, Joseph John – ANC Explorer
- ^ Lambert, Andrew (December 2006). "Review of Clark G. Reynolds's biography of Admiral Clark" (PDF). International Journal of Naval History. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "Oklahoma Hall of Fame". Retrieved November 16, 2012.
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-1-59114-692-6.
Further reading
- Clark, J. J.; Reynolds, Clark G. (1967). Carrier Admiral
- Reynolds, Clark G. (2005). On the Warpath in the Pacific: Admiral Jocko Clark and the Fast Carriers. Naval Institute Press
External links
- Rear Admiral J.J. Jocko Clark – Biography from JackLummus.com