Thomas Washington

Thomas Washington
Asiatic Fleet
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War World War I
Awards	Navy Distinguished Service Medal

Thomas Washington (6 June 1865 – 15 December 1954) was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War I.

Early life and career

Thomas Washington and his brother Richard were twin of Virginia and her farmer husband R.A. Washington, both born at

in 1892.

Subsequently, after duty on several trial boards for general courts martial at the

.

After a second tour of duty ashore in the office of the Judge Advocate General, Washington served on the

, he remained on Evans' staff until detached on 1 June 1904.

Special duty at the Bureau of Navigation followed his return from the Orient and preceded his assuming command of dispatch boat Dolphin (PG-24), the vessel which was then serving as the Secretary of the Navy's yacht. Washington next put in another tour with the Bureau of Navigation for duty before returning to sea in 1912 to command, in turn, the gunboat Yorktown and cruisers Charleston (C-22) and Denver (C-14) over the next two years.

World War I

On 20 April 1914, Washington—by then a captain—assumed the duties of Hydrographer of the Navy. World War I broke out in Europe less than four months after Washington assumed the Hydrographer's duties, depriving the United States of its external sources of oceanographic and hydrographic information. Washington and his small staff responded by independently gathering the necessary data for use by the United States Navy and Merchant Marine.

Relieved as hydrographer on 23 June 1916, Washington was given command of the battleship Florida (BB-30). A few months after the United States entered the war in the spring of 1917, Florida crossed the Atlantic with Battleship Division Nine to operate with the British Grand Fleet. The manner in which he carried out this assignment won Washington the Distinguished Service Medal for "exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility."

Post-war service

On 22 November 1918, eleven days after the

on 11 August, with the accompanying rank of rear admiral.

Less than a year later, Washington received orders to duty as Commander-in-Chief, Asiatic Fleet (CINCAF). He broke his flag in

, the destroyer squadrons of the Fleet sailed on plane-guard stations, transported supplies and spare parts, and provided radio bearings and communications services for the planes, and thus contributed greatly to the success of the flight.

Relieved as CINCAF on 14 October 1925, Washington became Commandant of the Naval Operating Base,

, on 19 November 1925, and filled the billet until his retirement on 6 June 1929.

Last years and legacy

In the 1930s Washington was the Governor of the

on December 15, 1954.

He was buried at

Namesake

• The
  oceanographic research ship USNS Thomas Washington (T-AGOR-10)
  was named for him.

See also

• List of United States Navy four-star admirals

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Naval Investigation
• Warns of Desertion

External links

• "Thomas Washington". Hall of Valor.
  Military Times
  . Retrieved March 17, 2011.

Military offices
Preceded by Edwin Anderson, Jr.	Commander-in-Chief, United States Asiatic Fleet 11 October 1923–14 October 1925	Succeeded by Clarence S. Williams