Willard J. Smith
Willard J. Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 14 May 1910 Suttons Bay, Michigan, US |
| Died | 1 April 2000 (aged 89) Atlantic Beach, Florida, US |
| Buried | |
| Service/ | United States Coast Guard |
| Years of service | 1933–70 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | Commandant of the Coast Guard |
| Awards | Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit |
Willard John Smith (May 14, 1910 – April 1, 2000) served as the 13th commandant of the United States Coast Guard from 1966 to 1970.[1]
He was born in Suttons Bay, Michigan, and was the son of Oscar Smith, a retired commissioned warrant officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and his wife, Emma Bequist.[1] Upon graduation from high school in Charlevoix, Michigan, he entered the University of Michigan, but later transferred to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.[1]
Upon graduation from the academy in 1933, he was assigned to a
From 1965 until his appointment as commandant, he served as commander of the Cleveland, Ohio-based 9th Coast Guard District. As commandant in 1967, he oversaw the transfer of the Coast Guard from the United States Department of the Treasury to the United States Department of Transportation.[1][3]
Upon completion of his service as Coast Guard Commandant in June 1970, he moved to Traverse City, Michigan. The following October, he was appointed as Assistant Secretary for Safety and Consumer Affairs at the United States Department of Transportation, serving under then-Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe until July 1971, when he returned to Traverse City. In 1973 he became admiral of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Michigan and held the position until 1974.[1]
He subsequently moved to Atlantic Beach, Florida, where his wife, the former Harriet A. Lary died on February 2, 2000, two months before he himself died, aged 89.[1] His remains were interred alongside his late wife at Arlington National Cemetery.[4] At the time of his death, he was the oldest-living former Coast Guard Commandant.
Dates of rank
| Ensign | Lieutenant, Junior Grade
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Lieutenant | Lieutenant Commander
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Commander | Captain
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-1 | O-2 | O-3 | O-4 | O-5 | O-6 |
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| May 15, 1933 | May 15, 1936 | August 5, 1939 | October 2, 1942 | January 1, 1944 | November 1, 1955 |
| Commodore | Rear Admiral
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Vice Admiral
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Admiral |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-7 | O-8 | O-9 | O-10 |
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| Never held | July 1, 1962 | Never held | June 1, 1966 |
Notes
Citations
References
- U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. "Willard J. Smith, USCG". Notable People. U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- Johnson, Robert Irwin (1987). Guardians of the Sea, History of the United States Coast Guard, 1915 to the Present. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. ISBN 978-0-87021-720-3.
External links
- "Willard J. Smith". ArlingtonCemetery.net. an unofficial website.
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| National | |
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