William P. Lawrence
William P. Lawrence | |
|---|---|
| Battles/wars | Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards | Navy Distinguished Service Medal (4) Silver Star (3) Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart (2) Air Medal (3) |
| Relations | Captain Wendy B. Lawrence (daughter) |
| Other work | President of the Association of Naval Aviation |
William Porter "Bill" Lawrence (January 13, 1930 – December 2, 2005) was a decorated
Early life and education
Lawrence's parents and grandparents were from Tennessee. His father Robert Landy "Fatty" Lawrence (1903–1976) attended Vanderbilt University, where he was a noted student-athlete who graduated in 1924. He was born January 13, 1930, in Nashville, and attended local schools. Lawrence distinguished himself not just as an outstanding student academically, graduating first in his class and being a student body president,[2] but also as a student athlete at Nashville's West End High School, and in 1947 turned down a scholarship for Yale University to attend the United States Naval Academy.[3]
Lawrence stood out as a varsity athlete in three sports at the Naval Academy:
Lawrence became a
Vietnam War
In 1967, then-
Author of Tennessee State poem
While a prisoner of war, Lawrence mentally composed poetry to help keep up his spirits. During a 60-day period of solitary confinement, he composed, by memory, the poem "Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee," in honor of his native state. In 1973, the Tennessee State Legislature adopted the poem as Tennessee's official state poem.[1][7]
- Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee
What Love and Pride I Feel for Thee.
You Proud Ole State, the Volunteer,
Your Proud Traditions I Hold Dear.
- I Revere Your Heroes
Who Bravely Fought our Country's Foes.
Renowned Statesmen, so Wise and Strong,
Who Served our Country Well and Long.
- I Thrill at Thought of Mountains Grand;
Rolling Green Hills and Fertile Farm Land;
Earth Rich with Stone, Mineral and Ore;
Forests Dense and Wild Flowers Galore;
- Powerful Rivers that Bring us Light;
Deep Lakes with Fish and Fowl in Flight;
Thriving Cities and Industries;
Fine Schools and Universities;
Strong Folks of Pioneer Descent,
Simple, Honest, and Reverent.
- Beauty and Hospitality
Are the Hallmarks of Tennessee.
- And O'er the World as I May Roam,
No Place Exceeds my Boyhood Home.
And Oh How Much I Long to See
My Native Land, My Tennessee.
Post-Vietnam War service
Following repatriation and convalescence at the Naval Hospital in
After promotion to
Lawrence served as
He retired on February 1, 1986,[3] and subsequently occupied the Chair of Naval Leadership at the Naval Academy until 1994. He also served as the President of the Association of Naval Aviation from 1991 to 1994.[8]
Awards and decorations
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Naval Aviator badge
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| Navy Distinguished Service Medal w/ four 5⁄16" Gold Stars | ||
| Silver Star w/ two 5⁄16" Gold Stars |
Legion of Merit | Distinguished Flying Cross |
Combat "V"
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Purple Heart w/ one 5⁄16" Gold Star |
Air Medal w/ Strike/Flight Numeral 3 |
| Joint Service Commendation Medal | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ Combat "V" one 5⁄16" Gold Star |
Combat Action Ribbon |
| Navy Unit Commendation w/ one 3⁄16" award star |
Prisoner of War Medal | National Defense Service Medal w/ one 3⁄16" Bronze Star |
| Korean Service Medal | Vietnam Service Medal w/ three 3⁄16" silver stars |
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation w/ Palm and Frame |
United Nations Korea Medal
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Vietnam Campaign Medal | Republic of Korea War Service Medal |
Honors
- In 1984, the NCAA selected him for their highest honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Award, recognizing Lawrence as one "For whom competitive athletics in college and attention to physical well-being have been important factors in a distinguished career of national significance and achievement."[10][11]
- In 2000, the Naval Academy recognized Lawrence's contributions to his alma mater by presenting him with one of its Distinguished Graduate Awards.
- In 2004, Admiral Lawrence was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his athletic achievements both in high school and college.
- In 2009, the U.S. Navy named the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110) in his honor, sponsored by his widow and daughters.[12]
- On October 17, 2008, a bronze statue of Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence was dedicated at the Naval Academy. The statue was a gift of the Naval Academy graduate and business tycoon H. Ross Perot.
Personal life
When Lawrence returned from captivity in Vietnam in 1973, he found that his wife had remarried. The following year, he married Diane Wilcox Raugh.[4]
Lawrence died December 2, 2005, at home in Crownsville, Maryland, at the age of 75. He was survived by his second wife, daughters Wendy and Laurie, son William Jr. and stepson Frederick. Lawrence was buried at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery at Annapolis, Maryland, on December 14, 2005.[13]
Wendy Lawrence followed her father into the Navy and attained the rank of Captain. Like her father, she became a Naval Aviator. She later became a NASA astronaut and flew four Space Shuttle missions.[4] Her sister, Dr. Laurie Lawrence, attended Vanderbilt University—her paternal grandfather's alma mater—and is a physician at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
See also
- List of prisoners of war
- Aircraft losses of the Vietnam War
- U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War
- List of superintendents of the United States Naval Academy
References
This article incorporates public domain material from USS William P Lawrence. United States Navy.
- ^ a b c William Bernstein (December 5, 2005). "William P. Lawrence Dies; Navy Admiral".
- ^ DDG 110 – USS William P. Lawrence
- ^ a b c d Bradley Olson (December 13, 2005). "William Lawrence, 75; Held as POW for 6 Years During Vietnam War". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4419-8404-3.
- ISBN 1-85780-115-6
- ISBN 0-345-32279-7.
- ^ "Tennessee: State Poem". Web Guides. Library of Congress. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
- ^ a b c "USS William P Lawrence – Named for Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence, U. S. Navy". Archived from the original on 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
- ^ "Named for Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence, U. S. Navy". Archived from the original on 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2014-09-09.
- ^ "VADM Lawrence awards". Archived from the original on 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2014-09-09.
- ^ Theodore Roosevelt Award recipients
- ^ "Photo Release – Northrop Grumman-Built William P. Lawrence Christened; Legacy of Former POW Honored". GlobeNewswire. April 17, 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
- ^ LAWRENCE, WILLIAM PORTER
- "Alumni Association Honors Distinguished Graduates." Archived 2005-11-09 at the Wayback Machine Shipmate (Sep 2001). Online. U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. Viewed 6 December 2005. [dead link]
- Grossnick, Roy, William J. Armstrong et al. "Part 8. The New Navy 1954–1959." History of United States Naval Aviation Archived 2011-05-07 at the Wayback Machine, 4th ed. Washington, D.C.; Government Printing Office, 1997.
External links
- Official WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE (DDG 110) Ship Web Site Archived 2011-05-28 at the Wayback Machine
- Navy News Stand – 12/6/2005 – Statement by Admiral Michael Mullen, USN, Chief of Naval Operations, on the passing of VADM William Lawrence Archived 2006-11-24 at the Wayback Machine
- Biography of VADM Lawrence Archived 2005-02-07 at the Wayback Machine – from an alumni website about the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
- History of the United States Naval Academy – 1970s
- History of the United States Naval Academy – 1980s
- Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame – VADM William P. Lawrence, USN (Ret) Archived 2005-11-11 at the Wayback Machine
- Lyrics and background to "Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee" – from the United States Library of Congress
- POW Network – Biography of VADM Lawrence
- William P. Lawrence Papers, 1863–2004 (bulk 1941–2001) MS 403 held by Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy
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