William Halsey Jr.

Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1882, Halsey graduated from the Naval Academy in 1904 and served in the Great White Fleet, then commanded the destroyer USS Shaw during World War I. He came late to aviation, taking command of the carrier USS Saratoga in 1935 after completing flight school at age fifty-two, and made rear admiral three years later. When the Pacific War opened in 1941, he led the task force built around the carrier USS Enterprise in the first American raids against Japanese-held islands. In 1942 he took command of the South Pacific Area and drove the campaign through Guadalcanal and up the Solomon chain, then moved to the Third Fleet in 1943 and held that post until war's end. At Leyte Gulf in 1944 his ships fought in the largest naval battle in history. He was promoted to fleet admiral in December 1945 and retired sixteen months later.