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Henry Braid Wilson
WilsonCoontzRodman
Born (1861-02-23)23 February 1861
Died 30 January 1954(1954-01-30) (aged 92)
Place of birth Camden, New Jersey
Place of death New York City, New York
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service 1881-1925
Rank US-O10 insignia Admiral
Commands held USS North Dakota (BB-29)
Board of Inspection and Survey
USS Pennsylvania (BB-38)
Patrol Forces, Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Naval Forces, France
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Battle Fleet
United States Naval Academy
Battles/wars Spanish American War
World War I
Awards Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (Army)
World War I Victory Medal

Henry Braid Wilson, Jr. (23 February 1861 – 30 January 1954) was an Admiral in the United States Navy during World War I.

Biography[]

Henry Wilson was a native of Camden, New Jersey. He joined the United States Navy in the latter part of the nineteenth century and continued to serve for over forty years. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1881, His assignments included duties as Commanding Officer of the USS North Dakota, Inspector, Senior Inspector and President of the Board of Inspection and Survey from November 1913 until May 1916, and Commanding Officer of the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) in 1916.

During World War I, he served as Commander, Patrol Forces, Atlantic Fleet and then Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, France. After the World War he served as Commander-In-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet 1919–1921, Commander-In-Chief of the U.S. Battle Fleet and later Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy 1921–1925, two notable students of his at the academy were cadets and future Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, class of 1922, and Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, class of 1923. Admiral Wilson retired in 1925, following forty-four years of service.

Admiral Wilson died in 1954 in New York City, at the time of his death he was the oldest living admiral of the United States Navy.

Admiral Wilson's son-in-law was Hoover Administration United States Secretary of War Patrick J. Hurley.

Medals and commendations[]

Navy Distinguished Service ribbon Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal ribbon Army Distinguished Service Medal
Sampson Medal ribbon Sampson Medal
Spanish Campaign Medal ribbon Spanish Campaign Medal
China Campaign Medal ribbon China Relief Expedition Medal
Philippine Campaign Medal ribbon Philippine Campaign Medal
World War I Victory Medal ribbon World War I Victory Medal with "Overseas" clasp

Namesake and honors[]

  • USS Henry B. Wilson (DDG-7), a guided missile destroyer, was named for him.
  • A portion of U.S. Route 30 in New Jersey passing through Camden, New Jersey, Admiral Wilson Boulevard.

References[]

Academic offices
Preceded by
Archibald H. Scales
Superintendent of United States Naval Academy
1921-1925
Succeeded by
Louis M. Nulton
Military offices
Preceded by
Henry T. Mayo
Commander in Chief, United States Atlantic Fleet
July, 1919–June, 1921
Succeeded by
Hilary P. Jones
All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Henry Braid Wilson and the edit history here.
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