George Whelan Anderson Jr.
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox officeholder George Whelan Anderson Jr. (December 15, 1906 – March 20, 1992) was an admiral in the United States Navy and a diplomat. Serving as the Chief of Naval Operations between 1961 and 1963, he was in charge of the US blockade of Cuba during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Early life and career
Born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 15, 1906, Anderson attended Brooklyn Preparatory School, entered the United States Naval Academy in 1923 and graduated with the class of 1927. Then, he became a naval aviator and served on cruisers and aircraft carriers, including the Template:USS.
In World War II, Anderson served as the navigator on the fourth Template:USS. After the war, he served as the commanding officer of the escort carrier Template:USS and of the Template:USS. He also served tours as an assistant to General Dwight Eisenhower at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, special assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Arthur W. Radford, and as chief of staff to the Commander in Chief Pacific.
Flag assignments
As a flag officer, Anderson commanded Task Force 77 between Taiwan and Mainland China, Carrier Division 6, in the Mediterranean during the 1958 Lebanon landing and, as a vice admiral, commanded the United States Sixth Fleet.
Cuban Missile Crisis
As Chief of Naval Operations in charge of the US quarantine of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Anderson distinguished himself in the Navy's conduct of those operations. Time magazine featured him on the cover<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and called him "an aggressive blue-water sailor of unfaltering competence and uncommon flair." He had, however, a contentious relationship with Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. At one point during the crisis, Anderson ordered McNamara out of the Pentagon's Flag Plot when the Secretary inquired as to the Navy's intended procedures for stopping Soviet submarines;<ref name="Unfinished">Template:Cite book</ref>{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Fix }} McNamara viewed those actions as mutinous and forced Anderson to retire in 1963. Anderson had a different recollection of the October 24th Flag Plot incident:
Anderson would later accuse McNamara of micromanagement during the Crisis.Template:Sfn
Decades later, the role of Vasily Arkhipov became widely known, as the last person standing in the way of Admiral Anderson's proceduresTemplate:Which unintentionally triggering nuclear war.
USS Thresher loss
Anderson had another conflict with McNamara six months after the Missile Crisis. Anderson obtained approval from Secretary of the Navy Fred Korth to do a press briefing the day after the loss of the nuclear submarine Template:USS.Template:Sfn At the end, he later stated
Later career
Anderson took early retirement, largely because of the ongoing conflict with Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
John F. Kennedy subsequently appointed Anderson Ambassador to Portugal, where he served for three years and encouraged plans for the peaceful transition of Portugal's African colonies to independence. He later returned to government service from 1973 to 1977 as member and later chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.
After his retirement from the navy, Anderson was chairman of Lamar Advertising Company, an outdoor advertising company, and he was a director on the boards of Value Line, National Airlines and Crown Seal and Cork.
Family and death
Anderson's first wife was Muriel Buttling (1911–1947). They had two sons and a daughter.<ref name=WalPo_19780629>Template:Cite news</ref>
Anderson died on March 20, 1992, of congestive heart failure, at the age of 85, in McLean, Virginia. He was survived by his second wife of 44 years, the former Mary Lee Sample (née Anderson), the widow of William Sample; a daughter; a stepdaughter; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. He was buried on March 23, 1992, in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery.
Cultural depictions
Anderson was portrayed by Kenneth Tobey in The Missiles of October and Madison Mason in Thirteen Days (film).
Awards
- Navy Distinguished Service Medal with gold star
- Legion of Merit
- Bronze Star Medal
- Navy Commendation Medal with "V" device
- Army Commendation Medal
- Presidential Unit Citation with bronze star
- American Defense Service Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two battle stars
- World War II Victory Medal
- Navy Occupation Medal
- China Service Medal
- National Defense Service Medal with star<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
References
Sources
External links
Template:S-start Template:S-mil Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-dip Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft |- Template:S-gov Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-aft Template:S-end Template:US Ambassadors to Portugal Template:Authority control
- 1906 births
- 1992 deaths
- Ambassadors of the United States to Portugal
- Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
- Chiefs of Naval Operations
- Ford administration personnel
- Laetare Medal recipients
- Nixon administration personnel
- Military personnel from Brooklyn
- Recipients of the Legion of Merit
- Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
- United States Naval Academy alumni
- United States Naval Aviators
- United States Navy admirals
- Commanders of the Order of George I
- Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Tripod
- Knights of the Order of Christ (Portugal)
- Recipients of the Order of Naval Merit (Brazil)
- Commanders of the Legion of Honour
- Officers of the Order of Prince Henry
- Recipients of the Military Order of Italy