Robert L. Ghormley

Infobox Military Person
name= Robert L. Ghormley
born = Birth date |1883|10|15
died = Death date and age |1958|6|21 |1883|10|15
placeofbirth= Portland, Oregon
placeofdeath=


caption= VADM Robert L. Ghormley, 1942
nickname=
allegiance=United States of America
branch=United States Navy
serviceyears= 1906–46
rank= Vice Admiral
commands= Assistant Chief of Naval Operations Commander South Pacific Area
Commandant 14th Naval District
unit=
battles= World War I
World War II
*Guadalcanal campaign
awards=

Vice Admiral Robert Lee Ghormley (15 October1883 - 21 June1958) was an admiral in the United States Navy, serving as Commander, South Pacific Area, during the Second World War.

Ghormley was born in Portland, Oregon, on 15 October1883. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1906 and served in cruisers during the next five years. In 1911–13, Lieutenant Ghormley was Aide and Flag Lieutenant to the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, participating in the 1912 campaign in Nicaragua. That was followed by duty at the U.S. Naval Academy. Lieutenant Commander Ghormley spent most of World War I in the battleship "Nevada" and as a flag aide. Late in the conflict, he became Assistant Director of the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. In 1920–22, he commanded "Niagara" and the destroyer "Sands", including Mediterranean Sea duty in the latter.

Promoted to the rank of Commander in July 1921, Ghormley served as Aide to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy during 1923–25 and as Executive Officer of the battleship "Oklahoma" for the next two years. In 1927 he became Secretary of the Navy's General Board, in Washington, D.C.. Captain Ghormley was Chief of Staff to the commanders of the Battle Force and U.S. Fleet during the early 1930s. After working with the Chief of Naval Operations, he became Commanding Officer of "Nevada" in 1935 and a year later returned to the U.S. Fleet staff. In 1938 he completed the senior course at the Naval War College.

Rear Admiral Ghormley was Director of the War Plans Division and Assistant Chief of Naval Operations until August 1940, when he went to the Britain as a Special Naval Observer. In the rank of Vice Admiral, he served as Commander South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force in June–October 1942, during the critical early stages of the campaign to seize and hold Guadalcanal and Tulagi. Dismayed by Ghormley's pessimism, Admiral Nimitz replaced him. [Smith, W. Thomas, Guadacanal, "Decisive 20th Century American Battles", Alpha Bravo Deltq 2003, page 57]

After a few months' duty in Washington, D.C., he returned to the Pacific to become Commandant of the 14th Naval District in Hawaii. In December 1944, Vice Admiral Ghormley became Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Germany, and served in that position until December 1945. He spent his last months of active duty as a member of the General Board, at the Navy Department, and retired in August 1946. Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley died on 21 June 1958.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-g/r-ghorml.htm history.navy.mil: Robert L. Ghormley]