John D. Bulkeley

John D. Bulkeley
Name	John D. Bulkeley
Caption	Vice Admiral John D. Bulkeley
Birth date	19 August 1911
Death date	6 April 1996
Birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Death place	Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
Placeofburial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States
Serviceyears	1933–1975
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands	MTB Squadron 3, USS ''Endicott'' (DD-495), USS ''Sacramento'' (PG-19), Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Battles	World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War
Awards	Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart

John D. Bulkeley was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy whose legendary actions during the early days of World War II earned him the nation's highest military honor. He is most famous for his daring command of Motor Torpedo Boats in the Philippines campaign, including the evacuation of General Douglas MacArthur from Corregidor in 1942. His subsequent career spanned four decades, seeing combat in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and he retired with the rank of vice admiral.

Early life and education

John Duncan Bulkeley was born on August 19, 1911, in New York City. He spent part of his youth in Hackettstown, New Jersey, before his family moved to Tuckahoe, New York. Seeking a military career, he received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. He graduated and was commissioned as an ensign in 1933, a member of the Class of 1933.

Naval career

Following his graduation from Annapolis, his early assignments included service aboard the battleships USS ''Utah'' and USS ''Indianapolis''. He developed a keen interest in the emerging technology of Motor Torpedo Boats, which were small, fast-attack craft. In 1940, he was given command of the newly formed Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One, which was later redesignated as Squadron 3, and he oversaw the transfer of its six PT boats to the Philippines as tensions with Japan escalated.

World War II service

After the attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent Japanese invasion of the Philippines, his squadron, based at Naval Base Cavite, immediately engaged in combat. His boats conducted aggressive night raids against the Imperial Japanese Navy, attacking enemy destroyers, transport ships, and submarines in the waters around Bataan and Manila Bay. In a series of intense actions from December 1941 to April 1942, his leadership in these daring raids earned him the Navy Cross. His most famous mission occurred on March 11, 1942, when, under orders from General Douglas MacArthur, he commanded the four-boat flotilla that evacuated MacArthur, his family, and key staff officers from the besieged fortress of Corregidor through Japanese-controlled waters to Mindanao. For this extraordinary feat, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He later commanded the destroyer USS ''Endicott'' in the Atlantic Theater, where he engaged and sank two German corvettes off the coast of France during the Allied invasion of Southern France.

Later career and retirement

After World War II, he continued to serve in a variety of command and staff roles. During the Korean War, he commanded the gunboat USS ''Sacramento''. He later served as the Commander of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. He saw further service during the Vietnam War, holding a senior role with the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. He retired from active duty in 1975 after 42 years of service, having attained the rank of vice admiral.

Awards and decorations

His numerous military decorations include the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, the Army Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, and the Purple Heart. He also received several foreign awards, including the Philippine Medal of Valor and the Philippine Legion of Honor. His Medal of Honor citation specifically highlights his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" during the operations in the Philippines and the evacuation of General Douglas MacArthur.

Legacy

He is remembered as one of the most heroic naval officers of World War II, a symbol of tenacity and daring in the face of overwhelming odds. The United States Navy has honored his legacy by naming several vessels for him, including the guided-missile destroyer USS ''Bulkeley'' (DDG-84). His life and the famous evacuation were dramatized in the 1942 20th Century Fox film They Were Expendable, directed by John Ford and starring Robert Montgomery. His Medal of Honor and other personal artifacts are held in the collection of the United States Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis.

Category:United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients Category:United States Navy vice admirals Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:American military personnel of the Korean War Category:American military personnel of the Vietnam War Category:1911 births Category:1996 deaths