Benjamin Thurman Hacker
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral Benjamin Thurman Hacker (1935–2003) was a U.S. Navy officer, who became the first Naval Flight Officer (NFO)
to achieve Flag rank
.
. His mother, Alzeda (Crockett) Hacker, was an accomplished musician. Of their three children, Benjamin was the eldest.
Benjamin attended Wittenberg University
in Springfield, Ohio
, graduating in 1957 with a B.A. Degree in Science. He married his wife Jeanne, in 1958.
Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida
in September 1958, Hacker was commissioned Ensign and subsequently received the designation of Naval Aviation Observer
(NAO). Hacker gained experience as a Navigator and Tactical Coordinator in SP-2H "Neptune"
and P-3C "Orion"
aircraft
through numerous operational assignments in the far reaches of the Atlantic
and Pacific
Oceans and Mediterranean Sea
.
He took command http://pub10.bravenet.com/photocenter/album.php?img=8686&usernum=774301397 of the U.S. Naval Facility, Barbados
, West Indies on July 2, 1968. In 1972 he established the Naval ROTC
Unit at Florida A & M University, in Tallahassee
, Florida
and served as the first Commanding Officer
and Professor of Naval Science of this unit. In 1974 he became Commanding Officer of Patrol Squadron TWENTY-FOUR (VP-24), a P-3C "Orion"
Squadron stationed in Jacksonville
, Florida and was promoted to Captain
following his squadron command tour.
In June 1978 he completed studies in National Security Policy at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
, and earned a Masters of Science Degree in Administration from George Washington University
in Washington, D.C. In August 1978 he was assigned as Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station
, Brunswick
, Maine
.
In 1980 then-Captain Hacker was selected for promotion to Rear Admiral
and assumed duties as Commander, U.S. Military Enlistment Processing Command with headquarters in Fort Sheridan
, Illinois
. In 1982 he became Commander Fleet Air Mediterranean
; Commander Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Forces, U.S. Sixth Fleet; and Commander Maritime Air Forces Mediterranean simultaneously with headquarters in Naples
Italy
. In 1986 he was assigned as Commander, Naval Training Center, San Diego
. During this assignment he was also assigned Commander, Naval Base San Diego. He held both commands simultaneously for several months. In 1988, at the completion of his assignment as Commander, Naval Base San Diego
, Rear Admiral Hacker retired from the U.S. Navy
.
Rear Admiral Hacker was the first Naval Flight Officer
(NFO
) to be selected for Flag rank
in the United States Navy. He held ten commands over the course of his 30-year military career. Included among Rear Admiral Hacker's personal decorations are the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with three Gold Stars, and the Meritorious Service Medal.
On November 3, 2005 the "Commander, Task Force 67"https://cnic.navy.mil/Sigonella/About/TenantCommands/CommanderTaskForce67/index.htm headquarters building located in Sigonella, Sicily
was dedicated in his honor.
as assistant vice president for policy service, at the organization's western regional office in Sacramento
.
In the early 1990s, at the request of then-Governor Pete Wilson
, Hacker served for two years as director of the California Department of Veterans Affairs and then rejoined USAA as regional vice president and general manager of its western region. He moved to San Antonio
in his next post in December 1995.
Hacker also held posts as Regional Senior Vice President/General Manager in the company's Mid-Atlantic Region headquartered in Norfolk
, Virginia
. Rear Admiral Hacker retired from USAA in 1998 but continued to serve on various local and national Boards.
On December 28, 2003, Rear Admiral Hacker died from complications relating to Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
(CLL), a disease which he battled for 12 years.
Honorable Mention
Articles
Events
Naval Flight Officer
A Naval Flight Officer is an aeronautically designated commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps that specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots per se, but they may perform many "co-pilot" functions, depending on the type of aircraft...
to achieve Flag rank
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
.
Early life
Hacker was born September 19, 1935 in Washington, D.C. His father, C. Leroy Hacker, was an author, Baptist pastor and a chaplain in the U.S. ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. His mother, Alzeda (Crockett) Hacker, was an accomplished musician. Of their three children, Benjamin was the eldest.
Benjamin attended Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...
in Springfield, Ohio
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
, graduating in 1957 with a B.A. Degree in Science. He married his wife Jeanne, in 1958.
Naval Service
After completing the Navy'sUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
in September 1958, Hacker was commissioned Ensign and subsequently received the designation of Naval Aviation Observer
Naval Flight Officer
A Naval Flight Officer is an aeronautically designated commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps that specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots per se, but they may perform many "co-pilot" functions, depending on the type of aircraft...
(NAO). Hacker gained experience as a Navigator and Tactical Coordinator in SP-2H "Neptune"
P-2 Neptune
The Lockheed P-2 Neptune was a Maritime patrol and ASW aircraft. It was developed for the United States Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and PV-2 Harpoon, and being replaced in turn with the Lockheed P-3 Orion...
and P-3C "Orion"
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
through numerous operational assignments in the far reaches of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
Oceans and Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
He took command http://pub10.bravenet.com/photocenter/album.php?img=8686&usernum=774301397 of the U.S. Naval Facility, Barbados
United States Navy Facility, Barbados
The Naval Facility Barbados, TWI was a naval base which was commissioned on 1 October 1957, with a complement of about 12 officers and about 88 enlisted personnel. It was located at site of Harrison's Point, in the Parish of Saint Lucy in the British colonial territory of Barbados of the West...
, West Indies on July 2, 1968. In 1972 he established the Naval ROTC
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.-Origins:...
Unit at Florida A & M University, in Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and served as the first Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
and Professor of Naval Science of this unit. In 1974 he became Commanding Officer of Patrol Squadron TWENTY-FOUR (VP-24), a P-3C "Orion"
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
Squadron stationed in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida and was promoted to Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
following his squadron command tour.
In June 1978 he completed studies in National Security Policy at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
Industrial College of the Armed Forces
The Industrial College of the Armed Forces is a U.S. military educational institution tasked with preparing military officers and civilian government officials for leadership and executive positions in the field of national security...
, and earned a Masters of Science Degree in Administration from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in Washington, D.C. In August 1978 he was assigned as Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station Brunswick
Naval Air Station Brunswick , also known as NAS Brunswick, was a military airport located northeast of Brunswick, Maine. The base was home to a number of Navy-operated Maritime patrol aircraft...
, Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
In 1980 then-Captain Hacker was selected for promotion to Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
and assumed duties as Commander, U.S. Military Enlistment Processing Command with headquarters in Fort Sheridan
Fort Sheridan, Illinois
Fort Sheridan is a residential neighborhood spread among Lake Forest, Highwood, and Highland Park in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It was originally established as a United States Army Post named after Civil War Cavalry General Philip Sheridan, to honor his services to Chicago...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. In 1982 he became Commander Fleet Air Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
; Commander Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Forces, U.S. Sixth Fleet; and Commander Maritime Air Forces Mediterranean simultaneously with headquarters in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In 1986 he was assigned as Commander, Naval Training Center, San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. During this assignment he was also assigned Commander, Naval Base San Diego. He held both commands simultaneously for several months. In 1988, at the completion of his assignment as Commander, Naval Base San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, Rear Admiral Hacker retired from the U.S. Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
.
Rear Admiral Hacker was the first Naval Flight Officer
Naval Flight Officer
A Naval Flight Officer is an aeronautically designated commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps that specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots per se, but they may perform many "co-pilot" functions, depending on the type of aircraft...
(NFO
Naval Flight Officer Badge
The Naval Flight Officer insignia is a breast insignia of the United States military which is awarded to those aviators of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard who have qualified as Naval Flight Officers based on successful completion of flight training...
) to be selected for Flag rank
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
in the United States Navy. He held ten commands over the course of his 30-year military career. Included among Rear Admiral Hacker's personal decorations are the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with three Gold Stars, and the Meritorious Service Medal.
On November 3, 2005 the "Commander, Task Force 67"https://cnic.navy.mil/Sigonella/About/TenantCommands/CommanderTaskForce67/index.htm headquarters building located in Sigonella, Sicily
Naval Air Station Sigonella
Naval Air Station Sigonella , "The Hub of the Med", is a U.S. Navy installation at NATO Base Sigonella and an Italian Air Force base in Sicily, Italy. Although a tenant of the Italian Air Force, NAS Sigonella acts as landlord to more than 40 other U.S. commands and activities. It is located west...
was dedicated in his honor.
Civilian
After retiring from the Navy, Rear Admiral Hacker worked at financial-services firm USAAUSAA
United Services Automobile Association is a Fortune 500 financial services company offering banking, investing, and insurance to people and families that serve, or served, in the United States military. In 2011, there were 8.4 million members. The company reported a net worth of $19.3 billion in...
as assistant vice president for policy service, at the organization's western regional office in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
.
In the early 1990s, at the request of then-Governor Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton "Pete" Wilson is an American politician from California. Wilson, a Republican, served as the 36th Governor of California , the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that included eight years as a United States Senator , eleven years as Mayor of San Diego and...
, Hacker served for two years as director of the California Department of Veterans Affairs and then rejoined USAA as regional vice president and general manager of its western region. He moved to San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
in his next post in December 1995.
Hacker also held posts as Regional Senior Vice President/General Manager in the company's Mid-Atlantic Region headquartered in Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Rear Admiral Hacker retired from USAA in 1998 but continued to serve on various local and national Boards.
On December 28, 2003, Rear Admiral Hacker died from complications relating to Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
(CLL), a disease which he battled for 12 years.
External links
Dedicated Sites/PagesHonorable Mention
- The Chrysler Museum of Art "The Quilts of Gee's Bend" exhibit dedication
- NTC San Diego Center Commanders
- Navy Patrol Squadron VP-21
- Navy Patrol Squadron VP-24 *
- Alpha Phi Alpha
- Photos: NAVFAC Barbados, 1968 Change of Command
- Commander Jim Jackson: Black Stars to Gold Stripes Speaker & Exhibit Series
- Photo: NAVFAC NF Argentia, 1966 Lt. Hacker
Articles
- Article in Attualità an Italian publication - December 2005 (Item no longer online)
- 200Plus Men news article - November 2005
- CNO to NNOA: 21st Century Human CapitALL System Needed Now - August 13, 2004
- Armed Services YMCA, news letter - Spring/Summer 2004
- Tallahassee Democrat (FL) - February 24, 2004
- Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - February 9, 2004, B9 [Title: Admiral was Pioneer for African Americans]
- Washington Post, The - Obituaries - (Washington, DC) December 31, 2003
- Virginia-Pilot "Letter to the Editor" by Admiral Hacker July 1997
- Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - February 11, 1997 http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1997/vp970211/02110213.htm
- USAA appoints new top gun for Mid-Atlantic Region, San Antonio Business Journal - January 29, 1997
- Jet, - August 15, 1988, p30 [Title: Armed Forces] View
- Jet, - February 1985, p8 [Title: Ticker Tape U.S.A] View
- Ebony, - February 1983, p74 - 78 [Title: Admiral Hacker Takes Command] View
- Ebony, - Aug 1983 - v. 38, no. 10, p177 [Title: Breakthroughs] View
- Jet, - Sep 6, 1982 - v. 62, no. 26, p46 [Title: Armed Forces] View
- Jet, - Dec 12, 1974 - v. 47, no. 12, p50 [Title: Armed Forces] View
- Jet, - Oct 17, 1968 - v. 35, no. 2, p6 [Title: National Report] View
Events