Eli Thomas Reich
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
Eli Thomas Reich (March 20, 1913 New York
– November 30, 1999 Arlington, Virginia) was a highly-decorated United States Navy
officer and World War II
submarine
commander — the only one to sink a battleship
during the war. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
(Section 30, Grave 950-A).
in Annapolis, Maryland
, Reich attended the submarine school at New London, Connecticut
, then in 1939 became executive officer
and engineer
on the first . Sealion was the first US submarine damaged in World War II; it was bombed on December 10, 1941 while undergoing repairs at Cavite Navy Yard in the Philippines
, and later scuttled, four men were killed and three others wounded during the bombing.
After Sealion was scuttled Reich served on the staff of the submarine commander at Corregidor
and Bataan
in the Philippines, escaping aboard before the surrender of U.S. forces there in the spring of 1942. He was executive officer aboard the in 1943, then in March 1944 assumed command of the second .
Under Reich's command, Sealion II was credited with sinking the , the only Japanese battleship sunk by submarine during World War II, the destroyer , and a prisoner of war
ship, Rayuko Maru. After sinking the POW ship, Sealion II surfaced and rescued 23 Australia
n and 31 British
prisoners of war from the sea.http://www.submarinesailor.com/history/pow/AussieBritRescue/
and study at the Armed Forces Staff College
and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
.
Reich was made Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Naval Weapons
, from 1962 to 1965 Commander of the Surface Missile Project (which was key to the development of the "3-T" missile systems), and Commander of the anti-submarine warfare
group in Southeast Asia
during the early years of the Vietnam War
. His last active duty assignment was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics. Reich retired from the Navy a Vice Admiral
(3 stars) on October 31, 1973 after 38 years of service.
Shortly after his retirement from the Navy, Reich was named director of the Emergency Energy Allocations Program, which was responsible for the distribution of oil and gasoline during the 1973 oil crisis
. Described as a "crusty three-star admiral" by syndicated columnists Rowland Evans
and Robert Novak
, Admiral Reich was reported by the columnists to have told staff members:
After a short time at the job, Admiral Reich clashed with energy chief William E. Simon
, and he left the newly formed Department of Energy
. Reich later did consulting on national security matters involving weapons systems acquisitions, shipbuilding and mobilization planning.
Reich is also credited with founding the Naval Undersea Museum
in Keyport, Washington
. After his retirement he created the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation which raised the funds, designed, and built the museum. The museum has since been donated to by the US Navy. Reich's family donated "many of his awards, battle flag, uniforms, and memorabilia to the museum after his death." The museum also commissioned an oil
portrait
and bust of him which are currently on display along with many of the families donations.
three times, the second-highest decoration for valor the United States Navy
awards, after the Medal of Honor
, for "extraordinary heroism" as commander of the Sealion II from its March 8, 1944 commission
ing until relieved by Lieutenant Commander Charles F. Putnam on December 4, 1944. Reich was also twice awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
, once awarded the Legion of Merit
, and received the Bronze Star
.
In 1963 the American Society of Naval Engineers
awarded Eli T. Reich the Gold Medal Award for his work on Surface Missile Systems. The Gold Medal Award, has been awarded annually since 1958, and is given to an individual who has made a significant naval engineering contribution in a particular area during the past five years.
In the early 1990s the Naval Academy honored Reich at a "Heroes of WWII" dinner. There is also a "VADM Eli T. Reich Building" named in his honor at Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme
Division (NSWC PHD) (formerly Naval Ship Weapon Systems Engineering Station, or NSWSES) in Port Hueneme, California
. This building is one of the station's on site engineering facilities, housing combat system simulators, selected weapon systems and combat systems equipment, and much of the other shipboard equipment for which NSWC PHD is the designated In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA). http://www.ussvi.org/names/kopf-03.htm
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
Eli Thomas Reich (March 20, 1913 New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
– November 30, 1999 Arlington, Virginia) was a highly-decorated United States Navy
United 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...
officer and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
commander — the only one to sink a battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
during the war. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
(Section 30, Grave 950-A).
World War II service
A 1935 graduate of the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, Reich attended the submarine school at New London, Connecticut
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...
, then in 1939 became executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
and engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
on the first . Sealion was the first US submarine damaged in World War II; it was bombed on December 10, 1941 while undergoing repairs at Cavite Navy Yard in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and later scuttled, four men were killed and three others wounded during the bombing.
After Sealion was scuttled Reich served on the staff of the submarine commander at Corregidor
Corregidor
Corregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is a lofty island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of...
and Bataan
Bataan
Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
in the Philippines, escaping aboard before the surrender of U.S. forces there in the spring of 1942. He was executive officer aboard the in 1943, then in March 1944 assumed command of the second .
Under Reich's command, Sealion II was credited with sinking the , the only Japanese battleship sunk by submarine during World War II, the destroyer , and a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
ship, Rayuko Maru. After sinking the POW ship, Sealion II surfaced and rescued 23 Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n and 31 British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
prisoners of war from the sea.http://www.submarinesailor.com/history/pow/AussieBritRescue/
Post-World War II
After the war Reich's assignments included duty in the office of the Chief of Naval OperationsChief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
and study at the Armed Forces Staff College
Joint Forces Staff College
The Joint Forces Staff College located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. It educates and acculturates joint and multinational warfighters to plan and lead at the operational level...
and 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...
.
Reich was made Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Naval Weapons
Bureau of Naval Weapons
The Bureau of Naval Weapons was part of the United States Navy's material organization between 1959 and 1966, with responsibility for procurement and support of naval aircraft and aerial weapons. The bureau was established August 18, 1959, by an Act of Congress...
, from 1962 to 1965 Commander of the Surface Missile Project (which was key to the development of the "3-T" missile systems), and Commander of the anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
group in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
during the early years of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. His last active duty assignment was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics. Reich retired from the Navy a Vice Admiral
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
(3 stars) on October 31, 1973 after 38 years of service.
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
. Described as a "crusty three-star admiral" by syndicated columnists Rowland Evans
Rowland Evans
Rowland Evans, Jr. was an American journalist. He was known best for his decades-long syndicated column and television partnership with Robert Novak, a partnership that endured, if only by way of a joint subscription newsletter, until Evans's death.Born in Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, Evans...
and Robert Novak
Robert Novak
Robert David Sanders "Bob" Novak was an American syndicated columnist, journalist, television personality, author, and conservative political commentator. After working for two newspapers before serving for the U.S. Army in the Korean War, he became a reporter for the Associated Press and then for...
, Admiral Reich was reported by the columnists to have told staff members:
- "I don't give a damn for the public image. We're not here to create an image. We're to do a job—my way. And that's the military way."
After a short time at the job, Admiral Reich clashed with energy chief William E. Simon
William E. Simon
William Edward Simon was a businessman, a Secretary of Treasury of the U.S. for three years, and a philanthropist. He became the 63rd Secretary of the Treasury on May 8, 1974, during the Nixon administration. He was reappointed by President Ford and served until 1977. Outside of government, he was...
, and he left the newly formed Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
. Reich later did consulting on national security matters involving weapons systems acquisitions, shipbuilding and mobilization planning.
Reich is also credited with founding the Naval Undersea Museum
Naval Undersea Museum
The Naval Undersea Museum is an official naval museum located at Keyport, Washington, USA. The museum is one of the 12 Navy museums that are operated by the Naval History & Heritage Command. The museum sits next to a branch of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center...
in Keyport, Washington
Keyport, Washington
Keyport is an unincorporated community in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The community is located at the eastern terminus of State Route 308 on the Kitsap Peninsula, east of Subase Bangor. Keyport's ZIP Code, 98345, had a ZCTA population of 554 at the 2010 census, in addition to a...
. After his retirement he created the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation which raised the funds, designed, and built the museum. The museum has since been donated to by the US Navy. Reich's family donated "many of his awards, battle flag, uniforms, and memorabilia to the museum after his death." The museum also commissioned an oil
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
and bust of him which are currently on display along with many of the families donations.
Awards
Reich received the Navy CrossNavy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
three times, the second-highest decoration for valor the United States Navy
United 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...
awards, after the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, for "extraordinary heroism" as commander of the Sealion II from its March 8, 1944 commission
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
ing until relieved by Lieutenant Commander Charles F. Putnam on December 4, 1944. Reich was also twice awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...
, once awarded the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
, and received the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
.
In 1963 the American Society of Naval Engineers
American Society of Naval Engineers
The American Society of Naval Engineers is a professional association of American naval engineers. Naval Engineering includes all arts and sciences as applied in the research, development, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and logistic support of surface and subsurface ships and...
awarded Eli T. Reich the Gold Medal Award for his work on Surface Missile Systems. The Gold Medal Award, has been awarded annually since 1958, and is given to an individual who has made a significant naval engineering contribution in a particular area during the past five years.
"In the field of naval engineering, the nominee must have made a most significant contribution through personal effort, or through the direction of others, during or culminating in the five-year period ending in the current year. Evidence of personal involvement shall be explicitly stated. If, for security reasons, the evidence cannot be publicly disclosed, the statement should be sufficiently specific for recognition of the accomplishment by those qualified to assess it."
In the early 1990s the Naval Academy honored Reich at a "Heroes of WWII" dinner. There is also a "VADM Eli T. Reich Building" named in his honor at Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme
Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division , a component of the Naval Sea Systems Command , is a tenant command located at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, California. In addition to its primary location at Port Hueneme, the division operates detachments at White Sands, New...
Division (NSWC PHD) (formerly Naval Ship Weapon Systems Engineering Station, or NSWSES) in Port Hueneme, California
Port Hueneme, California
Port Hueneme is a small beach city in Ventura County, California surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Pacific Ocean. The name derives from the Spanish spelling of the Chumash wene me, meaning "Resting Place". The area was discovered by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in the mid 16th century...
. This building is one of the station's on site engineering facilities, housing combat system simulators, selected weapon systems and combat systems equipment, and much of the other shipboard equipment for which NSWC PHD is the designated In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA). http://www.ussvi.org/names/kopf-03.htm
External links
- Naval Undersea Museum Homepage
- Historic Naval Ships Association sounds page — includes sound recorded aboard the Sealion during combat in World War II