Forrest Beton Royal
Encyclopedia
Forrest Beton Royal, was a member of the United States Naval Academy
class of 1915. Service in increasingly important posts afloat and ashore prepared him for his role as commander of Amphibious Group 6 in the assaults on Leyte
, Luzon
, Mindanao
, and Borneo
during the Pacific War
in 1944 and 1945. His planning and execution of these important assignments was recognized with the Distinguished Service Medal
, and the posthumous (he had died of a heart attack on board his flagship
) award of a Gold Star
in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Medal.
was named after R.Adm. Royal, sponsored by his daughter, Miss Katharine K. Royal.
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
class of 1915. Service in increasingly important posts afloat and ashore prepared him for his role as commander of Amphibious Group 6 in the assaults on Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
, Luzon
Battle of Luzon
The Battle of Luzon was a land battle fought as part of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony The Philippines, and Mexico against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and Filipino victory...
, Mindanao
Battle of Mindanao
The Battle of Mindanao was fought by United States forces and allied Filipino guerrillas against the Japanese from 10 March-15 August 1945 at Mindanao island in the Philippine Archipelago, in a series of actions officially designated as Operation VICTOR V, and part of the campaign for the...
, and Borneo
Borneo campaign (1945)
The Borneo Campaign of 1945 was the last major Allied campaign in the South West Pacific Area, during World War II. In a series of amphibious assaults between 1 May and 21 July, the Australian I Corps, under General Leslie Morshead, attacked Japanese forces occupying the island. Allied naval and...
during the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
in 1944 and 1945. His planning and execution of these important assignments was recognized with the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
, and the posthumous (he had died of a heart attack on board his flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
) award of a Gold Star
Gold Star
The Gold Star medal is a special insignia that identifies recipients of the title "Hero" in the Soviet Union and its communist allies, and several post-Soviet states.-Soviet origin:...
in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Medal.
Namesake
In 1946 the destroyerDestroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
was named after R.Adm. Royal, sponsored by his daughter, Miss Katharine K. Royal.