Frank C. McCord was a commander

Commander

Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...

 of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 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...

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Biography

Commander Frank C. McCord was born at Vincennes, Indiana

Vincennes, Indiana

Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...

. He was appointed Midshipman on July 5th, 1907.

From 1925 on, his career focused on naval aviation

Naval aviation

Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...

. On June 30th of 1932, he reported for duty on the dirigible

Airship

An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...

 USS Akron (ZRS-4)

USS Akron (ZRS-4)

USS Akron was a helium-filled rigid airship of the United States Navy that was lost in a weather-related accident off the New Jersey coast early on April 4, 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crew and passengers on board...

.

Death

Commander McCord, along with Rear Admiral William A. Moffett

William A. Moffett

William Adger Moffett was an American admiral notable as the architect of naval aviation in the United States Navy.-Biography:...

 were the Chief Officers of the U.S.S. Akron when it encountered severe weather and crashed near Barnegat Light, New Jersey

Barnegat Light, New Jersey

Barnegat Light is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 574. The borough borders the Atlantic Ocean on Long Beach Island and is home to Barnegat Lighthouse....

 on 4 April 1933. Commander McCord, Admiral Moffett and 71 other persons were killed.

Namesake

United States Ship McCord (DD-534)

USS McCord (DD-534)

USS McCord was a World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named after Commander Frank C. McCord....

, a destroyer

Destroyer

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 laid down 17 March 1942 at the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company in San Francisco and launched 10 January 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Frank C. McCord, the widow of Commander Frank C. McCord for whom the destroyer was named.

External links

• McCord at www.history.navy.mil