Herbert G. Hopwood
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Herbert Gladstone Hopwood (November 23, 1898 - September 15, 1966) was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy
who served as commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet
from 1958 to 1960.
to Kendrick Hopwood and Anna Williams, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy
in 1919.
His first assignments were to the battleships and during the last months of World War I
. Between the wars, he served aboard the transport in the Asiatic Station, the battleship , the destroyer , the fleet replenishment oiler , and the heavy cruiser .
He commanded the destroyer from 1928 to 1929, commanded the destroyer from 1938 to 1939, and served as executive officer of the
destroyer tender
from 1939 to 1940. Staff assignments included tours as an instructor in ordnance and gunnery at the Naval Academy; as aide to the commandant of the Fourth Naval District
; and afloat as flag lieutenant on the staffs of Commander Destroyers, Battle Force and Commander Scouting Force.
From the beginning of World War II
to June 1944, he served in the Bureau of Naval Personnel, with additional duty on the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Planning Staff. As Director of Planning and Control in the Bureau of Naval Personnel, he implemented the program that dramatically expanded the Navy to meet wartime personnel requirements, and was promoted to captain. He went to sea as commanding officer of the light cruiser from August 14, 1944 to early 1945, participating in the capture of Peleliu
, Anguar, and Ngesebus; and the recapture of Corregidor
and Mariveles
.
when his testimony before a Congressional committee suggested that Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson
had usurped the powers of Congress by unilaterally refusing to spend appropriated funds; and as deputy comptroller of the Navy Department from 1950 to 1952.
He went to sea in command of Cruiser Division Three and Cruiser Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet from 1952 to 1953, and was assigned as chief of staff and aide to the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet from 1953 to 1955. He was promoted to vice admiral in 1955 and appointed commander of the First Fleet, then served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Logistics) from 1957 to 1958.
On February 1, 1958, he was promoted to admiral and appointed commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT
), a command that included about 400 ships, half a million men, and 3,000 aircraft. On August 23, the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
erupted when People's Liberation Army
forces began shelling Republic of China
positions on the disputed islands of Quemoy and Matsu
. Hopwood deployed the Seventh Fleet
into the Taiwan Strait to help the Nationalist government protect Quemoy's supply lines, as directed by Admiral Harry D. Felt
, Commander in Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC
).
In January 1960, Hopwood participated in the first public demonstration of a new Navy communications system
that used the moon as a radio relay to exchange teletype messages between Hopwood in Hawaii and Chief of Naval Operations
Arleigh Burke
in Washington, D.C. In June, he hosted President Dwight D. Eisenhower
at Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station
when the President took a brief holiday in Hawaii following a trip to the Far East. He was relieved by Admiral John H. Sides
on August 30, 1960 and retired from the Navy on September 1.
He married the former Jean Fulton and they lived in retirement in Short Hills, New Jersey
. They had three children: son Herbert Gladstone Jr., an officer in the Navy Medical Corps and later a prominent obstetrician in Arlington, Virginia; son Kendrick Alexander; and daughter Jean.
He was twice awarded the Legion of Merit
for his World War II service, once as Director of Planning and Control in the Bureau of Naval Personnel and once as commanding officer of the light cruiser Cleveland.
He is the namesake of Hopwood Junior High School
in Saipan
, originally the first institution of higher learning in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
, which was renamed in his honor in the late 1950s when he was Commanding Officer for the Northern Marianas as CINCPACFLT.
He died at St. Barnabas Hospital
in Livingston, New Jersey
at the age of 67, and is buried with his wife in Arlington National Cemetery
.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Herbert Gladstone Hopwood (November 23, 1898 - September 15, 1966) was a four-star admiral in 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...
who served as commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
from 1958 to 1960.
Early career
Born in Shamokin, PennsylvaniaShamokin, Pennsylvania
Shamokin is a city in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, at the western edge of the Anthracite Coal Region. At the 2000 census the population was 8,009 residents...
to Kendrick Hopwood and Anna Williams, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 1919.
His first assignments were to the battleships and during the last months of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Between the wars, he served aboard the transport in the Asiatic Station, the battleship , the destroyer , the fleet replenishment oiler , and the heavy cruiser .
He commanded the destroyer from 1928 to 1929, commanded the destroyer from 1938 to 1939, and served as executive officer of the
destroyer tender
Destroyer tender
A destroyer tender is a ship designed to provide maintenance support to a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships. The use of this class has faded from its peak in the first half of the 20th century as the roles of small combatants have evolved .Due to the increased size and automation of...
from 1939 to 1940. Staff assignments included tours as an instructor in ordnance and gunnery at the Naval Academy; as aide to the commandant of the Fourth Naval District
United States Naval Districts
The naval district is a military and administrative command ashore, established for the purpose of decentralizing the U.S. Navy Department's functions with respect to the control of the coastwise sea communications and the shore activities outside the department proper, and for the further purpose...
; and afloat as flag lieutenant on the staffs of Commander Destroyers, Battle Force and Commander Scouting Force.
From the beginning of 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...
to June 1944, he served in the Bureau of Naval Personnel, with additional duty on the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
Planning Staff. As Director of Planning and Control in the Bureau of Naval Personnel, he implemented the program that dramatically expanded the Navy to meet wartime personnel requirements, and was promoted to captain. He went to sea as commanding officer of the light cruiser from August 14, 1944 to early 1945, participating in the capture of Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
, Anguar, and Ngesebus; and the recapture of 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 Mariveles
Mariveles
Mariveles may refer to:* Mariveles, Bataan * Mariveles Mountains...
.
Flag officer
After the war, he returned to Washington D.C. for a series of staff assignments and promotion to rear admiral. He served successively as assistant chief of naval personnel; as assistant chief of naval operations; as budget director of the Navy from 1946 to 1950, in which role he played a minor part in the Revolt of the AdmiralsRevolt of the Admirals
The Revolt of the Admirals is a name given to an episode that took place in the late 1940s in which several United States Navy admirals and high-ranking civilian officials publicly disagreed with the President and the Secretary of Defense's strategy and plans for the military forces in the early...
when his testimony before a Congressional committee suggested that Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson
Louis A. Johnson
Louis Arthur Johnson was the second United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the cabinet of President Harry S. Truman from March 28, 1949 to September 19, 1950....
had usurped the powers of Congress by unilaterally refusing to spend appropriated funds; and as deputy comptroller of the Navy Department from 1950 to 1952.
He went to sea in command of Cruiser Division Three and Cruiser Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet from 1952 to 1953, and was assigned as chief of staff and aide to the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet from 1953 to 1955. He was promoted to vice admiral in 1955 and appointed commander of the First Fleet, then served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Logistics) from 1957 to 1958.
On February 1, 1958, he was promoted to admiral and appointed commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT
Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet
Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet , is the title of the United States Navy officer who commands the United States Pacific Fleet. Originally established in 1907 as a two-star rear admiral's billet, the position has been held by a four-star admiral since March 19, 1915.Between 1907 and December 6, 1922,...
), a command that included about 400 ships, half a million men, and 3,000 aircraft. On August 23, the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was a conflict that took place between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China governments in which the PRC shelled the islands of Matsu and Quemoy in the Taiwan Strait in an attempt to seize them from...
erupted when People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
forces began shelling Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
positions on the disputed islands of Quemoy and Matsu
Matsu Islands
The Matsu Islands are a minor archipelago of 19 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait administered as Lienchiang County , Fujian Province of the Republic of China . Only a small area of what is historically Lienchiang County is under the control of the ROC...
. Hopwood deployed the Seventh Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
into the Taiwan Strait to help the Nationalist government protect Quemoy's supply lines, as directed by Admiral Harry D. Felt
Harry D. Felt
Admiral Harry Donald Felt was an aviator in the United States Navy who led U.S. carrier strikes during World War II and later served as commander in chief of Pacific Command from 1958 to 1964.-Early career:...
, Commander in Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC
United States Pacific Command
The United States Pacific Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States armed forces responsible for the Pacific Ocean area. It is led by the Commander, Pacific Command , who is the supreme military authority for the various branches of the Armed Forces of the United States serving...
).
In January 1960, Hopwood participated in the first public demonstration of a new Navy communications system
Communication Moon Relay
The Communication Moon Relay project was a telecommunication project carried out by the United States Navy...
that used the moon as a radio relay to exchange teletype messages between Hopwood in Hawaii and Chief of Naval Operations
Chief 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...
Arleigh Burke
Arleigh Burke
Admiral Arleigh Albert '31-knot' Burke was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.-Early life and naval career:Burke was born in Boulder,...
in Washington, D.C. In June, he hosted President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
at Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Marine Corps Base Hawaii , formerly Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a U.S. Marine Corps base facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County of Honolulu. As of the 2000 Census, the base had a...
when the President took a brief holiday in Hawaii following a trip to the Far East. He was relieved by Admiral John H. Sides
John H. Sides
Admiral John Harold Sides was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet from 1960 to 1963 and was known as the father of the Navy's guided-missile program....
on August 30, 1960 and retired from the Navy on September 1.
Personal life
After retiring from the Navy, he worked as vice president in charge of operations for the Grace Steamship Company until 1964.He married the former Jean Fulton and they lived in retirement in Short Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills is an unincorporated area located within the township of Millburn, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City...
. They had three children: son Herbert Gladstone Jr., an officer in the Navy Medical Corps and later a prominent obstetrician in Arlington, Virginia; son Kendrick Alexander; and daughter Jean.
He was twice 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...
for his World War II service, once as Director of Planning and Control in the Bureau of Naval Personnel and once as commanding officer of the light cruiser Cleveland.
He is the namesake of Hopwood Junior High School
Hopwood Junior High School
Hopwood Junior High School is the larger of two institutions of junior high education on the island of Saipan. Hopwood Junior High School was founded in 1949 as the Saipan Intermediate School and then renamed in 1962 after Admiral Herbert Gladstone Hopwood of the United States Navy. Admiral...
in Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, originally the first institution of higher learning in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
, which was renamed in his honor in the late 1950s when he was Commanding Officer for the Northern Marianas as CINCPACFLT.
He died at St. Barnabas Hospital
Saint Barnabas Medical Center
Saint Barnabas Medical Center , an affiliate of the Barnabas Health , is a 597-bed non-profit major teaching hospital located in Livingston, New Jersey...
in Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
at the age of 67, and is buried with his wife 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...
.