William J. Crowe
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| William James Crowe, Jr. | |
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| January 2, 1925 – October 18, 2007 (aged 82) | |
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| Place of birth | La Grange, Kentucky |
| Place of death | Bethesda, Maryland |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1946-1989 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | USS Trout Submarine Division 31 Allied Forces Southern Europe United States Pacific Command Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (4) Navy Distinguished Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star Air Medal (7) Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| Other work | United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom Shapiro Visiting Professor of International Affairs at George Washington University |
Admiral William James Crowe, Jr. (January 2, 1925 – October 18, 2007) was a United States Navy Admiral who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, and as the ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Bill Clinton.
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[edit] Biography
Crowe was born in La Grange, Kentucky. At the beginning of the Great Depression, Crowe's father moved the family to Oklahoma City. In June 1946, Crowe completed a war-accelerated course of study and graduated with the Class of 1947 from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. From 1954 to 1955, he served as assistant to the Naval Aide of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. From 1956 to 1958, Crowe served as executive Officer of the submarine USS Wahoo. In 1958, he served as an aide to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations. In 1960, Crowe took command of USS Trout, homeported in Charleston, South Carolina, and served as Commanding Officer of that ship until 1962. From there, Crowe earned a master's degree in education at Stanford University, and then, turning down an invitation from Admiral Hyman G. Rickover to enter the Navy's nuclear-power course,[1] earned an M.A. and a Ph.D in Political Science at Princeton University. During the Vietnam War he was the senior advisor to the Vietnamese Riverine Force. In 1969, he returned to service to take command of Submarine Division 31, homeported in San Diego, California.
A long string of assignments followed:
- 1967 -- Head of East Asia Pacific Branch, Politico-Military Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
- 1970 -- Senior Adviser to the Vietnamese Navy Riverine Force
- 1973 -- Promoted to Rear Admiral and made Deputy Director, Strategic Plans, Policy, Nuclear Systems and NSC Affairs Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
- 1975 -- Director, East Asia and Pacific Region, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense
- 1976 -- Commander Middle East Force
- 1977 -- Promoted to Vice Admiral and made Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Plans and Policy
- 1980 -- Promoted to admiral and made Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe
- 1983 -- Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command
On July 10, 1985, William Crowe was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He continued to serve as CJCS through the Bush administration until 1989 when he retired from the Navy. He was the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to benefit from the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 where he became, by statute, the principal military adviser to the President of the United States and the seniormost officer in the entire military establishment (across all the U.S. military branches). His successor, Army General Colin L. Powell, replaced him as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Crowe surprised politicos when he endorsed Bill Clinton in the presidential election of 1992. In 1994 President Clinton appointed Crowe Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and he served in that capacity until 1997.
William Crowe was married to Shirley Grinel in 1954. They had three children. He sat on the Boards of Texaco, Merrill Lynch, Pfizer, Norfolk Southern Corporation and General Dynamics. At the time of his death, Crowe served as the Chairman of the Board of Visitors for the International Programs Center of the University of Oklahoma. He also served as an advisory board member for GlobalOptions, Inc., an international risk management and business solutions company headquartered in Washington, D.C..
Crowe was awarded Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) honorary degrees from numerous universities, including University of Liverpool, The George Washington University, and Knox College.
In 1989, Crowe appeared in one episode of the TV sitcom Cheers, where he played himself.[2]
Crowe received four Defense Distinguished Service Medals and following his retirement from the Navy he was awarded a 2000 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor. In 1998, the American Atatürk Association honored Crowe with the "Atatürk Peace and Democracy Award."[3]
In 2004, Crowe was among 27 retired diplomats and military commanders who publicly said the administration of President George W. Bush did not understand the world and was unable to handle "in either style or substance" the responsibilities of global leadership.June 13, 2004 by the Los Angeles Times </ref>
Crowe taught a seminar class on National Security at the United States Naval Academy.
Crowe died on October 18, 2007 at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland at age 82 because of a heart condition.[4]
His funeral was held on 31 October 2007 at the Naval Academy Chapel. Bill Clinton spoke. He was buried later that day in the Naval Academy Cemetery.
[edit] Military awards
- Badges
- Medals and ribbons
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Defense Distinguished Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters |
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Navy Distinguished Service Medal |
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Legion of Merit with 2 gold stars |
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Bronze Star with Valor device |
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Air Medal (7 awards) |
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Navy Unit Commendation |
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China Service Medal |
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American Campaign Medal |
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World War II Victory Medal |
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Navy Occupation Service Medal with Pacific clasp |
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National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars in lieu of three awards |
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Vietnam Service Medal with 1 campaign star |
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Humanitarian Service Medal |
- Republic of Vietnam Navy Distinguished Service Order
- Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and Bronze Star
- Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal (First Class)
- Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
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Order of the National Security Merit Tong-Il Medal (Republic of Korea)
Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy [5]
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Former Joint Chiefs Chair Crowe Dies," AP, 18 Oct 2007.
- ^ William J. Crowe Jr
- ^ Turkish Press Review, dated April 28, 1998
- ^ Former JCS chairman Crowe dies at 82, Air Force Times; October 18, 2007
- ^ (Italian: Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) Ordine al Merito della Repubbica Italiana
[edit] External links
- Obituary in The Times, 23 October 2007
- Navy Historical Center: Biographies in Naval History
- GlobalOptions, Inc.
- University of Oklahoma International Programs Center
- Senate statement on Crowe's tenure as CJCS
- White House Press Office announcement of Crowe's nomination as ambassador
- The American Thinker, The Guns of ’88: Lessons of the Forgotten Tanker War, April 25, 2006. Retrieved August 5, 2006. Crowe talks about U.S. involvement in the Tanker War portion of the Iran–Iraq War.
- Crowe's foreword to No Higher Honor: Saving the Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John William Vessey Jr. |
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1985–1989 |
Succeeded by Colin Powell |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by Raymond G. H. Seitz |
U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom 1994–1997 |
Succeeded by Philip Lader |
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