Gingrich, John Edward

Gingrich, John Edward, born 23-02-1897 in Dodge City, Kansas, graduated from the Naval Academy on 0-06-1919 and was commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy. From June 1937 to June 1939, he served afloat as aide and flag secretary on the staff of Commander Battleship Division 3, Battle Force, aboard the division flagship Idaho. He remained with the fleet for a third year as navigator of the battleship New Mexico. Returning to Washington, he served as secretary of the General Board of the Navy before being assigned as naval aide to the inaugural Under Secretary of the Navy, James Vincent Forrestal Gingrich served as Forrestal’s aide from August 1940 to July 1944. Gingrich quickly became a full-fledged policy assistant for military affairs. After Gingrich left his service, Forrestal wrote to President Harry Ship Truman that “He was invaluable to me, being far above the ordinary officer in his understanding of the Navy’s relations with the public and with civilians. Gingrich’s service as Forrestal’s aide made him an enemy of Admiral Ernst Joseph King Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations, who resented Gingrich’s outsized policy role and perceived Gingrich as being more loyal to Forrestal, a civilian political appointee, than to King, his uniformed superior. Gingrich crossed King more blatantly when Forrestal succeeded William Frank “Frankie” Knox

    as Secretary of the Navy. King eventually came to suspect that Gingrich was the éminence grise behind many of the actions taken in Forrestal’s name. Whenever the admiral passed the aide in the hallway, King would greet Gingrich with a sarcastic “Good morning, Commander,” and a deep, mocking bow. Forrestal finally released Gingrich to fight in the Pacific theater after Gingrich protested that he was being “kept out of the war.” Assigned to fit out the new heavy cruiser Pittsburgh, he served as Pittsburgh’s first commanding officer from that cruiser’s commissioning on 10-10-1944, until 03-09-1945. For outstanding service in that role, he was awarded the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit and a Gold Star in lieu of a second Legion of Merit.

 He retired from the Navy on 01-10-1954, as a full admiral, and died at his home in New York City at the age of 63, on 26-05-1960, after a long illness, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Section 2. Close by in Section 2, the graves of General, Commander 92^nd “ Negro Division”, Edward “Ned” Almond, Major General, Commander 8^th Bomber Command Europe, Frederick Anderson, Rear Admiral, Commander Destroyer Greyson, Frederic Bell, Navy Admiral, “Operation Crossroads”, William Blandy,General, Commander 32^nd Infantry Division, Clovis Byers, Navy Admiral. Battle of the Leyte Gulf, Robert Carney, Air Force General Lieutenant, Claire Chennault, Lieutenant General, Commander 4^th Corps, Italy Campaign, Willis Crittenberger, Brigadier General, First African-American General, Benjamin Davis, Quartermaster Lieutenant General, John Lesesne De Witt, Major General and Head OSS, William “Wild Bill” Donovan, Brigadier General, Speck Easley, Marine Corps Major General, Commander 1^st Raider Battalion

     Merritt “Red Mike” Edson , During the war, a total of 8,078 men, including 7,710 Marines and 368 sailors, were assigned to Raider units. Raiders received a total of seven Medals of Honor and 136 Navy Crosses. Further Lieutenant General, VIII Army, Robert Eichelberger, Navy Admiral, Commander Nord Pacific Fleet, Frank Fletscher and Navy Admiral, Commander VII Forces, William Fechteler, Lieutenant General, Commander 86^th Infantry Division, “Blackhawk”   . The division was 34 days in combat with 785 casualties  and 161 death, Ridgeley Gaither, further Major General, Commander 29^th Infantry Division , D-Day, Charles Gerhardt.