Herbert F. Leary

Herbert Fairfax Leary (May 31, 1885 – December 3, 1957) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of vice admiral. A son of Rear Admiral Richard P. Leary, he distinguished himself during World War I while on the staff of commander, U.S. Naval Forces in Europe under Admiral William Sims and received the Navy Cross, the United States Navy's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat.

Although he retired from the Navy in early 1946, Leary remained active and served as president of the New York Maritime Academy from 1946 to 1951 during the period of the academy's transformation into the New York State Maritime College.

Early career

Herbert F. Leary was born on May 31, 1885, in Washington, D.C., the son of Rear Admiral Richard P. Leary and his wife Mary. He attended public schools in Washington, D.C., and later studied at the École cantonale d'art de Lausanne, Switzerland, before received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in May 1901. His father died in December that year, just seven months after young Herbert entered the academy.

Leary graduated with distinction on January 31, 1905, with Bachelor of Science and joined the battleship , then stationed at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba as Passed Midshipman. In August that year, he was one of the young officers detailed to duty at Portsmouth Navy Yard, New Hampshire, during the Russo-Japanese Peace Conference. Leary subsequently rejoined the Kentucky and participated in the naval operations with the North Atlantic Squadron.

Leary remained in command of Preston until December 1912, when he was transferred to the Bureau of Ordnance under Rear Admiral Joseph Strauss for duty as a member of the Joint Army and Navy Board on Gun Forgings. He spent three years in that capacity and joined the battleship in September 1915. Leary served as gunnery officer under Captain Hilary P. Jones. While in this capacity, he was promoted to lieutenant commander on August 29, 1916.

Leary subsequently served as naval inspector of ordnance at the Naval Proving Ground Dahlgren, Virginia, and Naval Powder Factory, Indian Head, Maryland, and entered the Senior Course at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, in May 1931. He graduated one year later and was ordered to the Quincy Shipyard, Massachusetts, for duty in connection with fitting out of new heavy cruiser .

Upon promotion to the rank of rear admiral on June 1, 1938, Leary returned to Washington and assumed duty as director of fleet training, the position he held two years previously. While in this capacity, he was responsible for the preparation of a balanced program of fleet training based upon approved war plans and preparation of general instructions for the conduct of fleet exercises. Leary served in that capacity until February 1941, when he assumed command of Cruisers, Battle Force with additional duty as commander, Cruiser Divisions 9.

World War II Southwest Pacific

At the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941, Leary's staff was located aboard light cruiser , but Leary himself was present at the Halekulani Hotel in Honolulu together with admirals Walter S. Anderson and Robert A. Theobald. Leary had six cruisers under his command, all anchored at Ford Island, where they suffered only minor damage.

He established his headquarters in Melbourne and his ships participated in the early stages of the New Guinea campaign. The ANZAC command was absorbed by South West Pacific Area under General Douglas MacArthur on April 22, 1942, and Leary was appointed commander, Southwest Pacific Force. However his tenure was short-lived due to a complicated relationship with General MacArthur. Leary reported directly to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Ernest J. King, in Washington, D.C., and then to General MacArthur, who subsequently replaced Leary with Rear Admiral Arthur S. Carpender by the end of September 1942. For his service in Southwest Pacific area, Leary was decorated with the Silver Star and also was made Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Leary was subsequently ordered to Hawaii, where he assumed duty as Commander, Battleships, Pacific. While in this capacity, his main responsibility was the training of the battleship crews, maintenance of the ships and to provide combat ready naval forces to the operational commanders within the Pacific Fleet. He also assisted in the establishment of the naval base on Fiji. Leary was succeeded by Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee on April 16, 1943, and ordered back to the United States. For his service in that capacity, Leary received the Legion of Merit.

Postwar life and death

Upon the retirement from the Navy, Leary was ordered to Fort Schuyler, New York City, where he succeeded Vice Admiral Thomas T. Craven as president of the New York Maritime Academy. During his presidency, the New York Marine Academy's three-year course was expanded into a four-year degree-granting maritime college. The name of the academy was changed to the New York State Maritime College in 1949 and Leary was involved in the obtaining of a new suitable training ship, former attack cargo ship of the U.S. Navy.