Oscar Walter Farenholt

Rear Admiral Oscar Walter Farenholt (May 2, 1845 – June 30, 1920) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War, the Spanish–American War and is the first enlisted man in the Navy to reach flag rank.

Early life Farenholt was born to German immigrants in San Antonio, Texas, who had settled on a ranch on the Salado River 1842, not far from the famous Alamo Mission. Speaking only German until the age of eight, he was sent to New Orleans to a French school where he learned English for the first time. He continued his schooling until twelve years of age, entering a preparatory school, near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He reentered the U.S. Navy in February, 1863 after recovering and was assigned to the monitor participating in almost daily engagements with defenses of Charleston, South Carolina from April 1863 to April 1864.

Post Civil War Farenholt was assigned various duties and was promoted to ensign on March 12, 1868, master on December 18, 1868, lieutenant on March 21, 1870, lieutenant commander on May 11, 1882, and commander on June 19, 1892. In 1890 he was on sea duty attached to which was in port in Sitka Borough, Alaska. His ship was used as base of procurement at Shanghai for Dewey's fleet. He was given the task of obtaining a source for coal and supplies for the Asiatic Squadron through a Chinese intermediary. The efforts were kept secret, because this was against the neutrality laws.

Post Spanish–American War

He served at the Boston Navy Yard and at the Naval War College in February, 1899. He was promoted captain in September, 1900, served as Commandant of the Navy Yard at Cavite in the Philippine Islands in 1901, was Commander of the monitor in the Asiatic station during 1901, and was promoted rear admiral on September 1, 1901. He was the first enlisted man in the Navy to reach flag rank, and voluntarily retired after giving 40 years of active service. Their son Ammen Farenholt (born 1871 in Norfolk, Virginia) earned his medical degree from Harvard in 1893, became a U.S. Navy medical officer and retired as a rear admiral. Oscar Farenholt retired September 1, 1901, and died from heart disease on June 30, 1920, at the Mare Island Naval Hospital in Vallejo, California, which was under the command of his son at the time. Ella died March 21, 1925, in California and both are buried at the San Francisco National Cemetery in San Francisco, California. Two ships have been named for Farenholt, and .