Walter S. DeLany

Walter S. DeLany (21 January 1891 – 21 September 1980) was a United States Navy vice admiral. During a 41-year naval career, he served in the United States occupation of Veracruz, World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. In retirement, he was Deputy Administrator for Mutual Defense Assistance Control in the United States Department of Defense and United States Department of State, president of the Naval Historical Foundation, and an officer of the Navy Relief Society.

Biography

Early life Walter Stanley DeLany was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, on 21 January 1891, the son of Irvin F. DeLany and the former Mary E. Dunkle. He attended Reading Senior High School before his appointment from Pennsylvania to the United States Naval Academy in 1908. While a midshipman at the Naval Academy, he was a cheerleader and a member of the class basketball and lacrosse teams. He graduated on 7 June 1912.

Naval career Early career DeLany was commissioned as an ensign on his graduation day, 7 June 1912, and reported aboard the battleship .

DeLany detached from Minnesota in May 1915 and received a promotion to lieutenant (junior grade) on 8 June 1915. Following torpedo instruction aboard the armored cruiser , he reported to the Fore River Shipbuilding Company at Quincy, Massachusetts, for duty in connection with fitting out the new battleship . He served aboard Nevada from her commissioning on 11 March 1916.

DeLany returned to the United States in August 1918 and assumed duty as executive officer of the destroyer upon her commissioning on 19 October 1918. While aboard Argonne, he received a permanent promotion to lieutenant commander in 1922. and from January to October 1924 he served as squadron gunnery officer of Destroyer Squadron Nine, Scouting Fleet. He had duty in the Training Division of the Bureau of Navigation at the United States Department of the Navy in Washington, D.C., from October 1924 until January 1927, and for three years thereafter served as first lieutenant aboard the battleship .

DeLany returned to the Department of the Navy in February 1930 and served for three years in the Ships’ Movements Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. In July 1933 he became navigator of the battleship In 1935 he began duty in the executive department at the U.S. Naval Academy. On 15 July 1938, he assumed command of Destroyer Division Seven in Destroyers, Battle Force, with the destroyer as his flagship, In May 1939 he became chief of staff and aide to Commander Cruisers, Battle Force, aboard the commander's flagship, the light cruiser , which took part in exercises along the U.S. West Coast and later moved to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On 1 February 1941 he was designated assistant chief of staff and operations officer on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Fleet.

Promoted to rear admiral with date of rank effective 26 May 1942, DeLany was detached from New Orleans to report on 12 November 1942 as Assistant Chief of Staff (Operations), to Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet, at U.S. Navy headquarters in Washington, D.C. In addition, on 19 March 1943 he was redesignated Assistant Chief of Staff (Readiness), in that assignment serving as the U.S. Navy representative on the Joint Committee on New Weapons and Equipment (JNW), and was in this position when World War II ended in August 1945. He was awarded a second Legion of Merit for "exceptionally meritorious service … from November 1942 to August 1945 … During this long period, by the exercise of great foresight, broad vision, unusual initiative, sound judgment, superior professional knowledge, and high executive ability, he directed the improvement and development of means, methods, and practices which kept the United States Fleet in a continually higher state of readiness for battle than those of the enemies and contributed in a great degree to the successful prosecution of the war."

DeLany became associated with the Naval Historical Foundation in 1961 and became its president in 1967, serving in that capacity until his death. Among its other activities, the Naval Historical Foundation published a series of pamphlets on subjects of interest in U.S. Navy history. DeLany had a passion for the Navy Department Library, which became part of the Naval Historical Center (later renamed the Naval History and Heritage Command) during his tenure as president, and in recognition of his support for the library its reading room was dedicated in his honor.

Honors and awards Legion of Merit (two awards)

World War I Victory Medal with Destroyer Clasp

Special Collar Order of Yun Hui (Republic of China) Gold Medal for Distinguished and Outstanding Public Service (New York City)