Thomas Hinman Moorer

Thomas Hinman Moorer (February 9, 1912 – February 5, 2004) was an admiral and naval aviator in the United States Navy who served as Chief of Naval Operations from 1967 to 1970, and as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1970 to 1974.

Early life and education
Moorer was born in Mount Willing, Alabama on February 9, 1912. His father, a dentist, named his son for his favorite professor at Atlanta-Southern Dental College, Dr. Thomas Hinman. Moorer was raised in Eufaula, Alabama.

Career
Moorer graduated from the United States Naval Academy on June 1, 1933 and was commissioned an ensign. After completing Naval Aviation training at the Pensacola Naval Air Station in 1936, he flew with fighter squadrons based on the aircraft carriers USS Langley, USS Lexington and USS Enterprise.

World War II
In addition to his fighter experience, Moorer also qualified in seaplanes and flew with a patrol squadron in the early years of World War II. Serving with Patrol Squadron Twenty-Two at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when the Japanese Empire attacked on December 7, 1941, his squadron subsequently participated in the 1941-42 Dutch East Indies Campaign in the southwest Pacific, where he flew numerous combat missions. Moorer received a Purple Heart after being shot down and wounded off the coast of Australia in February 1942 and then surviving an attack on the rescue ship, which was sunk by enemy action the same day. Moorer also received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his valor three months later when he braved Japanese air superiority to fly supplies into, and evacuate wounded out of. the island of Timor.

Vietnam War
Promoted to vice admiral to 1962, and to admiral in 1964, Moorer served both as Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet and Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet &mdash; the first Navy officer to have commanded both fleets. Moorer was Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at the time of the Gulf of Tonkin incident and ordered an internal investigation into the conflicting reports which emerged following the event.

Moorer served as the Chief of Naval Operations between 1967 and 1970, at the height of U.S. involvement in Vietnam and worked closely with the most senior officers in the U.S. Military and Government. He also served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1970 until 1974.

Moorer personally mastermined the 1972 mining of Hai Phong Harbor and believed that such an operation if such an operation had been conducted in 1964 it would have "made a significant difference in the outcome of the war."

Attack on the USS Liberty
Moorer believed that the attack on the USS Liberty in 1967 was a deliberate act on the part of the Israelis and that President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the cover-up to maintain ties with Israel.

Moorer stated that "Israel attempted to prevent the Liberty's radio operators from sending a call for help by jamming American emergency radio channels.[And that] Israeli torpedo boats machine-gunned lifeboats at close range that had been lowered to rescue the most-seriously wounded." Moorer stated that there had been a conspiracy to cover up the event and asked whether "our government put Israel's interests ahead of our own? If so, Why? Does our government continue to subordinate American interests to Israeli interests?"

Death
Moorer died on February 5, 2004, at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland at the age of 91. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Legacy
The National Guard Armory (Fort Thomas H. Moorer Armory) in Fort Deposit, Alabama is named after Moorer, as is a middle school in Eufaula, Alabama.

Foreign personal decorations
He also has been decorated by thirteen foreign governments:
 * Portugal (Military Order of Aviz, Grand Cross);
 * Greece (Silver Star Medal, First Class);
 * Japan (Order of Double Rays of the Rising Sun) and (First Class of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun);
 * Republic of China (Precious Tripod (Pao-Ting) Medal) and (Order of Cloud and Banner (Yun Hui) with Special Grand Cordon);
 * Philippines (Legion of Honor rank of Commander)
 * Brazil (Order of the Naval Merit, Grande Official);
 * Chile (Gran Estrella al Merito Militar);
 * Venezuela (Order of Naval Merit 1st Class);
 * Republic of Korea (Order of National Security Merit, 1st Class);
 * Netherlands (Grand Cross, Order of Orange-Nassau with Swords);
 * Federal Republic of Germany (Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit);
 * Italy (Knight of the Grand Cross);
 * Spain (Grand Cross of Navy Merit);
 * Norway (Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olaf).

Civilian awards

 * Stephen Decatur Award for Operational Competence by the Navy League of the United States (May 1964)
 * Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree awarded by Auburn University (1968)
 * General William Mitchell Award, Wings Club of New York City (February 1968)
 * Member, Alabama Academy of Honor (August 1969)
 * Honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree awarded by Samford University (May 1970)
 * Frank M. Hawks Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Development of Aviation by the American Legion Air Service Post 501, New York City (January 1971)
 * The Gray Eagle Award presented at the Washington Navy Yard (June 29, 1972)
 * The Lone Sailor Award by the U. S. Navy Memorial Foundation (1989)
 * The National Football Foundation Gold Medal (1990)