Yates Stirling, Jr.

Yates Stirling, Jr. was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.

Biography
Stirling was born in Vallejo, California in 1872. His father, Yates Stirling, was also a Rear Admiral in the Navy. They were the second family in the history of the United States Navy to have a father and son both became Rear Admirals. His brother, Archibald Stirling, was a Captain in the Navy.

He married his wife, the former Adelaide Egbert, daughter of Harry C. Egbert, in 1903. They had five children. One son became a Captain in the Navy. Stirling died on January 27, 1948. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, along with his wife, his parents, his brother and his sister.

Career
Stirling graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1892. He later served in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War.

In 1910, Stirling served as commander of the USS Paulding (DD-22) during her maiden voyage. He later attended the Naval War College. Prior to World War I, he was stationed in Hawaii, as well as aboard the USS Wisconsin (BB-9) and the USS Rainbow (AS-7). During World War I, he served as a submarine commander. He also commanded the Yangtze Patrol and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

In 1932, the Massie Trial took place in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Hawaiian Islands were at the time part of the 14th Naval District, commanded by Stirling. Stirling's strong belief of the guilt of the five men charged with rape and assault was well-known, as was his displeasure at the result of a mistrial. Later, he defended the actions of those involved in the events that led to the homicide of Joseph Kahahawai. In the 1986 made-for-television movie about the trial, Blood & Orchids, the name of the character representing Stirling was changed to Glenn Langdon.

Stirling retired in 1936. He published his memoirs about his career entitled "Sea Duty - The Memoirs of a Fighting Admiral" in 1939.