Tex Settle’s US Navy timeline…

Would it surprise me if I’m currently the only person in the world who genuinely wants to know exactly what Thomas Greenhow Williams (‘Tex’) Settle’s US Navy timeline was? No, of course it wouldn’t. So why inflict it on the world as a blog post? Too late, here it is!

Naval History Division

Settle’s US Navy biography was compiled by the Navy Office of Information Internal Relations division (OI-430), 1st April 1969. Putting all the balloon races and free-ballooning stuff (and everything that happened on the USS Portland in WWII) to one side:

• 6 Jun 1918 – commissioned Ensign with the class of 1919, having graduated with distinction
• Jan 1920 – reported for duty in connection with fitting out the USS Whipple (in Philadelphia)
• 23 Apr 1920 – served as Engineer Officer on the USS Whipple, then as Navigator, then as Executive Officer
• April 1922 – Postgraduate School, Annapolis, MD for aviation radio engineering, before continuing the course at Harvard University (gained Master of Science degree in June 1924)
• Jul 1924 – reported for duty at NAS Lakehurst, NJ on board the airship USS Shenandoah, and then on the airship J-3
• Oct 1924 – served on airship USS Los Angeles as Communications Officer, Engineering Officer, Navigator, and Executive Officer.
• Feb 1929 – assigned to the Bureau of Aeronatics, Navy Department, Washington DC
• Jul 1929 – served at the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation, Akron OH as Inspector of Naval Aircraft during construction of USS Akron and USS Macon.
• Jan 1934 – served as Training Officer as NAS Lakehurst, NJ
• Jun 1934 – assumed command of the USS Palos (ship) in the Yangtze Patrol of the Asiatic Fleet
• Winter 1934 – Senior Naval Officer and Acting Consul at Chungking
• Jun 1935 – assumed command of the USS Whipple (ship)
• Feb 1937 – became Fleet Communications Officer on the Staff of the Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet
• Jun 1938 to Jun 1939 – served as Executive Officer of NAS Lakehurst
• 1939 to May 1940 – on senior course at the Naval War College, Newport RI
• May 1940 to Apr 1941 – served on the Staff of the Naval War College, Newport RI
• May 1941 – Chief of Staff and Operations Officer for Commander Cruiser Division TWO, Atlantic Fleet
• Aug 1941 – Chief of Staff and Operations Officer for Commander Cruiser Division EIGHT and for Commander Cruisers, Atlantic
• May 1942 – worked in the Bureau of Aeronautics and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department, Washington DC.
• Sep 1943 – in command of Fleet Airships, Pacific, and then of Fleet Airship Wing THREE
• 3 Mar 1944 – assumed command of USS Portland at Eniwetok. For this command, he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Legion of Merit with Combat “V”, and the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V”.
• Jul 1945 – temporary duty at Headquarters of Commander in Chief, US Fleet, Washington DC
• Aug 1945 – reported to Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet.
• Sep 1945 – a task force under his command evacuated ~1500 POWs and internees from the Japanese Mukden camps. He then took the surrender of Japanese naval forces in Tsingtao, China.
• Nov 1945 – Task Force Commander of Commander Cruiser Division SIZ, and then Commander North China Naval Forces.
• Jan 1946 – took command of the Yangtze Patrol Force
• May 1946 – assumed command of Amphibious Group THREE.
• Aug 1946 – reported as Chief of Naval Airship Training and Experimention (CNATE) at NAS Lakehurst, NJ
• Sep 1947 – became Chief, Naval Group, American Mission for Aid to Turkey (arrived in Turkey in Jan 1948)
• 16 Oct 1949 – returned to Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department
• 6 Feb 1950 – designated Vice Chief of Naval Material, Navy Department
• Jan 1951 – took command of a Joint Army, Navy, Air Force Task Force for a classified project
• Aug 1951 – Commandant of the Eighth Naval District (in New Orleans, LA)
• 8 Mar 1954 – Commander Amphibious Force, US Pacific Fleet
• 20 Aug 1956 – Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Oslo, Norway
• Oct 1957 – ordered to Third Naval District for temporary duty prior to retirement
• 1 Dec 1957 – transferred to the Retired List of the US Navy, rank of Vice Admiral
• 12 Feb 1962 – ordered to return to active Naval service, joined a Defense Study Group on Military Compensation, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington DC
• Oct 1962 – assigned to the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Navy Department.
• 1 Jul 1963 – released from active duty
• 26 Aug 1963 – headed the board on Warrant Officer, Limited Duty Officer, and Senior Chief Petty Officer Policies in the Bureau of Naval Personnel

BuAer / NAS Lakehurst / Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

The specific reason I compiled this timeline was so that I could see exactly when Tex Settle was working at BuAer and NAS Lakehurst:

• Jul 1924 to Jan 1929: NAS Lakehurst
• Feb 1929 to Dec 1933: Bureau of Aeronautics
• Jan 1934 to May 1934: NAS Lakehurst
• (…gap…)
• Jun 1938 to Jun 1939: NAS Lakehurst
• (…gap…)
• May 1942 to Sep 1943: Bureau of Aeronautics and Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
• (…gap…)
• Aug 1946 to Sep 1947: NAS Lakehurst
• (…gap…)
• Oct 1949 to Dec 1950: Office of the Chief of Naval Operation