User:Howard C. Berkowitz/Zumwalt
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Elmo R. ("Bud") Zumwalt, Jr. (1920-2000) retired as an Admiral, United States Navy, who served as 19th Chief of Naval Operations (1970-1974).
He was thereafter active in political, policy and business pursuits until his death on 2 January 2000. He had explored a candidacy for U.S. Senate from Virginia.
The Zumwalt-class of advanced destroyers was named in his honor.
Early life
Born in San Francisco, California, on 29 November 1920, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1942, with the accelerated Class of '43, he served mainly in destroyers during World War II and continued in surface ship assignments after the war.
Middle career
In 1950, Lieutenant Commander Zumwalt received his first command, USS Tills (DE-748), and then the detroyer USS Arnold J. Isbell (DD-869).
Beginning conflict with Rickover
Zumwalt was under consideration for a command or executive officer billet on a nuclear-powered surface ship, for which every candidate was subjected to a stressful personal interview by Admiral Hyman Rickover. In his autobiography, Zumwalt described Rickover as abusive.[1] While Rickover eventually accepted him, Zumwalt declined his offer, preferring both to stay out of Rickover's orbit and to take command of the Navy's first guided missile frigate, USS Dewey (DLG-14), in 1959-61.
Senior command
War College and Nitze
He was promoted to captain in 1961, and became a student at the National War College. In 1962, his thesis, "On the Problem of the Next Succession in the Soviet Union", came to the attention of Paul Nitze, then Assistant Secretary of Defense for National Security Affairs. [2]Later, when Nitze became Secretary of the Navy Paul Nitze, Zumwalt became his executive assistant. Zumwalt regarded Nitze as both friend and mentor, saying, with respect to going to work for him, "I have never made a better decision." He likened the experience to earning a doctorate in international relations. He advised Nitze during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
While Nitze was Secretary, Zumwalt had a close view of Rickover's maneuvering to return to full Naval active duty, simultaneously maintaining his position in the Atomic Energy Commission.[3]
Systems Analysis
Promoted early to Rear Admiral in July 1965, he then commanded Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Seven, but cut his tour short when assigned to become Chief of the Systems Analysis Division for the CNO a year later. Simultaneously, he was Deputy Scientific Officer to the Center for Naval Analyses. In Systems Analysis, he looked at concepts for reducing the cost of escorts vessels, the planned Spruance-class having gone far beyond budget. He again came into conflict with Rickover, saying that the cost of nuclear escorts was unjustifiable, against Rickover's argument that they gave an unquantifiable flexibility.
Vietnam
He became Commander Naval Forces, Vietnam in September 1968 and was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral shortly thereafter.[4]
While CNO, he was popularly known for his "Z-gram" messages that abolished what he considered unreasonable yet traditional regulations that diminished the quality of life of sailors.
The antisubmarine and escort problem still bedeviled him, and, appropriately, into conflict with Rickover. He advocated the idea of the sea control ship, large numbers of small antisubmarine helicopter carriers, perhaps with some VSTOL aircraft.
References
- ↑ Elmo M. Zumwalt (1976), On Watch, Quadrangle/New York Times, ISBN 978-0812905205
- ↑ James C. Bradford (1999), Quarterdeck and bridge: two centuries of American naval leaders, U.S. Naval Institute, p. 418
- ↑ Francis Duncan (1991), Rickover: the struggle for excellence, U.S. Naval Institute, p. 229
- ↑ Admiral Elmo R. ("Bud") Zumwalt, Jr., USN (1920-2000) -- 19th Chief of Naval Operations, 1 July 1970 - 1 July 1974, U.S. Naval Historical Center]]