There were only nine men in the history of our country to obtain a rank of five stars and Vicky met at least five of them – General George C. Marshall, General Hap Arnold, Admiral Leahy, Admiral King and Admiral Halsey. An entry in Vicky’s personnel record dated 27 November 1943 and signed by Neptunus Rex, Ruler of the Raging Main, declared Vicky to be a duly qualified Shellback.Like many fighting sailors, Vicky had some trouble adjusting to peacetime service. William Halsey and Joseph Bryan, Admiral Halsey’s Story (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1947), 220; Carl Solberg, Decision and Dissent: With Halsey at Leyte Gulf (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1995), 154; Thomas Cutler, The Battle of Leyte Gulf (New York: HarperCollins, 1994), 251, quoted in Hughes, Admiral Bill Halsey, 370. The cartoon bug appeared in press adverts and poster campaigns as a menace who encouraged shoppers to waste money rather than buy war savings certificates. On or about 2 September 1945, Vicky and the other Iowa sailors greeted Admiral William “Bull” Halsey when he used the ship as his flagship for the formal surrender of the Japanese powers. A saddle crafted in Nevada that witnessed the Japanese surrender in 1945 was returned, on loan, in time for Nevada’s 150 birthday in 2014.Gov.
Admiral William F Halsey, Commander of Allied Naval Forces in the South Pacific, poses for a photograph with a junior officer who is serving under him. All Rights Reserved. Pacific Battleship Center. Like all sailors, Vicky went through the tough initiation ceremony to become a Shellback. via the Panama Canal, clearing it by one foot on each side and steamed across the Pacific Ocean.
He also met frequent visitors to the cabin including the Joint Chiefs of Staff: While Roosevelt’s party met with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin in Tehran, Vicky and the Iowa took a quick trip from North Africa to Brazil and crossed the equator. We do not receive government funding for our operations.Get entered into our quarterly drawing for a BB-61 Swag Bag that includes over $50 in commemorative goodies!After returning the President home, the IOWA proceeded to the Pacific theatre of war. From Intrepid, Rear Admiral Gerry Bogan, 38.2’s commander, led nearly a quarter of Halsey’s Fleet into action at Leyte Gulf. Sons Jake and Halsey Spruance Jr. live nearby in Pennsylvania and are active in the Wilmington community. Courtesy of the National Museum of Naval Aviation. Staying aboard IOWA through late 1945, Vicky was part of the American occupation forces in Japan.