Edward L. Beach, Jr.

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Edward Latimer Beach, Jr.
April 20, 1918(1918-04-20) – December 1, 2002 (aged 84)

Edward L. Beach, Jr. in 1960
Nickname Ned
Place of birth New York, New York
Place of death Washington, D.C.
Allegiance Flag of the United StatesUnited States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service 1939-1966
Rank Captain
Commands held USS Piper (SS-409)
USS Amberjack (SS-522)
USS Trigger (SS-564)
USS Williamsburg (AGC-369)
USS Salamonie (AO-26)
USS Triton (SSRN-586)
Submarine Squadron Eight
Battles/wars Neutrality Patrol
World War II
Battle of Midway
Cold War
Awards Navy Cross
Silver Star (2)
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star (2)
Magellanic Premium (1961)
Other work Author, Historian

Edward Latimer Beach, Jr. (April 20, 1918 – December 1, 2002) was a highly-decorated United States Navy submarine officer and best-selling author.[1]

During World War II, he participated in the Battle of Midway and 12 combat patrols, earning 10 decorations for gallantry, including the Navy Cross. After the war, he served as the naval aide to the President of the United States and commanded the first submerged circumnavigation.

Beach's best-selling novel, Run Silent, Run Deep, was made into the 1958 film by the same name.

Contents

[edit] Naval Career

The son of Captain Edward L. Beach, Sr. and Alice Fouché Beach, Edward Latimer Beach, Jr., was born in New York, New York and raised in Palo Alto, California.

[edit] United States Naval Academy

Beach was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1935 by Senator Hiram Johnson of California. He served as regimental commander in his first class year. Beach was named the midshipman who had done the most to promote naval spirit and loyalty in his regiment when he graduated second out of 576 in his class in 1939.[2][3]

[edit] Neutrality Patrol

Beach was initially assigned to the heavy cruiser USS Chester (CA-27) before joining the newly recommissioned destroyer USS Lea (DD-118), which participated in the neutrality patrol, the escort of the German passenger liner Columbus, the initial occupaton of Iceland, and convoy duty in the North Atlantic.[4][5]

Beach was detached from the Lea in September 1941 to undergo accelerated training at the Submarine Training School at the New London Submarine Base in Connecticut. He completed training, graduating first in his class, in December 1941 shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.[6][7]

[edit] World War II

Beach served aboard the USS Trigger (SS-237) and USS Tirante (SS-420), and took command of the USS Piper (SS-409) just as the Pacific War was ending.

Beach in 1945
Beach in 1945

He participated in the Battle of Midway and 12 combat patrols that damaged or sank 45 enemy vessels.[8] He held several shipboard positions, including communications officer, engineering officer, navigator, co-approach officer, and executive officer. (Aboard the USS Tirante, he was Executive Officer to Capt. George L. Street, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for a combat action during the Tirante's first war patrol.) Beach earned 10 decorations for gallantry, including the Navy Cross.

[edit] Cold War

[edit] Department of the Navy

In December 1945, Beach reported to the Department of the Navy to served as the personal aide to Vice Admiral Louis E. Denfeld, the chief of the Bureau of Naval Personnel. In March 1947, he was attached to the Atomic Defense Section (OPNAV 36) under Rear Admiral William S. Parsons.[9][10]

[edit] USS Amberjack (SS-522)

In May 1948, he was given command of the Amberjack, a GUPPY II modified submarine. The Amberjack gained the nickname "Anglejack" because of its pioneering use of steep diving and surfacing angles, which was immortalized in the January 1950 edition of the National Geographic magazine.[11][12] During war games, Amberjack photographed the opposing task force's flagship through its periscope and sent the admiral a copy inscribed with "Regards from Ned Beach and the Amberjack.".[13]

Beach while a naval aide
Beach while a naval aide

[edit] Joint Chiefs of Staff

His tour as skipper of Amberjack was abbreviated as he was called to Washington to serve as Naval Aide to General Omar Bradley, USA, the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in August 1951. As Bradley's aide, Beach was a first-hand witness to the events surrounding the Revolt of the Admirals.[14][15]

[edit] USS Trigger (SS-564)

Upon completing his tour of duty as Bradley's aide in March 1951, Beach was named prospective commanding officer of the new USS Trigger, then under construction. Upon commissioning of Trigger II, which was named for the USS Trigger (SS-237) lost during World War II, he became commanding officer of the first submarine to be completed in a new class.[16]

[edit] The White House

From 1953 to 1957, Beach was Naval Aide to President Dwight D. Eisenhower.[13] While on the President's staff, he was responsible for planning the evacuation of the President in the event of a national emergency and for the management of Camp David and the White House Mess. Beach also briefly commanded presidential yacht Williamsburg prior to its decommissioning in 1953.[17] It was Beach who spearheaded the effort to get First Lady Mamie Eisenhower to christen the USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, in 1954.[18]

Beach was advanced to the rank of captain on October 1, 1956.[19]

[edit] USS Salamonie (AO-26)

Beach left the White House in January 1957, and assumed command of the Salamonie, a Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oiler, on March 15. He completed a deployment to the U.S. Sixth Fleet, operating in the Mediterranean Sea, in December 1957.[20][21]

Beach traces the route of the first undersea circumnavigation in 1960
Beach traces the route of the first undersea circumnavigation in 1960

[edit] USS Triton (SSRN-586)

In January 1958, he attended the Navy's training program for atomic reactors in order to quality for his next command, the USS Triton, the nation's fifth nuclear powered submarine.[22]

In November 1959, Beach took command of the USS Triton, the first and only American nuclear-powered submarine to be equipped with two nuclear reactors. Departing New London on what was supposed to have been a "shake-down" cruise in February 1960, Triton began a 1960 circumnavigation of the earth in 84 days without surfacing, covering over 41,000 statute miles, an unprecedented feat. The route of Triton followed roughly that of Ferdinand Magellan in 1519-1522. The scientific and military significance of the Triton voyage was overshadowed by the U-2 Incident which broke just as Triton was returning.[23]

For successfully completing its mission, Triton was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.[24] At a special White House ceremony, Captain Beach was presented the Legion of Merit by President Eisenhower.[25] Beach wrote about the Triton's voyage in his book Around the World Submerged: The Voyage of the Triton, published in 1962.

Following her post-shakedown availability, Triton deployed to European waters with the Second Fleet to participate in NATO exercises against British naval forces led by the aircraft carriers Ark Royal and Hermes under the command of Rear Admiral Sir Charles Madden. The deployment was climaxed with a port visit to Bremerhaven, West Germany, the first visit by a nuclear-powered ship to a European port.[26]

[edit] Subron 8, National War College & OpNav

After his tour in command of Triton, Beach assumed command of Submarine Squadron Eight from July 1961 to August 1962. Beach then was sent by the Navy to the National War College, where he completed a course of study in July 1963, and at the same time earned a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from George Washington University. From July 1963 to December 1966, Beach served in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OpNav) preparing annual budget reports for Congress and prepping the Secretary of the Navy (Fred Korth, Paul B. Fay, and Paul H. Nitze) and the Chief of Naval Operations {George W. Anderson Jr. and David L. McDonald) for hearings before Congressional committees.

Having been commissioned an Ensign in 1939, Beach rose to the rank of Captain, retiring from active duty after 27 years in 1966.

[edit] Awards and decorations

During his service in the United States Navy, Beach was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star with Gold Star in lieu of a second Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with a combat Distinguished "V" and Gold Star in lieu of a second Bronze Star Medal with a combat Distinguished "V", Letter of Commendation Ribbon with Gold Star in lieu of second award and "V" decice from the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet, two Presidential Unit Citations, the Navy Unit Commendation, American Defense Service Medal with Atlantic Fleet Clasp, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three engagement stars, the World War II Victory Medal and the National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star in lieu of second award.

[edit] Navy Cross

The Navy Cross is presented to Edward Latimer Beach, Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy, for gallantry and intrepidity in action as Executive Officer, Navigator and Assistant Approach Officer on board the U.S.S. TIRANTE (SS-420) on the First War Patrol of that submarine during the period 3 March 1945 to 25 April 1945, in enemy controlled waters of the East China Sea. Lieutenant Commander Beach rendered valiant service to his commanding officer in penetrating mined and shoal-obstructed shallow waters in defiance of hostile shore-based radar stations and aircraft. By his excellent judgment and keen understanding of attack problems, he aided immeasurably in sending torpedoes into targets with deadly accuracy and contributed to the sinking of three Japanese cargo ships, one large transport, a hostile tanker, three patrol frigates, and one lugger, totaling 28,000 tons of shipping vital to the enemy's ability to prosecute the war. Through his experience and sound judgment he assisted in bringing his ship safely back to port. His conduct throughout was an inspiration to his officers and men and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[27]

Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 345 - December 1945

[edit] Legion of Merit

For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service while serving on board the U.S.S. TRITON from the 16th of February 1960 to the 10th of May 1960. As Commanding Officer, Captain Edward L. Beach, United States Navy, led his crew with courage, foresight and determination in an unprecedented circumnavigation of the globe, proving man's ability under trying conditions to accomplish prolonged submerged missions as well as testing new and complex equipment in the world's largest submarine. This historic voyage took his ship into strange waters under difficult and frequently unknown conditions, as a result, the TRITON collected much valuable oceanographic information. Captain Beach's sound judgment, masterful leadership, professional skill and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the naval service.[28]

The White House - May 10, 1960

[edit] Presidential Unit Citation - USS Trigger

Citation
For outstanding performance in combat during her Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh War Patrols against the enemy. Employing highly daring and hazardous tactics, the USS TRIGGER struck at the enemy with consistent aggressiveness, seeking out and pursuing her targets with dogged determination regardless of unfavorable attack conditions. Her exceptionally notable record of severe damage inflicted on hostile shipping and the gallant fighting spirit of her officers and men reflect great credit upon the United States Naval Service.[29]

[edit] Presidential Unit Citation for First Submerged Circumnavigation — USS Triton (SSRN-586)

For meritorious achievement from the 16th of February 1960 to the 10th of May 1960. During this period TRITON circumnavigated the earth submerged, generally following the route of Magellan’s historic voyage. In addition to proving the ability of both crew and nuclear submarine to accomplish a mission which required almost three months of submergence, TRITON collected much data of scientific importance. The performance, determination and devotion to duty of TRITON’s crew were in keeping with the highest traditions of the naval service.
All members of the crew who made this voyage are authorized to wear the Presidential Unit Citation ribbon with a special clasp in the form of a golden replica of the globe.[30] (see image above)

The White House – May 10, 1960

[edit] Naval War College and Capitol Hill

Beach retired from active duty in the Navy in 1966, and was appointed as the Stephen B. Luce Chair of Naval Science at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island — the first person to hold that position. During his tenure he was the editor of the Naval War College Review.

Subsequently Beach served for seven years as staff director of the United States Senate Republican Policy Committee, and for one year as chief of staff for Senator Jeremiah Denton (R-Alabama).

[edit] Author

Burt Lancaster and Clark Gable from the 1958 film adaptation of Run Silent, Run Deep
Burt Lancaster and Clark Gable from the 1958 film adaptation of Run Silent, Run Deep

After World War II, Beach wrote extensively in his spare time following in the footsteps of his father, who was also a career naval officer and author. His first book Submarine! (1952) was a compilation of accounts of several wartime patrols made by his own as well as other submarines, which TIME magazine called "the liveliest and most authentic account of underseas combat to come out of World War II."[13]

In all, Beach published thirteen books, but is best known for his first novel, Run Silent, Run Deep (1955), which appeared on The New York Times Book Review bestseller list for several months. A movie of the same name, based loosely on the novel and starring Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster, was released by United Artists in 1958. Beach penned two sequels to Run Silent, Run Deep: Dust on the Sea (1972), relating in detail a war patrol by Eel leading a wolf pack, and Cold is the Sea (1978), set in 1961 aboard a nuclear submarine.

In addition to Submarine!, Beach wrote several more books on naval history, including The Wreck of the Memphis (1966); United States Navy: 200 Years (1986), a general history of the Navy; Scapegoats: A Defense of Kimmel and Short at Pearl Harbor (1995); and Salt and Steel: Reflections of a Submariner (1999). Keepers of the Sea (1983) is a stunning pictorial record of the modern navy with photography by Fred J. Maroon. For a number of years Beach was co-editor of Naval Terms Dictionary as that standard reference work passed through several editions. His last work, completed shortly before his death, was to prepare for publication his father's manuscript of his own distinguished service in the navy. That book, From Annapolis to Scapa Flow: The Autobiography of Edward L. Beach, Sr (2003), is Captain Beach, Sr.'s personal account of the navy from the age of sail to the age of steam.

In addition to his books, Beach was a prolific author of articles and book reviews for periodicals ranging from Blue Book Magazine to National Geographic, and Naval History to American Heritage.

[edit] Bibliography

Fiction:

Memoirs:

  • Salt and Steel: Reflections of a Submariner (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1999)

Non-Fiction:

Around the World Submerged: The Voyage of the Triton (1962)
Around the World Submerged: The Voyage of the Triton (1962)
  • Keepers of the Sea (photos by Fred J. Maroon) (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1983)
  • Naval Terms Dictionary, in collaboration with John V. Noel, Jr, 4th edition (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1971)
  • Naval Terms Dictionary, in collaboration with John V. Noel, Jr, 5th edition (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1978)
  • Naval Terms Dictionary, in collaboration with John V. Noel, Jr, 6th edition (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1971)
  • The United States Navy: 200 Years (New York: Henry Holt, 1986)

Run Silent, Run Deep and The Wreck of the Memphis were republished in hardcover by the Naval Institute Press as part of its Classics of Naval Literature series while Around the World Submerged, Submarine!, Dust on the Sea, and Cold is the Sea were reprinted in quality paperback editions as part of its Bluejacket Books series

[edit] Family

Beach married Ingrid Schenck, daughter of Stanford professor Hubert G. Schenck and Inga Bergström Schenck, in Palo Alto in 1944. They had four children: Inga-Marie (1945-1948), Edward A. (b. 1948), Hugh S. (b. 1949) and Ingrid Alice (b. 1952).

[edit] Honors

Beach at Beach Hall in 1999
Beach at Beach Hall in 1999
  • The Beach Award for non-technical writing or documentation that promotes personal submarines presented by the Personal Submersible Organization (PSUBS.ORG) is named in Captain Beach's honor.[39]

[edit] Legacy

Perhaps author Tom Clancy best summarized Beach's many accomplishments and contributions when he wrote:

Ned loved the Navy as a man might love his own family. For the Navy was his family, the junior officers he trained and the enlisted men who did so much of the hand-labor in the boats. He served with distinction approaching perfection and, like his father, would then write about the things he'd seen and done... More than once I spoke with him about the psychological aspects of combat, and every time he told me what I needed to know, always from his own rich experiences. Ned was a serious student of history -- he wrote several splendid books on this subject -- and of human nature. What he didn't know had never happened.[42]

[edit] See also

United States Navy Portal

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Eye on the Fleet Photo Gallery: Capt. Edward L. "Ned" Beach, Jr.. Navy NewsStand (December 1, 2002). Retrieved on 2007-05-06.
  2. ^ Current Biography (1960), p. 21
  3. ^ Beach, Salt and Steel, p. 36
  4. ^ Current Biography (1960), p. 21
  5. ^ Beach, Salt and Steel, p. 38 - 58
  6. ^ Current Biography (1960), p. 21
  7. ^ Beach, Salt and Steel, p. 59
  8. ^ Current Biography (1960), p. 21
  9. ^ Current Biography (1960), p. 22
  10. ^ Beach, Salt and Steel, p. 168 - 185
  11. ^ Current Biography (1960), p. 22
  12. ^ Beach, Salt and Steel, p. 196
  13. ^ a b c “New Look in Aides”. TIME (January 26, 1953). Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  14. ^ Current Biography (1960), p. 21
  15. ^ Beach, Salt and Steel, p. 201 - 219 (see photo section)
  16. ^ Plank Owners page @ USS Trigger (SS-564) Official Website
  17. ^ Beach, Salt and Steel, p. 225 - 229
  18. ^ Beach, Salt and Steel, p. 229 -237
  19. ^ Current Biography (1960), p. 22
  20. ^ List of Commanders @ USS Salamonie (AO-26) Official Website]
  21. ^ Beach, Salt and Steel, p. 243 - 261
  22. ^ Beach, Salt and Steel, p. 261 - 262
  23. ^ “Triton Follows Magellan's Wake” by Edward L. Beach. National Geographic, November 1960 (Vol. 118, No. 5)
  24. ^ [1] Presidential Unit Citation dated May 10, 1960
  25. ^ [2] Citation accompanying Award of Legion of Merit to Captain Edward L. Beach, USN, dated May 10th, 1960
  26. ^ Beach, Salt and Steel, p. 263 - 269
  27. ^ [3] Full Text Citations For Award of The Navy Cross @ HomeOfHeroes.com
  28. ^ [4] Citation accompanying Award of Legion of Merit to Captain Edward L. Beach, USN, dated May 10th, 1960
  29. ^ Text of Citation - www.applmath.com/csds50/pdfs/RADMRoyStanleyBenson.pdf
  30. ^ [5]Citation — Presidential Unit Citation for making the first submerged circumnavigation of the world.
  31. ^ "Edward L Beach" Current Biography (1960), p. 21
  32. ^ [6] Argosy, August 1960
  33. ^ "Kudo" - Time - Monday, Jun. 13, 1960
  34. ^ [7] The Magellanic Premium of the American Philosophical Society
  35. ^ [8] Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Prize in Naval History 1987, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute
  36. ^ [9] Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Prize in Naval History 1987, Theodore Roosevelt Association
  37. ^ [10] Reprint of Seapower magazine (June 2000), published by the Navy League of the United States
  38. ^ [11] 2002 Annual Report of the Naval Historical Foundation, p. 10.
  39. ^ [12] PSUBS.ORG Awards site.
  40. ^ “Pen and Sword” by Gordon I. Peterson. Seapower magazine
  41. ^ [13] United States Naval Academy Cemetery
  42. ^ Tom Clancy. "He Lived What He Wrote." Opinion Journal (December 4, 2002)

[edit] Bibliography

  • Edward L. Beach, Jr. Around the World Submerged: The Voyage of the Triton (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1962) LCC: 62-18406 (Papberback, ISBN: 1557502153)
  • Edward L. Beach, Jr. Submarine! (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1952) paperback, ISBN: 1-59114-058-7
  • Edward L. Beach, Jr. Salt and Steel: Reflections of a Submariner (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1999) ISBN: 1-55750-054-1

[edit] External links

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