Phil H. Bucklew
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Phil H. Bucklew (December 18, 1914 – December 30, 1992) the recognized "Father of U. S. Naval Special Warfare".
Bucklew graduated from Columbus North High School, earned fame as a football fullback, punter and tight end at Xavier University in Cincinnati, and played in 1937 and '38 for the Cleveland Rams and founded a Columbus professional football team that lasted three seasons. In October 1989, Bucklew was inducted as the 34th member of the Columbus Hall of Fame, and his photograph hangs in City Hall.
Bucklew was a young ensign in 1943 when he commanded a scout boat during the landings on Sicily, an operation in which he won the Navy Cross, the highest decoration for bravery in the service except for the Medal of Honor. The citation accompanying it said he disregarded enemy searchlights and artillery and machine gun fire that hit his boat to locate the beach where the landing was to take place and guide assault waves to it. He also was praised for the care and attention with which he had trained his crew.
On D-day, June 6, 1944, he won a Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Cross while commanding a scout boat leading the first wave of tank-carrying landing craft to the beach. On that occasion he had to fight heavy surf as well as enemy fire. He remained on station as a guide boat all day, directing assault waves and giving supporting fire against German positions. He also rescued from the sea a number of soldiers whose landing craft had been hit and set on fire.
In addition to the landings in Sicily and Normandy, he took part in amphibious operations in North Africa and at Salerno, Italy, where be won the Silver Star. He finished the war in China, he scouted the Chinese coast, and later went into the interior to help train & equip Chinese guerillas.
Bucklew left the service for two years in the late 1940s, he was assistant football coach at Columbia, and instructor in Naval ROTC. He also taking courses in the School of Internatioal Affairs, and in Mandarin Chinese.
Returned to active duty in 1948. He served at various bases in the United States and in Korea and Vietnam, where he commanded SEAL units. During the 1950s, the United States turned its PT boats over to the South Korean Navy with American Sailors, under the command of Bucklew. He was assigned to the Navy Department in the Pentagon when he retired in 1969. A resident of the Washington area since 1967, he lived in Fairfax. From 1974 to 1984, when he retired for reasons of health, he was the Washington representative of Swiftships, a Louisiana boat-building company.
In addition to the Navy Crosses and the Silver Star, his decorations included the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. He was a member of the Army-Navy Country Club.
He died at Fairfax Hospital, Fairfax, VA, survivors include his wife of 46 years, Helen N. Bucklew (Feb. 5 - June 9, 2004) . Buried at Arlington National Cemetery, with full military honors January 6, 1993
