| Merlin O'Neill | |
|---|---|
Vice Admiral Merlin O'Neill |
|
| Born | Gallia County, Ohio |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Revenue Cutter Service United States Coast Guard |
| Years of service | 1921-1954 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held | Commandant of the Coast Guard |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Merlin O'Neill (1898–1981) served as the tenth Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from 1949 to 1954.
He was born in Gallia County, Ohio on October 30, 1898. Following graduation from high school in Morgan City, Louisiana, he attended Western Kentucky State Normal School, and the Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama. In 1921, he graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, where he had served as an instructor from 1927 to 1929, and as Commandant of Cadets from 1929 to 1930. From 1930 to 1935, he commanded a series of Coast Guard cutters, as part of Commandant Frederick C. Billard's heightened anti-smuggling efforts. From 1946 until his appointment as Commandant, he served as Assistant Commandant of the Coast Guard.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Joseph F. Farley |
Commandant of the Coast Guard 1949—1954 |
Succeeded by Alfred C. Richmond |
| Preceded by Lloyd T. Chalker |
Assistant Commandant of the Coast Guard 1946—1949 |
Succeeded by Alfred C. Richmond |