Yates Stirling, Jr.

Yates Stirling, Jr.
Born	(1872-03-30)March 30, 1872 Vallejo, California
Died	January 27, 1948(1948-01-27) (aged 75) Baltimore, Maryland
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1892–1936
Rank	Rear Admiral
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War Veracruz Expedition World War I
Awards	Navy Cross Legion of Honour
Relations	RADM Yates Stirling (father)

Yates Stirling, Jr. (March 30, 1872 - January 27, 1948) was a highly decorated Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.

Biography

Stirling was born in Vallejo, California in 1872. His father, Yates Stirling, was also a Rear Admiral in the Navy.^[1] They were the second family in the history of the United States Navy to have a father and son both become Rear Admirals. His brother, Archibald Stirling, was a Captain in the Navy.

He married his wife, the former Adelaide Egbert, daughter of Harry C. Egbert, in 1903. They had five children. One son became a Captain in the Navy.^[2] Stirling died on January 27, 1948. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, along with his wife, his parents, his brother and his sister.

He was a hereditary companion of the California Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States by right of his father's service in the American Civil War.

Career

Stirling graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1892.^[3] He later served in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War.

In 1910, Stirling served as commander of the USS Paulding (DD-22) during her maiden voyage. He later attended the Naval War College. Prior to World War I, he was stationed in Hawaii, as well as aboard the USS Wisconsin (BB-9) and the USS Rainbow (AS-7). During World War I, he commanded the Submarine Base New London and the newly established New London Submarine Flotilla. In 1917, after the American entry into World War I, he advocated for and eventually chaired a board on submarine design.^[4] Later, he commanded the Yangtze Patrol and in 1933-36 the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Stirling was an outspoken advocate of a strong Navy and, in 1939, of pre-emptive war, frequently writing articles for the media on these subjects. He published a controversial anti-Soviet article in 1935.^[5]

In 1932, the Massie Trial took place in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Hawaiian Islands were at the time part of the 14th Naval District, commanded by Stirling. Stirling's strong belief of the guilt of the five men charged with rape and assault was well-known, as was his displeasure at the result of a mistrial. Later, he defended the actions of those involved in the events that led to the homicide of Joseph Kahahawai. In the 1986 made-for-television movie about the trial, Blood & Orchids, the name of the character representing Stirling was changed to Glenn Langdon.

Stirling retired in 1936. He published his memoirs about his career entitled "Sea Duty - The Memoirs of a Fighting Admiral" in 1939.

Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Rear Admiral Yates Stirling, Jr.:

Bibliography

• Stirling, Yates (2007) [1939]. Sea duty : the memoirs of a fighting admiral. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 9781432627966. OCLC 175234490.  ▸ online, complete
• Weir, Gary "Building American Submarines 1914-1940, University Press of the Pacific, 2000, ISBN 0-89875-066-0

References