William J. Crowe
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William James Crowe Jr.(January 2, 1925 – October 18, 2007) was aUnited States Navyadmiraland diplomat who served as the 11thchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffunder PresidentsRonald ReaganandGeorge H. W. Bush,and as the ambassador to theUnited Kingdomand Chair of the Intelligence Oversight Board under PresidentBill Clinton.
Early life and education
[edit]Crowe was born inLa Grange, Kentuckyon January 2, 1925. At the beginning of theGreat Depression,Crowe's father moved the family toOklahoma City.In June 1946, Crowe completed a war-accelerated course of study and graduated with the Class of 1947 from theUnited States Naval AcademyinAnnapolis, Maryland.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]From 1954 to 1955, Crowe served as assistant to the naval aide of PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower.While serving in Eisenhower's White House in Spring of 1955, Crowe was tasked with figuring out a way to rid the White House lawn of squirrels, which were impacting the golfing greens Eisenhower had built on the lawn.[1]From 1956 to 1958, Crowe served as executive officer of the submarineUSSWahoo(SS-565).
In 1958, he served as an aide to the DeputyChief of Naval Operations.In 1960, Crowe took command ofUSSTrout(SS-566), homeported inCharleston, South Carolina,and served as commanding officer of that ship until 1962. From there, Crowe earned a master's degree in education at theStanford Graduate School of Education.After turning down an invitation from AdmiralHyman G. Rickoverto enter the Navy's nuclear power program,[2]Crowe earned a Ph.D. in politics fromPrinceton Universityin 1965 after completing a doctoral dissertation titled "The policy roots of the modern Royal Navy 1946-1963."[3]
During theVietnam Warhe was the senior adviser to the VietnameseRiverine Force.In 1969, he took command of Submarine Division 31, homeported inSan Diego,California.[citation needed]
A long string of assignments followed:
- 1967 – Head of East Asia Pacific Branch, Politico-Military Division,Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
- 1970 – Senior adviser to the Vietnamese Navy Riverine Force
- 1973 – promoted to rear admiral and named Deputy Director, Strategic Plans, Policy, Nuclear Systems, and NSC Affairs Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
- 1975 – Director, East Asia and Pacific Region,Office of the Secretary of Defense
- 1976 – Commander,Middle East Force(COMMIDEASTFOR)
- 1977 – promoted to vice admiral and named Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Plans, Policy and Operations
- 1980 – promoted to admiral and named Commander-in-Chief,Allied Forces Southern Europe(CINCSOUTH)
- 1983 – as CINCSOUTH, named Commander-in-Chief,United States Naval Forces Europe(CINCUSNAVEUR)
- 1983 – Commander-in-Chief,United States Pacific Command(CINCPAC)
On July 10, 1985, Crowe was appointed by PresidentRonald Reaganto serve asChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff(CJCS). He continued to serve as CJCS through the Bush administration until 1989, when he retired from active duty. He was the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to serve under the provisions of theGoldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986,where he as chairman became (not the collegial body of theJoint Chiefs of Staff), by statute, the principal military adviser to the president, theNational Security Council,and theSecretary of Defense.On October 1, 1989, Army GeneralColin L. Powellsucceeded him as CJCS.
Later life and death
[edit]On March 16, 1989, he made a cameo appearance in the “Hot Rocks” episode ofCheers.
After he retired in October 1989, Crowe returned to the University of Oklahoma and William J. Crowe chair in geopolitics. Crowe surprised politicians when he endorsedBill Clintonin thepresidential election of 1992.President Clinton named Crowe chairman of thePresident's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Boardin 1993. In 1994, Clinton appointed Crowe theUnited States Ambassador to the United Kingdom,and he served in that capacity until 1997.
Crowe sat on theboardsofTexaco,Merrill Lynch,Pfizer,Norfolk Southern Corporation,andGeneral Dynamics.He also served on the board ofEmergent BioSolutions(then Bioport), a company that provided controversialanthraxvaccinations to the U.S. military in the 1990s. The deal was approved by the Clinton administration, with which Crowe had a previous relationship. At the time of his death, Crowe served as the chairman of the board of Global Options, Inc., an international risk-management and business solutions company headquartered in Washington, D.C.
As he did at the University of Oklahoma in 1990–91, Crowe taught a seminar class on national security at theUnited States Naval Academyfrom 2000 to 2007.
In 2004, Crowe was among 27 retired diplomats and military commanders calledDiplomats and Military Commanders for Changewho publicly said the administration of PresidentGeorge W. Bushdid not understand the world and was unable to handle "in either style or substance" the responsibilities of global leadership.[4]
On June 16, 2004, the former senior diplomats and military commanders issued a statement against theIraq War.[5]
Death
[edit]Crowe died on October 18, 2007, atBethesda Naval Hospitalin Maryland at age 82 due to a heart condition.[6]
His funeral was held on October 31, 2007, at the Naval Academy chapel; Bill Clinton spoke. Crowe was buried later that day in theUnited States Naval Academy Cemetery.[citation needed]
As of 2016, he is one of only two deceased former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to not be buried atArlington National Cemetery.His predecessor, John William Vessey Jr. died in 2016 and was buried in Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery,Little Falls, Minnesota.[citation needed]
Legacy
[edit]In 2008, a fellowship was established in Crowe's honor at the University of Kentucky'sPatterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerceto support a former member of the U.S. armed forces who – like Crowe – is shifting from military to diplomatic service.
In 2009, theInternational Programs Center at the University of Oklahomaestablished theAdmiral William J. Crowe Jr. Award.This award is presented to an outstandingInternational and Area Studies(IAS) graduate every spring semester. The award recognizes an IAS student who has demonstrated high academic achievement, a commitment to public service, and a desire to pursue a career in global affairs. Also in 2009, the Xbox/ PS2 game,Heroes of the Pacific,was released. The main character's name is also William Crowe, though whether or not this was inspired by the real-life Crowe is unknown.
Personal life
[edit]Crowe married to Shirley Grennell in 1954. They had three children.[citation needed]
Dates of rank
[edit]- Apprentice Seaman,United States Naval Reserve:December 4, 1942
- Midshipman,United States Naval Academy:June 23, 1943
| Ensign | Lieutenant junior grade | Lieutenant | Lieutenant commander | Commander | Captain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-1 | O-2 | O-3 | O-4 | O-5 | O-6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| June 5, 1946 | June 5, 1949 | June 1, 1952 | January 1, 1958 | July 1, 1962 | July 1, 1967 |
| Rear admiral (lower half) | Rear admiral (upper half) | Vice admiral | Admiral |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-7 | O-8 | O-9 | O-10 |
| N/A* | 
|
|
|
| June 1, 1973 | August 1, 1977 | September 26, 1977 | June 6, 1980 |
- At the time of Admiral Crowe's promotion, all rear admirals wore two stars, but the rank was divided into an "upper" and "lower half" for pay purposes
Awards and recognition
[edit]Crowe was awardedDoctor of Laws(LL.D.) honorary degrees from numerous universities, includingUniversity of Liverpool,The George Washington University,andKnox College.
In 1986, he received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievementpresented by Awards Council member and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, GeneralBernard W. Rogers,USA.[7]
In 1989, Crowe appeared in an episode of the television sitcomCheers(Season 7, Episode 17 "Hot Rocks" ), where he played himself, and was accused of stealing the General Manager Rebecca Howe's (Kirstie Alley) diamond earrings.[8]
On 1990, he was the first recipient of theDistinguished Sea Service AwardofNaval Order of the United States.
In 1993, Crowe published his memoirs in the bookThe Line of Fire: From Washington to the Gulf, the Politics and Battles of the New Military.
Crowe received fourDefense Distinguished Service Medalsand numerous military decorations from heads of state. In 1998, the American Atatürk Association honored Crowe with the "Atatürk Peace and Democracy Award".[9]Following his retirement from the Navy, he was awarded a 2000Presidential Medal of Freedom,the United States' highest civilian honor.[10][11]
Awards and decorations
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^Kelly, John (April 14, 2018)."In 1955, the White House waged warfare against some furry terrorists: Squirrels".Washington Post.RetrievedFebruary 19,2024.
- ^"Former Joint Chiefs Chair Crowe Dies".Press Association.October 18, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon June 9, 2007.RetrievedJune 25,2018.
- ^Crowe, William J. (1965).The policy roots of the modern Royal Navy 1946-1963.
- ^Brownstein, Ronald (June 13, 2004)."Retired Officials Say Bush Must Go".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJune 25,2018.
- ^Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change Official StatementArchivedOctober 11, 2007, at theWayback Machine(June 16, 2004)
- ^"Former JCS chairman Crowe dies at 82".Air Force Times.October 18, 2007.
- ^"Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement".achievement.org.American Academy of Achievement.
- ^William J. Crowe Jr.atIMDb
- ^"Admiral Crowe Receives Ataturk Award".Turkish Press Review.April 28, 1998. Archived fromthe originalon December 10, 2000.
- ^"Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients".U.S. Senate.Archived fromthe originalon July 14, 2004.
- ^List of Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients#Military
External links
[edit]
- "Admiral William Crowe".The Times.October 23, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon May 24, 2011.
- "Biographies in Naval History: Admiral William James Crowe, USN".Naval Historical Center.October 18, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon October 29, 2007.
- "Senate statement on Crowe's tenure as CJCS".Congress.gov.Archived fromthe originalon January 8, 2016.RetrievedAugust 5,2006.
- "President Clinton Nominates William Crowe Ambassador to the United Kingdom".White House Press Office.March 22, 1994. Archived fromthe originalon October 3, 2006.RetrievedAugust 5,2006.
- Peniston, Bradley (2006).No Higher Honor: Saving the USS Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf.Annapolis:Naval Institute Press.ISBN978-1-59114-661-2.Archived fromthe originalon October 15, 2007.Foreword by Adm. (ret.) William J. Crowe.
- "Selected Works of Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr., USN"(PDF).Washington, DC: Joint History Office, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 2013.
- "William J. Crowe Papers"(PDF).The Library of Congress.
- AppearancesonC-SPAN
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- 1925 births
- 2007 deaths
- Ambassadors of the United States to the United Kingdom
- United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War
- Burials at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery
- Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Classen School of Advanced Studies alumni
- Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Military aides to the President of the United States
- Military personnel from Kentucky
- Order of National Security Merit members
- People from La Grange, Kentucky
- Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
- Recipients of the Air Medal
- Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
- Recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam)
- Recipients of the Legion of Merit
- Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
- Stanford Graduate School of Education alumni
- United States Naval Academy alumni
- United States Navy admirals
- Recipients of the Distinguished Service Order (Vietnam)
- Recipients of the Humanitarian Service Medal
- 20th-century American diplomats