Gridley, Charles Vernon, 1844-1898

Charles Vernon Gridley (24 November 1844 – 5 June 1898) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War and the Spanish–American War.

An 1864 graduate of the United States Naval Academy (which had temporarily moved to Newport, Rhode Island during the Civil War), he served as an Acting Ensign on board the "USS Oneida" the August 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama.

Gridley was promoted to lieutenant in 1867 and lieutenant commander on March 12, 1868. He was stationed from 1871 to 1875 on the only United States Navy ship based on the Great Lakes at the time, the Michigan, at Erie, Pennsylvania. Gridley was promoted to commander in 1882. He also served a tour as instructor at the Naval Academy and another with the Cruiser Training Squadron.

By the time of the Spanish-American War, Gridley had been promoted to captain on March 14, 1897. He was ordered to the Asiatic squadron and was assigned on July 28, 1897, to the command of the USS Olympia in Yokohama, Japan. Gridley was in command of the Olympia during the May 1, 1898 Battle of Manila Bay. The Olympia served as American Asiatic Squadron commander Admiral George Dewey's flagship, and at the start of the battle he commanded Captain Gridley to commence his bombardment of Spanish ships with the words "You May Fire When Ready, Gridley". The phrase, widely reported by American newspapers, became a popular catch-phrase of the time.

Captain Gridley would die a month later of an illness on board the commercial steamer Coptic as it was anchored off Kobe, Japan. Four United States Navy ships (DD-92, DD-380, DLG-21, and DDG-101) were named for him.