Bringle, William F. (William Floyd), 1913-1999

William Floyd Bringle (1913-1999), admiral, U.S. Navy.

Admiral William Floyd Bringle was born in Covington, Tennessee, on 23 April 1913. He attended Byers-Hall High School in Covington, and Columbia Military Academy, Columbia, Tennessee. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy on 6 July 1933. He graduated and was commissioned as an Ensign on 3 June 1937. He was designated as a naval aviator in December 1940. In December 1943, he formed the first Observation Fighting Squadron (VOF-1). He commanded this squadron for the rest of the war in both Southern France and the Pacific Theater of Operations. From October 1945 to October 1946, Bringle commanded Air Group Seventeen. From July 1953 to December 1954, he was executive officer of USS Hornet. When USS Kitty Hawk was commissioned, Captain Bringle became her commanding officer, serving in that capacity until June 1962, when he was assigned to be the Assistant Director of the Aviation Plans Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. In April 1964, he assumed command of Carrier Division Seven, the carrier striking force of the Seventh Fleet. In November 1967, Bringle was promoted to Vice Admiral, and assigned to command the Seventh Fleet, based out of Yokosuka, Japan. In July 1971, Vice Admiral Bringle was promoted to full Admiral, and reported as the Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe and the Naval Component Commander of the U.S. European Command, with additional duty as the U.S. Commander Eastern Atlantic. In September 1973, Bringle returned to Headquarters Naval District, Washington, D.C., for temporary duty. He retired on 1 January 1974.