Furlong, William Rea, 1881-1976

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1881-05-26
Death 1976-06-02

Biographical notes:

U.S. Navy officer; died 1976.

From the description of Papers of William Rea Furlong, 1892-1985 (bulk 1930-1945). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71072230

U.S. naval officer; d. 1976.

From the description of Papers, 1892-1985 (bulk 1930-1945). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 28424359

Biographical Note

1881, May 26 Born, Allenport, Pa. 1898 Graduated, Teachers College, California, Pa. 1905 Graduated, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. 1905 1909 Ensign on USS Maryland 1910 Married Cora Grover 1910 1912 Commanded the USS Chicago in reserve commission, Boston, Mass. 1914 M.S. in electrical and radio engineering, Columbia University, New York, N.Y. 1914 1916 Fleet radio officer and aide on the staff of the commander-in-chief, United States Atlantic Fleet 1916 1917 Gunnery officer on USS South Carolina and USS Nevada 1918 Gunnery observer on USS New York, operating in European waters Gunnery observer in the war zone with the British Grand First Fleet 1919 1920 Chief of Fire Control Section, Bureau of Ordnance, Navy Department, Washington D.C. Introduced synchronous fire control system and remote control of guns by power 1921 1923 Aide on the staff and fleet gunnery officer to the commander-in-chief, United States Pacific Fleet 1923 1926 Served in office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department, Washington, D.C. 1926 1928 Executive officer of USS West Virginia Captain of USS Neches Division commander of six destroyers in the Pacific 1928 1931 Chief of Policy and Liaison Section, Office of Island Government, Navy Department, Washington, D.C. 1931 1933 Commander of USS Marblehead 1934 1936 Inspector of ordnance in charge, Naval Proving Ground, Dahlgren, Va. 1937 1941 Promoted to rear admiral and chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, Navy Department, Washington, D.C. 1941, Feb. 1941 Dec. Commander of Minecraft Battle Force, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; engaged in defense of Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, when his flagship, the USS Oglala, was strafed and torpedoed by the Japanese 1941, Dec. 1945 Commander of navy yard at Pearl Harbor; charged with salvaging and repairing ships sunk during Japanese attack and returning them for use in the Pacific war 1944 Awarded Legion of Merit 1945 Awarded Gold Star in lieu of second Legion of Merit 1946 Retired from United States Navy 1949 Elected commander-in-chief of the Military Order of the World Wars 1950 Presented with the Freedom Foundation award 1976, June 2 Died, Bethesda, Md. 1981 Published So Proudly We Hail: The History of the United States Flag. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press

From the guide to the William Rea Furlong Papers, 1892-1985, (bulk 1930-1945), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

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Subjects:

  • Flags
  • Flags
  • Naval gunnery
  • Navy-yards and naval stations
  • Navy-yards and naval stations
  • Ordnance, Naval
  • Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Attack on, 1941
  • Submarine warfare
  • Warships
  • Warships
  • World War, 1914-1918
  • World War, 1914-1918
  • World War, 1914-1918
  • World War, 1914-1918
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945

Occupations:

  • Naval officers
  • Seamen

Places:

  • Hawaii (as recorded)
  • American Samoa (as recorded)
  • Germany (as recorded)
  • American Samoa (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • American Samoa (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) (as recorded)
  • Veracruz (Veracruz, Mexico) (as recorded)
  • Mexico (as recorded)
  • Veracruz Llave (Mexico) (as recorded)
  • Hawaii--Pearl Harbor (as recorded)
  • Veracruz Llave (Mexico) (as recorded)
  • Great Britain (as recorded)

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