Ballentine, John J. (John Jennings), 1896-1970

Naval officer.

From the description of Reminiscences of John Jennings Ballentine : oral history, 1964. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 122451481

U.S. naval officer and air pilot.

From the description of John J. Ballentine papers, 1913-1973 (bulk 1942-1954). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70983340

Biographical Note

• 1896, Oct. 4: Born, Hillsboro, Ohio
• 1917: Graduated from United States Naval Academy,Annapolis, Md.
• 1917 - 1918 : Served on Nebraska
• 1918 - 1919 : Duty at Naval Auxiliary Reserve Officers' School,Pelham Bay Park, N.Y.
• 1919 - 1920 : Served on Arizona
• 1920: Pensacola, Fla. Pensacola Flight training at Naval Air Station,Pensacola, Fla. Designated naval aviator
• 1920 - 1921 : Carlstrom Field Carlstrom Field (historical) Arcadia, Fla. Arcadia Trained in land planes with United States Army Air Corps,Carlstrom Field,Arcadia, Fla.
• 1921: Kelly Field Kelly Field Kelly's Field Airport Skelly Field Kelly Memorial Field Kelly Thomas Field Kelly Snyder Oil Field Kelly Baseball Field Kelly School Gas Field Kelly Field Kelly Field Kellys Airfield Kelly McMahon Field Gene Kelly Playfield Skelly Field Kellys Field Trail Kellys Landing Field Kelly Field Annex San Antonio, Tex. San Antonio Trained in pursuit planes at Kelly Field,San Antonio, Tex.
• 1921 - 1922 : Duty in first torpedo plane squadron, Atlantic Fleet,Torpedo Plane Division,Yorktown, Va., renamed Torpedo Plane Squadron One
• 1922: Married Catherine H. Shield
• 1922 - 1926 : Dahlgren, Va. Dahlgren Officer in charge, Naval Air Detail,Dahlgren, Va. Naval Proving Ground United States Naval Proving Grounds Dam Dahlgren, Va. Dahlgren Conducted original tests on Norden bombsight models and operated first pilotless radio-controlled airplane, Naval Proving Ground,Dahlgren, Va.
• 1926 - 1927 : Commanding officer, Torpedo Squadron Twenty, attached to Jason,Asiatic Fleet
• 1927 - 1928 : Commanding officer, Observation Squadron Eleven,Light Cruiser Division Three, assigned to Marblehead,Asiatic Fleet Made official inspection of Japanese naval aviation and aircraft manufacturing facilities
• 1928 - 1931 : Dahlgren, Va. Dahlgren Officer in charge, Naval Air Detail,Dahlgren, Va. Tested advanced models of Norden bombsight
• 1931 - 1933 : Commanding officer, Torpedo Squadron Two, based on the Saratoga
• 1933 - 1935 : Head, War Plans Section,Bureau of Aeronautics,Navy Department,Washington, D.C.
• 1935 - 1936 : Executive officer, Plans Division,Bureau of Aeronautics,Navy Department,Washington, D.C.
• 1936 - 1937 : Navigator and later operations officer, Wright, flagship of Commander Aircraft Base Force
• 1938 - 1939 : Gunnery officer and later operations officer on staff of Commander Aircraft Battle Force,Saratoga
• 1939 - 1941 : Served in Personnel Division and became head of Flight Division,Bureau of Aeronautics,Navy Department,Washington, D.C.
• 1941: Executive officer, Ranger
• 1941 - 1942 : Commanding officer, Long Island
• 1942: Casablanca Casablanca Casablanca On The Ocean Casa Blanca (Ángeles Dos) Casablanca Casablanca Finca Casa Blanca Aparicio Casa Blanca Historical Marker Casa Blanca Casablanca Winery Inn Casa Blanca Casa Blanca Casa Blanca Spring Pampa Casa Blanca Casa Blanca Finca Casa Blanca Sandoval Embarcadero de Casa Blanca Casa Blanca Country Club Casa Blanca Casablanca Casa Blanca Tank Casa Blanca Casablanca Inn Casa Blanca Chief of staff to the commander, Air Group, Western Naval Task Force during action off Casablanca in November Chief of staff and aide to the commander, Carriers, Atlantic Fleet,Ranger
• 1943 - 1944 : First commanding officer, Bunker Hill
• 1944: Deputy, chief of staff, and aide to the commander, Aircraft, Pacific Fleet,Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
• 1944 - 1945 : Commander, Fleet Air,Seattle, Wash.
• 1945: Japan Japan Fleet liaison officer for Commander in Chief Pacific at Headquarters, Supreme Commander for Allied Powers, Pacific; landed at Atsugi Airport, 30 Aug., in airborne occupation of Japan; and escorted Gen. Douglas MacArthur to the surrender ceremonies on the Missouri, 2 Sept. Commander, Carrier Division Seven,Third Fleet,Bon Homme Richard
• 1946 - 1947 : Chief of staff and aide to the representative of the chief of naval operations, United Nations Military Staff Committee of the Security Council
• 1947 - 1949 : Commander, Carrier Division One in the Mediterranean
• 1949: Washington, D.C. Washington, D. C. District of Columbia Member of the General Board,Navy Department,Washington, D.C. Appointed vice admiral
• 1949 - 1951 : Commander, Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean
• 1951 - 1954 : Commander, Air Force,Atlantic Fleet,Norfolk, Va.
• 1954, May 1: Retired from navy and promoted to admiral
• 1956 - 1957 : Recalled to active duty as navy member of blue-ribbon interservice board studying the air defense of the North American continent
• 1970, May 21: Died, Bethesda, Md.

From the guide to the John J. Ballentine Papers, 1913-1973, (bulk 1942-1954), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)