joseph james clark

He attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1917. He was the first Native American to graduate from Annapolis. He preferred to use the acronym for "JJ" instead of his full name, or "Jocko".

During the First World War, he served on the Tennessee-class USS North Carolina battleship cruiser (ACR-12) for escorts of troop convoys in the Atlantic. After the war, he served aboard the USS destroyers Aaron Ward (DD-132), USS Aulick (DD-258), and USS Brooks (DD-232) and he commanded the latter in 1921. After seconded to USS Bulmer (DD-222) in 1923, he became an instructor at the Annapolis Naval Academy. In 1924 he was trained as a naval aviator at the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Florida, and qualified in March 1925, after which he served in the Fleet Squadrons of the Battle Fleet as an Air Force Officer. the battleship USS Mississippi, and technical advisor for the aircraft of the Commander 3rd Battleship Division. In 1931-32, he commanded the 2-B fighter squadron of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, and became the aviation officer of this aircraft carrier from 1936 to 1937. From 1938 to 1939, he commanded second Fleet Air Base, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii with the additional mission of Commander of the 2nd Air Patrol Brigade (in). In 1940 he became inspector of the Naval Aviation at Curtiss-Wright in Buffalo, and from 1940 to 1941 he was the Commander-in-Second of the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida. In May 1941, Commander Clark is appointed Commander-in-Second of Aircraft Carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5)

At the beginning of World War II, Clark had commanded an escort carrier, Suwanee, in the Atlantic and off the North African coast, until he was appointed to lead the new Yorktown aircraft carrier. (CV-10). The Yorktown became Admiral Pownall's flagship during the 1943 aircraft carrier raids, and Clark and his operations officer Jimmy Flatley had opportunities to establish fleet-wide attack plans. .

In January 1944, Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher raised his flag on Yorktown and Clark soon began to impress Mitscher. His fighting spirit and his ability ranked him high for promotion, and only a month after Mitscher Fast Carriers took over, Clark was promoted to rear admiral and COMCARDIV 13. His flagship, the new Hornet (CV -12), under Captain Miles Browning, did not show up at Majuro Atoll until March 18, and no transport group was available, so Clark came in, like Professor Reynolds described it, in the status of "makee-learn" and operated with TF58.

Clark did not have to wait long. Rear-Admiral Samuel P. Ginder, COMTG58.3, had proved to be an ineffective Task Force Commander, and Mitscher wasted no time replacing him in early April with his new "First Lieutenant" , Jocko Clark. Raising his flag aboard Yorktown, Clark and his ship again became the host of Mitscher, who held Clark more and more esteem.

During the Marianas campaign, Clark COMTG58.1, brilliantly played during a Northern Mariana raid, which he had been assigned to Mitscher's right hand and Rear Admiral Harrill. His fighting spirit won, and his excursion, as well as his reluctance to lead Harrill's opposition to the operation, impacted his results, which further heightened his talent.

Arrived in time to fight in the battle of the Philippine Sea, Clark's planes played an important role. In fact, Clark's ships were almost always closest to the enemy. This continued after the battle; When all the working groups returned to Eniwetok, Clark was allowed to strike against Iwo and Chichi Jima, which he successfully conducted. Clark has missed the Battle of Leyte Gulf as Task Force Commander since Vice-Admiral McCain took control of his task force to gain learner status for COMTF38. Clark decided that he did not want to order a TG under Admiral Halsey and McCain, he asked to be relieved and came back as soon as Mitscher took over. It was agreed, and Clark would return to the United States when Rear Admiral Montgomery was available from TG's command.

Before that, however, Clark and Rear-Admiral Davison made another visit to Iwo and Chichi Jima in early July, destroying other planes, and in early August. When August 18 McCain replaced Clark, Clark was in a well-deserved comparative rest period.

Even when he was inactive and returning to the states, Clark was a great help to Mitscher. He suggested that Marine's pilots be used on carriers to replace tired Navy flyers, and Marine aircraft would also be useful. Clark eventually returned to the Pacific fleet when Vice-Admiral Mitscher took over the Fast Carriers in February 1945, Clark picking up his TG 58.1 and resumed at Hornet. Serving in raids against Japan in 1945, Clark's forces took several heavy attacks but escaped unhurt. His last adventure in the war was a typhoon he struck thanks to an incredibly mediocre performance of the TF38 weather expert. He was regularly relieved of all combat commands shortly before the end of the war, which earned him a well-deserved place on the ground. Clark became Vice Admiral and Commander of the 7th Fleet, which has now had fast transporters, during the Korean War, and ended his career as a full Admiral.

During his military career, he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Navy Medal and the Korean Order of Military Merit.

Admiral Clark died on July 13, 1971 in St. Albans, New York, and was buried with all military honors at the Arlington National Cemetery.