Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher     
    The first "Admiral Fletcher from Iowa"    

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    The man:   Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher

    with MOH Born on November 23, 1855 at Oskaloosa, Iowa, graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1875. While assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance he developed the Fletcher breech mechanism that increased the speed of rapid-fire guns. Fletcher was assigned to the battleship USS Maine when it blow up in Havana Harbor (was absent that night) triggering the Spanish-American War in 1898. As commander of U.S. Naval Forces on the East Coast of Mexico in 1914, he occupied the city of Vera Cruz, was later awarded the Medal of Honor. He became commander of the Atlantic Fleet, receiving promotion to Full Admiral and during World War I served on the Navy General Board. He died November 28, 1928 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

    Citation: FLETCHER, FRANK FRIDAY, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy,  
    "For distinguished conduct in battle, engagements of Vera Cruz, 21 and 22 April 1914. Under fire, Rear Adm. Fletcher was eminent and conspicuous in the performance of his duties; was senior officer present at Vera Cruz, and the landing and the operations of the landing force were carried out under his orders and directions."

      Adapted from Michael Robert Patterson
    • Biography and photos
    • Frank Friday Fletcher -- Arlington.

    The ship:   USS Fletcher (DD-445)   DD-445_Fletcher

    Fletcher (DD-445) commissioned 30 June 1942 and arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia, 5 October 1942 from the east coast, and at once began escort and patrol duty in the Guadalcanal operation, bombarding Lunga Point 30 October. Fletcher participated in the naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Battle of Tassafaronga, sank Japanese submarine RO-102, supported the landings on the Russell Islands and New Georgia, invasion of the Gilbert Islands, made a strike on Kwajalein, Taroa, and Wotje, supported the Humboldt Bay landings, the invasions of Noemfoor, Sansapor, and Morotai, covered the occupation of the Philippines from Leyte, Luzon, and Manila Bay where she took at hit that killed eight crewmen.
    Fletcher received 15 battle stars for World War II service and five for Korean War service.
    • DD-445, Her Story   and Large photo
    • DD-445 - specs, photo a few seconds later
    • History - WW2, Korea, Vietnam

    The Fletcher Class of Destroyer

      Displacement. 2,100 tons Armament. 5 - 5"/38' dual purpose guns
      Length. 376' 3" 2 x 5- 21" torpedo tubes
      Beam. 39' 8" 6 depth charge launchers.
      Draft. 13' 2 depth charge tracks.
      Speed. 36 knots.
      Complement. 273
      Power. twin screws, 60,000 h.p.
    About 175 Fletcher class destroyers were commissioned during World War II from 1942 to 1944. Eighteen were lost to enemy action, all in the Pacific, eight from kamakazes off Okinawa in 1945. Most were sent to the reserve fleet after the war, superceded by the heavier Sumner class of 1944, 55 ships, and the Gearing class of 1945 with 80 ships. Fletcher class ships were reclassified DDE in 1949. Fletcher herself was modernized and fought in Korea and Vietnam before decommissioning in 1969.
  • the Fletcher Class
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    About this page: Frank Friday Fletcher - Admiral and Medal of Honor holder, his namesake destroyer, and that class of destroyers.
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