Theodore Stark Wilkinson

Vice Admiral Theodore Stark "Ping" Wilkinson, USN (22 December 1888 – 21 February 1946), graduated first in his class from the United States Naval Academy in 1909. Commissioned as an ensign in June 1911, he served aboard the dreadnought battleship USS Florida (BB-30) during the United States intervention at Veracruz, Mexico. On April 21–22, 1914, Ensign Wilkinson commanded the ship's 2nd Company in the landing force. Under relentless sniper and enfilade rifle fire, he led his men ashore and held a vulnerable and strategically important position for 36 hours, securing the flank of the advancing naval brigade. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary bravery and leadership in the face of fire.

During World War I, Wilkinson headed the Experimental Section of the Bureau of Ordnance (1916–1919), where he engineered critical munitions innovations, including depth charge firing apparatuses, the primary firing mechanism for the Mark VI mine used in the North Sea Mine Barrage, specialized smoke screens, and noxious gas fillers. In the interwar period, he held various destroyer commands, served as Secretary to the Navy's General Board, and attended arms limitation conferences in Geneva and London.

Promoted to Rear Admiral, Wilkinson served as Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) during the diplomatic crisis preceding Pearl Harbor in late 1941. Transitioning to sea command in 1942, he rose to Vice Admiral as Commander of the III Amphibious Corps (Task Force 79) under Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.. Wilkinson co-developed and executed the Pacific "leapfrogging" strategy, bypassing heavily fortified Japanese strongholds to capture lightly defended bases in their rear. He directed amphibious assault landings across the Solomon Islands (Vella Lavella, Treasury Islands, Bougainville), the Palau Islands (Peleliu, Angaur), Ulithi Atoll, and led the Southern Attack Force during the liberation of the Philippines at Leyte and Lingayen Gulf. For his strategic brilliance and operational command, he was awarded three Navy Distinguished Service Medals.

In July 1945, King George VI made him an Honorary Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (CB) in the military department for his coordination of the Allied amphibious operations.

After post-war service on the Joint Strategic Survey Committee, Vice Admiral Wilkinson died in a tragic accident at Norfolk, Virginia, on 21 February 1946; he died when a borrowed car fell off a ferry into the water. Just before the car sank, he pushed his wife out of the car door and out to safety.