Charles Philip Snyder ( July 10, 1879 – December 3, 1964 ) was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as the U.S. Navy ‘s first gear Naval Inspector General during World War II .
early on career [edit ]
Born in Charleston, West Virginia in Kanawha County to future West Virginia Congressman Charles P. Snyder and Jane Goshorn, [ 1 ] he attended Washington and Lee University for one year before entering the U.S. Naval Academy in 1896. [ 2 ] Graduating fourth in his class in 1900, he served the standard two years at sea as a passed cadet before being commissioned national flag in 1902 [ 3 ] and assigned to the battleship Alabama. Promoted to lieutenant, he reported to the Naval Academy on August 16, 1905 as an teacher in navigation and mechanics. In February 1906, he was called before a congressional subcommittee to testify about his function as the disciplinary policeman in accusation during a ill-famed haze incident that had resulted in an upper class man being acquitted at court-martial for the injury of a fourth class man on the grounds that he and other upper class men had understood Snyder to have tacitly encouraged the haze. [ 4 ] During World War I, he commanded the battleship Oregon, flagship of the Pacific Fleet ; the cruiser Minneapolis ; and the transport Mongolia. [ 5 ] He graduated from the Naval War College in 1925. [ 6 ] Promoted to captain, he served as commanding officer of midshipmen at the Naval Academy, on staff at the Naval War College, and as director of the Portsmouth Navy Yard.
Flag policeman [edit ]
He was promoted to rear admiral with date of rate March 1, 1933 [ 7 ] while serving as headman of staff to Admiral David F. Sellers, who was Commander Battleships, Battle Force, U.S. Fleet from 1932 to 1933 and Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet from 1933 to 1934. Snyder was commanding officer of the Portsmouth Navy Yard from 1934 to 1935, then commanded a heavy cabin cruiser division of the Scouting Force, followed by a battleship division of the Battle Force, ahead serving as President of the Naval War College from January 2, 1937 to May 27, 1939. [ 8 ] He returned to sea in 1939 as Commander Battleships, Battle Force, with the impermanent rate of frailty admiral. On January 6, 1940, he hoisted his four-star flag on board the battleship California as Commander Battle Force with the impermanent crying of admiral. As air force officer of the Battle Force, he was second in command of the U.S. Fleet, under Admiral James O. Richardson. In January 1941, Richardson was relieved over a challenge about flit base and replaced by Husband E. Kimmel, a junior buttocks admiral. simultaneously, the fleet was reorganized and the position of Commander Battle Force was downgraded to three stars, a change scheduled to take effect upon the completion of Snyder ‘s tour that summer. For reasons of his own, Snyder had no hope to serve under Kimmel, and asked to be relieved immediately. [ 9 ] He was succeeded by Vice Admiral William S. Pye on January 31, 1941, one day before Kimmel ascended to command and eleven months before most of the Battle Force ‘s battleships were sunk at anchor during the japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
World War II [edit ]
Upon relinquishing command of the Battle Force, he reverted to his permanent wave rank of buttocks admiral and became a extremity of the General Board with extra duty as the president of the united states of the Board for Inspection of Military Readiness in Naval Districts. [ 2 ] As a penis of the General Board, Snyder participated in the argue over the character of african american sailors in the Navy. The Navy ‘s policy was to confine total darkness sailors to menial duties as stewards and messmen, excluding them from general service on the grounds that they were unable to maintain discipline among white subordinates and consequently had to be segregated, which was airy at ocean. When the General Board convened on January 23, 1942, Snyder suggested expanding black enlistment in rigidly segregated confirm roles outside the service branches : in the Aviation Branch, following the Army ‘s run ; aboard auxiliaries and minor vessels, specially transports ; or in the Musician ‘s branch, because “ the colored race is very melodious and they are versed in all forms of cycle. ” [ 10 ]
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From May 1942 until April 1946, he served as the first Naval Inspector General. The Naval Inspector General was used as a troubleshooter during World War II, inspecting land facilities and investigating wrongdoing. As but one of 24 inspection authorities concerned with Navy procurement and administration of activities ashore, he was instructed to keep the constitution little and to rely on augmentation from the Fleet. [ 11 ] He retired in August 1943 upon reaching the statutory age, and was advanced to admiral on the put out list as the highest membership in which he had served, but remained on active duty as inspector general until the end of the war. In early 1946, he investigated the sink of the heavy cabin cruiser Indianapolis in his official capacity as examiner cosmopolitan, but agreed to curtail his investigation so that Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King and Navy Secretary James V. Forrestal could immediately court-martial Indianapolis’ commanding officer, Captain Charles B. McVay III. Snyder was decorated with Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his avail during World War II. [ 12 ]
He married the former Cornelia Lee Wolcott on July 10, 1902, and had three children : Elizabeth ; Philip, who retired from the Navy as a rear admiral ; and Jane. [ 1 ] He died at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland in 1964. [ 5 ] He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He married Edith Hanlon Christian in 1949. His decorations include the Navy Cross for eminent and conspicuous service in World War I, and a special letter of approval from the War Department. He received an honorary doctor of Laws degree ( LL.D. ) from Washington and Lee College on January 24, 1943, [ 13 ] and the Sigma Chi fraternity distinguished decoration for conspicuous public service in 1940. [ 2 ] His great-granddaughter is actress Elizabeth McGovern .
- Sixteen boxes of Snyder’s personal papers are located in the Naval Historical Collection, Naval War College.