Robert Dennison (United States Navy officer)

Robert L. Dennison
Admiral Robert L. Dennison
Nickname(s) Robert Lee
Born April 13, 1901
Warren, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died March 14, 1980(1980-03-14) (aged 78)
Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Rank Admiral
Commands held U.S. Atlantic Fleet
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Navy Distinguished Service Medal

Admiral Robert Lee Dennison (April 13, 1901 March 14, 1980) was an American naval officer and aide to President Harry Truman.[1][2]

Early life

Dennison was born in Warren, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1923. He later received a doctorate in engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

U.S. Navy career

He held numerous commands in the United States Navy, including submarines, destroyers, and the USS Missouri. Truman twice sailed on the Missouri while Dennison commanded it. He was a naval aide, to Harry S Truman from 1948 to 1953.[3]

Arleigh Burke a former classmate of Dennison's who would one day become Chief of Naval Operations, found his career on the brink of ruin, following the Revolt of the Admirals. At the request of Dennison, Truman became involved. As a result, Burke's career stayed on track.[4]

Dennison was involved in some of the first American continuity of government planning operations.[5]

He was the Commander in Chief of the United States Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT) and United States Atlantic Command (CINCLANT) from February 28, 1960 to April 30, 1963.[6] While in charge of the Atlantic forces, he was given the duty of blockading Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

He died of a pulmonary embolism in 1980 at the Bethesda Naval Hospital.[7]

Robert Dennison and his photographer by giving ice cream to a child at Fort Jefferson National Monument (1951)

See also

References

  1. ROBERT L. DENNISON PAPERS Collected Papers and biographical sketch The Truman Library
  2. http://www.trumanlibrary.org/hstpaper/dennisonhst.htm
  3. Oral History Oral History Interviews with Admiral Robert L. Dennison The Truman Library
  4. Graff, Garrett M. (2017). Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself - While the Rest of Us Die. Simon & Schuster.
  5. COMUSFLTFORCOM History A Brief History Of The U.S. Fleet Forces Command Archived 2006-10-05 at the Wayback Machine. USSF

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "www.navy.mil,".


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