24 Facts About Clifton Sprague

Clifton Sprague entered the United States Naval Academy in 1914.

Clifton Sprague's wife was the sister of The Great Gatsby author F Scott Fitzgerald.

On December 3,1920, Clifton Sprague joined 33 other classmates at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, as a student pilot.

Clifton Sprague earned the designation Naval Aviator No 2934 on August 11,1921.

From March 1922 to November 1923, Clifton Sprague was assigned to Aircraft Squadron VS-1 with the Atlantic Fleet based on the seaplane tender Wright.

Clifton Sprague reported to his next duty station Naval Air Station Anacostia, near Washington, DC, in November 1923, where he served as a test pilot, operations officer, and executive officer.

Clifton Sprague reported to Lexington in March 1928, where he assumed the duties of flight deck officer and assistant air officer.

Clifton Sprague served as squadron commander of VP-8 in Panama in December 1931 to April 1934.

In 1933 the squadron was moved to Hawaii, where Clifton Sprague became the first navy pilot to fly a thirteen-hour round-trip from Hawaii to Midway Island in February 1934.

From May 1934 to July 1936, Clifton Sprague served as air operations officer at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia, where his department serviced several aircraft carrier squadrons.

Clifton Sprague spent all of 1938 managing the Air Department and aircraft squadrons on Yorktown.

Clifton Sprague commanded Patoka until June 1940, when he was sent back to the Naval War College for two more months of study.

Clifton Sprague was one of the first ships in the harbor to open fire and engaged several Japanese aircraft throughout the morning.

Clifton Sprague was assigned as air officer of Gulf Sea Frontier, Miami, Florida, in June 1942.

Clifton Sprague's duties involved improving defenses, keeping the sea lanes open, and countering the German U-boats on the Southeast coast of the United States.

On July 9,1944, shortly before leaving Wasp, Clifton Sprague was promoted to rear admiral at age 48.

Clifton Sprague ordered his escorts to lay smoke to cover the carriers, then ordered them to counterattack with torpedoes, culminating in toe-to-toe gun duels between Taffy III's destroyers and destroyer escorts and Center Force's battleships and cruisers.

Clifton Sprague was awarded the Navy Cross for the leadership he displayed off Samar.

Clifton Sprague received the notification of the end of hostilities while steaming 151 miles off the eastern coast of Honshu on August 15,1945.

Clifton Sprague spent the next month in Washington, DC, briefing naval leaders at the White House.

At Corpus Christi, Texas, Clifton Sprague was assigned as Chief of Naval Air Basic Training in August 1946.

On January 1,1949, to February 1950, Clifton Sprague was commander of Naval Air Bases, Eleventh and Twelfth Naval District at Naval Air Station Coronado in San Diego, California.

Clifton Sprague had spent 34 years, 4 months, and 4 days on active duty.

In March 1955, Clifton Sprague fell ill of a weak heart and was moved to the Naval Hospital, San Diego, California.