1. Rear Admiral Gerald L Ketchum was a career officer in the United States Navy.
13 Facts About Gerald Ketchum
1. 2.
Gerald Ketchum served during World War II and the Korean War.
3.
Gerald Ketchum was a recipient of the Silver Star and participated in four expeditions to Antarctica.
4.
Gerald Lyle Ketchum was born in Bellingham, Washington on 5 December 1908 and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1931.
5.
Gerald Ketchum positioned the Perkins between the planes and the convoy, and despite being heavily strafed, simultaneously avoided two torpedoes by skillful maneuvering, shot down one torpedo plane, and assisted in the destruction of another.
6.
Gerald Ketchum was held accountable for the incident by a board of inquiry and, unlike most naval officers whose ships have a collision under their command, he was allowed to command ships later in his career.
7.
On 28 December 1946, Gerald Ketchum became the commanding officer of newly commissioned icebreaker USS Burton Island.
8.
Gerald Ketchum relinquished command of the Burton Island on 22 September 1947.
9.
Gerald Ketchum returned to the Antarctic again when he served as Deputy Commander, United States Naval Support Force, Antarctica, during Operations Deep Freeze I and II from 1 February 1955 to 22 March 1957.
10.
Gerald Ketchum was responsible for and directly supervised the preparation and implementation of plans for the two Antarctic expeditions.
11.
Gerald Ketchum assumed command of Task Force units from 10 December 1955 to 3 February 1956 during Operation Deep Freeze I, when he skillfully directed aircraft and ship units in hazardous and difficult operations.
12.
Gerald Ketchum died in Plano, Texas on 22 August 1992.
13.
An extremely competent and resourceful leader, Captain Gerald Ketchum has been responsible for and has directly supervised the preparation and implementation of plans for two Antarctic expeditions which involved the design, establishment, and operation of seven widely dispersed bases constructed to support the Antarctic program of the United States National Committee for the International Geophysical Year.