1. John Wills Greenslade was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of vice admiral.
34 Facts About John Greenslade
1. 2.
John Greenslade enjoyed a significant military career, participating in several conflicts and distinguished himself during World War I as commanding officer, USS Housatonic and during World War II as commander, Western Sea Frontier and commandant, Twelfth Naval district with headquarters at Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
3.
Admiral John Greenslade claimed Treasure Island was required for "national security" and appropriated the island for the Navy.
4.
John Greenslade graduated from the Bellevue High School in his hometown in summer 1895 and received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.
5.
John Greenslade was commissioned ensign on January 28,1901, after completing two years at sea, required then by law.
6.
In summer 1902, Greenslade served aboard gunboat USS Princeton until May 1903, when he was appointed 12-inch-turret officer aboard the battleship USS Texas under Captain William T Swinburne.
7.
John Greenslade participated in the patrols in North Atlantic until July 1904.
8.
John Greenslade was promoted to lieutenant on January 1,1905, and was transferred to the protected cruiser USS Cleveland in September 1906.
9.
John Greenslade served as ship's navigator and took part in the Cuban Pacification several weeks later, when he commanded a landing force at Cienfuegos, Cuba.
10.
John Greenslade then assumed command of gunboat USS Paducah and commanded this vessel during the patrol in the Caribbean until December 1908.
11.
John Greenslade was attached to the battleship USS Maine and served as senior Watch officer under Captain William B Caperton until August 1909, when he was ordered back to the United States Naval Academy for his second tour as an instructor in the Department of Physics and Chemistry.
12.
John Greenslade was transferred to the battleship USS Michigan in June 1911 and served consecutively as ordnance officer and navigator for next three years.
13.
John Greenslade was promoted to lieutenant commander on March 4,1911.
14.
John Greenslade began his third tour of duty at the United States Naval Academy in January 1915, when he rejoined the Department of Physics and Chemistry as an Instructor and following his promotion to commander on August 29,1916, he was appointed Head of the Department of Gunnery and Ordnance.
15.
John Greenslade remained in that capacity for one year and subsequently was ordered to Washington, DC, where he joined the staff of the United States Naval Institute as a secretary and treasurer.
16.
John Greenslade served in this capacity until the end of January 1918, when he assumed command of newly commissioned minelayer USS Housatonic at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Hoboken, New Jersey.
17.
John Greenslade embarked with his ship for Europe and carried 830 mines, which Housatonic planted within North Sea Mine Barrage between June and October 1918.
18.
John Greenslade was decorated with Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his wartime service and was promoted to the temporary rank of captain on July 1,1918.
19.
John Greenslade was appointed commanding officer of protected cruiser USS Galveston in March 1919 and participated in the transports of British-American troops from Harwich to Murmansk, USSR as part of Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War there.
20.
In March 1920, John Greenslade was ordered to the Indian Head, Maryland, where he was appointed inspector of naval ordnance and officer-in-charge of the Naval Proving Ground and Naval Powder Factory.
21.
John Greenslade served in this capacity until June 1923, when he was appointed commander of Mine Squadron 1, United States Fleet, operating in the Atlantic.
22.
John Greenslade was ordered to the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island, in July 1925, where he completed Senior course one year later.
23.
John Greenslade was attached to the staff of the Naval War College under Rear Admiral William V Pratt as operations officer.
24.
John Greenslade served aboard Pennsylvania until May 1929, when he was appointed chief of staff of the Battleship Division, United States Fleet, under Rear Admiral Lucius A Bostwick.
25.
John Greenslade was ordered to Washington, DC, in December 1930 and appointed a member of the General Board of the Navy.
26.
John Greenslade was promoted to rear admiral on May 1,1932, and assumed command of Submarine Force, United States Fleet and was responsible for administration of all submarines for two year, when he returned to the General Board of the Navy.
27.
John Greenslade was promoted to the temporary rank of vice admiral on January 29,1938, and assumed command of Battleships, Battle Force, United States Fleet.
28.
John Greenslade completed his tour in June 1939 and reverted to his permanent rank of rear admiral.
29.
John Greenslade was attached back to the General Board of the Navy and President Franklin D Roosevelt personally selected him for the special board for selection of sites for new naval bases in British possessions in exchange for fifty US destroyers in a lend-lease program.
30.
John Greenslade stirred up controversy, during his service at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, when urged that American-born and alien Japanese be excluded from areas of strategic importance.
31.
Admiral John Greenslade claimed Treasure Island was required for "national security" and appropriated the island for the Navy.
32.
John Greenslade remained on active service and assumed duty as Resources Coordinator on the staff of Commander Western Sea Frontier and established the Pacific Coast Joint Committees for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair and for Ship Operations.
33.
John Greenslade served in this capacity until December, 1945, when he retired for second time, completing 46 years of active service.
34.
John Greenslade was decorated with Legion of Merit for his service as Resources Coordinator and received Order of the British Empire from the Government of United Kingdom; Order of Vasco Nunez de Balboa from Panama; Order of the Aztec Eagle and Medal of Naval Merit, 1st Class from Mexico and Order of Merit from Chile.