Rear Admiral Willis A. Lee, Jr., USN; circa 1942.

Willis A. Lee, Jr. (11 May 1888 – 25 August 1945) was an admiral of the United States Navy during World War II. May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The word admiral comes from the Arabic term amir-al-bahr meaning commander of the seas. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

Willis "Ching" Lee was born in Natlee, Kentucky, on 11 May 1888. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1908. Over the next two decades, he served in several ships and on shore duty as an inspector of ordnance, while also representing the Navy in rifle competitions. He was Commanding Officer of three destroyers during the 1920s and attended the Naval War College late in that decade. Teamwork: Fourth Class Midshipmen lock arms and use ropes made from uniform items as they brace themselves climbing the Herndon Monument The United States Naval Academy, or USNA, is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Ordnance is a general term for a quantity of military equipment, usually specifying the ammunition for artillery, bombs, or other large weapons. ... A rifle is any long gun which has a rifled barrel. ... This article is about the warship. ... Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s - 1920s - 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 Referred to as the Roaring 20s. ... Logo of the Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC) of the United States Navy is an education and research institution that specializes in developing ideas for naval strategy and passing them along to officers of the Navy. ...

During the 1930s and early 1940s, Lee was several times assigned to the Fleet Training Division, commanded the light cruiser Concord (CL-10), and served on the staff of Commander, Cruisers, Battle Force. In early 1942, following his promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral, Lee became Assistant Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet. Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Science Nuclear fission discovered by Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann Pluto, the ninth planet from the Sun, is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh British biologist Arthur Tansley coins term ecosystem War, peace and politics Socialists proclaim The death of Capitalism Rise to... Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s - 1940s - 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s Years: 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 Events and trends Technology First nuclear bomb First cruise missile, the V1 flying bomb and the first ballistic missile, the... A light cruiser is a warship that is not so large and powerful as a regular (or heavy) cruiser, but still larger than ships like destroyers. ... The fourth USS Concord (CL-10) was launched 15 December 1921 by William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, Pa. ... 1942 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ...

In August 1942, Rear Admiral Lee was sent to the Pacific to command a battleship division. Flying his flag in Washington (BB-56), he was active through the Guadalcanal Campaign and led his force to victory over a Japanese surface group in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 14–15 November 1942. He was later promoted and placed in charge of the Pacific Fleet's fast battleships. This article is about a battleship as a type of warship. ... USS Washington (BB-56), a North Carolina-class battleship was the eighth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 42nd state. ... Battle of Guadalcanal Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date August 7, 1942 - February 9, 1943 Place Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands Result Allied victory The Battle of Guadalcanal was one of the most important battles of World War II. The assault on the Japanese-occupied island of Guadalcanal by... Naval Battle of Guadalcanal Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 13 November 1942 – 15 November 1942 Place Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands Result Allied victory The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, which lasted from 13 November to 15 November 1942, was of one of a series of naval battles that took place... November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... This article is about the Pacific Fleet of the US Navy. ...

In May 1945, he was sent to the Atlantic to command a special unit researching defenses against the Kamikaze threat. While serving in that position on 25 August 1945, Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee died suddenly after suffering a heart attack. 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... A Japanese Zero about to hit the USS Missouri. ... Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ...

External link

• history.navy.mil: Willis A. Lee, Jr. (http://history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-l/wa-lee.htm)