Ensign Moorer soon found himself as a junior deck officer on the USS Salt Lake City (CA-25), which was one of the first two 10,000-ton limit treaty cruisers. Here was where his real education began as the Chief Petty Officers took him under their wing and taught him baseball, beer and the reality of Naval service and how to be a leader.

Thomas Moorer was one of those people who had to endure hardship and pay his dues before achieving the highest Naval rank. He had spent six months aboard the USS Salt Lake City (CA-25), and then was assigned as part of the pre-commissioning crew of another treaty cruiser, the USS New Orleans (CA-32).

Thomas H. Moorer was promoted to admiral on 26 July, 1957.

He had been a Naval officer for 24 years, and now was an admiral. This in and of itself was phenomenal and showed the excellence of this man and his leadership skills. His days of commanding ships were now over, but his time for leading fleets had come.

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF - ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC FLEETS

Thomas Moorer now rose through the ranks of admiral and eventually commanded both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, a feat yet unmatched. Ten years after being selected for admiral, he again was rewarded. This time, by President Lyndon B. Johnson who appointed him as the Chief of Naval Operations. From the jungles of a deserted island where the 30-year-old pilot struggled to save himself and his men to the beltway of Washington DC where he held the highest position the American Navy had to offer. This was quite a journey for Thomas Moorer.

President Nixon found in Thomas Moorer the same talents recognized and valued by his predecessor, and he was reappointed as Chief of Naval Operations on 12 June 1969, and, over the next two years, was appointed twice to serve as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He had achieved the highest military position available that was outside the political and civilian leadership realm. He had reached the top of his profession.

Admiral Moorer held this position nearly to the time that he retired which was on 2 July 1974, after 41 years in the US Navy. He lived until Feb. 5th, 2004. He was 91 years old.

Copyright Challenge Publications Inc. Sep 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
Bonner, Kit "ADMIRAL THOMAS H. MOORER". Sea Classics. . FindArticles.com. 29 Jan. 2009
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4442/is_200409/ai_n16065913