U. S. Grant Sharp Jr.

U. S. Grant Sharp Jr.
Ulysses S. Grant Sharp, Jr.
Birth name	Ulysses Simpson Grant Sharp, Jr.
Nickname(s)	Oley
Born	April 2, 1906 Chinook, Montana
Died	December 12, 2001 (aged 95) San Diego, California
Place of burial	Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, California
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1927-1968
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	Pacific Command Pacific Fleet
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War Vietnam War
Awards	Silver Star (2)

Ulysses Simpson Grant Sharp, Jr. (April 2, 1906 – December 12, 2001) was a United States Navy four star admiral who served as Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT) from 1963 to 1964; and Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Command (CINCPAC) from 1964 to 1968. He was PACOM commander during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. Sharp was related to Ulysses S. Grant, who married Sharp's great-aunt.^[1][2]

Military career

Sharp was born in Chinook, Montana, and named for Ulysses S. Grant, who was married to his grandmother's sister. Raised in Fort Benton, Montana,^[3] he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1927. He is also a 1950 graduate of the Naval War College.

During World War II, he commanded the destroyer USS Boyd in the Pacific Theater, earning two Silver Stars. By the Korean War, he was commanding a destroyer squadron, assisting in the planning of the Inchon landing. He served as deputy chief of naval operations for policy and planning in the early 1960s.

After receiving his fourth star, Sharp took command of the Pacific Fleet in 1963, followed by command of Pacific Command. During his tenure, due to the Tonkin Gulf Incident, the U.S. increased its presence in Vietnam after the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Sharp views on U.S. strategy in the war, namely massive military action, differed sharply with the Johnson administration's preference for a gradual buildup of forces. Sharp was featured on the August 14, 1964, cover of TIME Magazine.

Post military career

After retiring from the Navy, Sharp was a critic of U.S. policy in the Vietnam War, lecturing frequently and writing articles. He wrote an article in Reader's Digest in 1969 titled We Could Have Won in Vietnam Long Ago, and in 1978 his book Strategy for Defeat: Vietnam in Retrospect^[4] was published.

His first wife, Patricia, whom he married in 1930, died in 1986. In 1987 he married the former Nina Blake.

After suffering a fall in October 2001, Sharp's health steadily declined until he died on December 12, 2001, at his home in San Diego. He was buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

He was survived by his second wife; two children, one a retired Navy Rear Admiral; a sister; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

His brother, LCDR Thomas F. Sharp (USNA class of 1935) was report lost on May 12, 1943 when his submarine USS Pickerel was sunk during its seventh combat patrol of the WWII Pacific campaign.

See also

• Gulf of Tonkin incident
• McNamara Line

References

1. U.S. Oliver, Myrna. Grant Sharp, 95; Admiral, Vocal Critic of Vietnam Strategy Los Angeles Times, December 17, 2001.
2. Christopher Marquis. Ulysses S. Grant Sharp Jr., Vietnam War Admiral, 95 New York Times obituary, December 18, 2001
3. The Imperturbable Admiral, TIME Magazine August 14, 1964
4. Sharp, U. S. Grant. Strategy for Defeat: Vietnam in Retrospect. San Rafael, Calif: Presidio Press, 1978.

Further reading

• Ewing, James W. Admiral Sharp, Air Power and Victory: A Critical Analysis of Strategy for Defeat, Vietnam in Retrospect, by Admiral U.S.G. Sharp, USN. Maxwell AFB, AL: Air Command and Staff College, Air University, 1988.
• Marquis, Christopher . Ulysses S. Grant Sharp Jr., Vietnam War Admiral, 95 New York Times obituary, December 18, 2001
• Moïse, Edwin E. Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1996.

External links

Ulysses Simpson Grant Sharp, Jr Find-a-grave entry