William H. P. Blandy
Encyclopedia
William Henry Purnell Blandy (28 June 1890 – 12 January 1954), known to friends as "Spike", was an admiral in the United States Navy
during World War II
.
28 June 1890, Blandy graduated first in his class from the United States Naval Academy
in 1913. He participated in the occupation of Veracruz
, Mexico
in 1914 and served on board the battleship
Florida
(BB-30) with the British Grand Fleet
during World War I
. During World War II he was Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance
from 1941 to 1943; then Commander, Group 1, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet and commanded the pre-invasion bombardment group during the campaign for Iwo Jima
. One account of Admiral Blandy during the Iwo campaign recalls:
at Bikini Atoll
.
"I am not an atomic playboy
" is a phrase attributed to Blandy while he was overseeing these tests.
Here is the complete quote:
On the 3rd of April, 2010 a photograph emerged on a popular website called "Picture is Unrelated" of him pictured with his wife and Rear Admiral Frank Louri.
He commanded the 2nd Task Fleet and later served as Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet
from 1947 to 1950.
Admiral Blandy retired in 1950. He died on 12 January 1954 at the U.S. Navy Hospital in St. Albans, New York, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
.
USS Blandy
(DD-943) was named in his honor.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Biography
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
28 June 1890, Blandy graduated first in his class from the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 1913. He participated in the occupation of Veracruz
United States occupation of Veracruz, 1914
The United States occupation of Veracruz, which began with the Battle of Veracruz, lasted for six months and was a response to the Tampico Affair of April 9, 1914...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1914 and served on board the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Florida
USS Florida (BB-30)
-External links:***...
(BB-30) with the British Grand Fleet
British Grand Fleet
The Grand Fleet was the main fleet of the British Royal Navy during the First World War.-History:It was formed in 1914 by the British Atlantic Fleet combined with the Home Fleet and it included 35-40 state-of-the-art capital ships. It was initially commanded by Admiral Sir John Jellicoe...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. During World War II he was Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance
Bureau of Ordnance
The Bureau of Ordnance was the U.S. Navy's organization responsible for the procurement, storage, and deployment of all naval ordnance, between the years 1862 and 1959.-History:...
from 1941 to 1943; then Commander, Group 1, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet and commanded the pre-invasion bombardment group during the campaign for Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. One account of Admiral Blandy during the Iwo campaign recalls:
The U.S.S. EstesAfter the war he commanded Joint Task Force 1 during the atomic bomb testsUSS Estes (AGC-12)USS Estes was a Mount McKinley-class amphibious force command ship, officially named after "A mountain peak and national park in Colorado."....
was positioned about two miles off-shore during the bombardment, and Admiral Blandy, being the old Gunnery type, kept ordering the captain to come in a little closer so he could "..see the whites of their eyes..". About the time we would be within a little less than a mile from the beaches, a battery of shore guns up on the side of Mount Surabachi would start taking pot-shots at us. Geysers of water would erupt on either side of the ship, and the voice of Vice Admiral TurnerRichmond K. Turner-Footnotes:...
in overall charge of the campaign on the U.S.S. Mount McKinley — a sister ship to the USS Estes, — would come in over the "TBS" ship to ship radio ordering Blandy to "..get your [censored] out of there before you get it blown off!". We would then back off to a safe distance, only to have the same thing happen a few hours later.
Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads was a series of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. It was the first test of a nuclear weapon after the Trinity nuclear test in July 1945...
at Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands....
.
"I am not an atomic playboy
Atomic Playboy
"I am not an atomic playboy" is a phrase uttered by Vice Admiral William H. P. Blandy while he was overseeing the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests.Here is the complete quote:...
" is a phrase attributed to Blandy while he was overseeing these tests.
Here is the complete quote:
"The bomb will not start a chain-reaction in the water converting it all to gas and letting the ships on all the oceans drop down to the bottom. It will not blow out the bottom of the sea and let all the water run down the hole. It will not destroy gravity. I am not an atomic playboy, as one of my critics labeled me, exploding these bombs to satisfy my personal whim."
On the 3rd of April, 2010 a photograph emerged on a popular website called "Picture is Unrelated" of him pictured with his wife and Rear Admiral Frank Louri.
He commanded the 2nd Task Fleet and later served as Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
from 1947 to 1950.
Admiral Blandy retired in 1950. He died on 12 January 1954 at the U.S. Navy Hospital in St. Albans, New York, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Namesake
In 1956, the destroyerDestroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
USS Blandy
USS Blandy (DD-943)
USS Blandy was a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer , named for Admiral William H. P. Blandy USN ,Blandy was built by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts and was launched 19 December 1956, sponsored by Mrs. John M. Lee, daughter of Admiral Blandy; and...
(DD-943) was named in his honor.