Richard H. Cruzen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Harold Cruzen
Born	(1897-04-28)April 28, 1897 Kansas City, Missouri
Died	April 15, 1970(1970-04-15) (aged 72) Camp Pendleton, California
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1917–1954
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands held	U.S. Naval Forces, Philippines Naval Base Pearl Harbor Cruiser Division Two USS Birmingham
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Legion of Merit

Richard Harold Cruzen (born April 28, 1897 – died April 15, 1970) was a brave officer in the United States Navy. He became a Vice Admiral, which is a very high rank. He fought in both World War I and World War II. He is most famous for leading important trips to Antarctica, the icy continent at the South Pole.

Early Life and Education

Richard Cruzen was born on April 28, 1897, in Kansas City, Missouri. He went to Gallatin High School in Gallatin, Missouri. After that, he studied at the Virginia Military Institute and the Severn School. In 1916, he was accepted into the United States Naval Academy.

Early Navy Career

During World War I, Cruzen was a midshipman. He served on the battleship USS Mississippi. This ship worked with the Atlantic Fleet in 1918.

Cruzen finished his studies at the Naval Academy in 1919. He became an ensign, which is a junior officer. His first job was on the battleship USS Idaho.

Between 1925 and 1937, Cruzen served on many different kinds of ships. These included the battleships USS Nevada and USS California. He also served on several destroyers and a ship called a destroyer tender. Later, he completed a special command course at the United States Naval War College.

Exploring Antarctica

On September 11, 1939, Cruzen took command of the ship USS Bear. This ship was 65 years old. The Bear was part of the United States Antarctic Service Expedition. This expedition was led by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd. Byrd was a famous pilot and explorer. The expedition aimed to find out how useful Antarctica was for money and military reasons.

Navy records show that the Bear and its aircraft found 1,000 miles of new coastline. After the trip, the Secretary of the Navy praised Cruzen. He was recognized for his "superior seamanship, ability, courage, determination, efficiency and good judgment in dangerous emergencies." Cruzen was one of only 16 people from the 1939-41 expedition to receive a special gold medal. This was the United States Antarctic Expedition Medal.

World War II Service

During World War II, Cruzen first worked at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Then, he went to the Pacific Ocean. From July to September 1943, he was the chief of staff for Vice Admiral Arthur S. Carpender. Carpender commanded the 7th Fleet.

Later, Cruzen worked as an operations officer for Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid. This was during the campaign to free the Philippines in 1944 and 1945. Cruzen received the Legion of Merit award for his work with the 7th Fleet.

From August 1945 to October 1946, he commanded the light cruiser USS Birmingham. In November 1946, Cruzen was chosen to become a rear admiral.

Operation Highjump

In 1946, Admiral Richard E. Byrd was chosen to lead a new Navy project. It was called the Antarctic Developments Project, or Operation Highjump. Cruzen was picked to command Task Force 68. This task force included most of the ships and people for the operation.

Task Force 68 had 4,700 people. It also had a command ship, an aircraft carrier, two destroyers, two icebreakers, and many other support ships. This was the biggest expedition to Antarctica ever at that time.

Cruzen left the United States on his main ship, the USS Mount Olympus, on December 2, 1946. Scientists like meteorologists and zoologists joined the trip. The expedition aimed to gather scientific information. It also wanted to train Navy personnel and test equipment in cold, icy conditions.

Cruzen's task force sailed through hundreds of miles of ice. They finally reached the Little America base camp. The expedition faced many challenges, including icebergs and bad weather.

During Operation Highjump, two "oases" were discovered. These were areas of land and lakes without ice. Aircraft also mapped over 300,000 square miles of unknown territory. This helped update maps of Antarctica.

Cruzen appeared briefly in a movie called The Secret Land. This film was about Operation Highjump. The U.S. Navy made the movie, and it won an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1948.

Later Career and Retirement

After Operation Highjump, Cruzen commanded Cruiser Division Two. This unit was part of the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. In April 1949, he attended a special ceremony in Libya. It was for five American sailors who died in 1804.

In January 1950, Cruzen moved to Hawaii. He became the Commander of Naval Base Pearl Harbor. He held this job for two years. Then, he was made Commander of U.S. Naval Forces in the Philippines.

Cruzen retired from the Navy on June 30, 1954. He had served for almost 37 years. He was promoted to Vice Admiral on the retired list. This was because he had been specially recognized for his bravery in combat. In 1956, he received the Philippine Legion of Honor for his work in the Philippines.

Vice Admiral Richard H. Cruzen passed away on April 15, 1970. He died at a Naval Hospital in Camp Pendleton, California. He was survived by his wife, Margaret, and their daughter.

Awards

1st Row	Legion of Merit				World War I Victory Medal
2nd Row	Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal			Yangtze Service Medal			American Defense Service Medal
3rd Row	American Campaign Medal			Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal			World War II Victory Medal
4th Row	United States Antarctic Expedition Medal			Navy Occupation Service Medal			National Defense Service Medal
5th Row	Antarctica Service Medal			Philippine Legion of Honor			Philippine Liberation Medal