ourpresidents:How Did Pearl Harbor Impact the Personal Lives of Presidents? Richard Nixon was 28 y
ourpresidents: How Did Pearl Harbor Impact the Personal Lives of Presidents? Richard Nixon was 28 years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He was eligible for an exemption from military service, both as a Quaker and through his job working for President Roosevelt’s Office of Price Administration, but he did not seek one. After acquiring a Bachelor of Laws at Duke University, in 1937 Nixon returned to Whittier, California to practice law. In January 1942, Nixon became an attorney for the Office of Emergency Management in Washington, D.C. Determined to be a part of the war effort, he joined the Navy and accepted an appointment as lieutenant junior grade in the United States Naval Reserve in 1942. He trained at Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island and then was assigned to Ottumwa Naval Air Station, Iowa. Looking for more excitement, Nixon volunteered for sea duty and was reassigned as the Officer in Charge for the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command at Guadalcanal, and later at Green Island. After requesting more challenging duties, he was given command of cargo handling units. From August - December of 1944, Nixon was assigned to Fleet Air Wing EIGHT. He became the administrative officer of the Alameda Naval Air Station. From December - March 1945, he served at the Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department, Washington, D.C. His next assignment was as the Bureau of Aeronautics Contracting Officer for Terminations in the Office of the Bureau of Aeronautics General Representative, to help negotiate the termination of war contracts. There Nixon received another letter of commendation. In October 1945, he was promoted to lieutenant commander. He was released from active duty on 10 March 1946. He was promoted to Commander in the Naval Reserve on 1 June 1953.Nixon returned to the United States with a citation of commendation, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. He earned two engagement stars: the Asiatic- Pacific Campaign Medal for supporting air action in the Treasury- Bougainville operations 1943, and for consolidation of the northern Solomons 1943 - 1944. -from the “Pearl Harbor Remembered” exhibit at the Bush Library, College Station, Texas, in collaboration with the Nixon Presidential Library. Through January 1, 2017. Image: Portrait of United States Navy Lieutenant Commander Richard Nixon in his dress uniform, circa 1945. @richardnixonlibrary -- source link
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