RARE "Commander Naval Forces" Admiral James B Wilson Signed 4X6 Card COA For Sale

Heenrolled at Duke University before his appointment to the United States NavalAcademy from the state of North Carolina where his father resided. He marriedhis high school sweetheart, Dorothy Ann Hargrove of Westfield, NJ, and Wayne,PA, who was the Naval Academy Color Girl of 1946. He was graduated withdistinction and commissioned ensign in 1946 with the Class of 1947, "TheBest on the Severn." He served two years in destroyers before reportingfor submarine training in New London, CT. Upon graduation from Submarine Schoolin 1948, he received the award recognizing the graduate standing first in hisclass. His career at sea in the ensuing years was spent for the most part onsubmarine duty. In 1958 he took command of Dogfish (SS-350). This assignmentwas followed by duty under instruction with the Atomic Energy Commission, andduring the following years he served as executive officer of Ethan Allen(SSBN-608) and commanded Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619), both nuclear powered fleetballistic missile (Polaris) submarines. As a captain, he served at sea andashore as Polaris Executive to the Chief of Naval Operations; Executive Officerto the Deputy Secretary of Defense; Commander Submarine Squadron One andFlotilla Five (Pearl Harbor); and Executive Assistant to the Commander ofChief, Pacific, during the Vietnam War. Upon promotion toflag rank, Admiral Wilson served in Vietnam as Deputy Commander and CommanderNaval Forces from 1971 and 1973 when the command was disestablished upon thewithdrawal of all U.S. military forces. For this service he was awarded theDistinguished Service Medal. Following a year in the Office of the Secretary ofthe Navy, he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral in 1974 and named theChief of Naval Education and Training. In this capacity, he commanded one ofthe Navy's largest commands numbering 125,000 military and civilian personnel.His responsibilities included the management of the Navy's educational and trainingcenters: the U.S. Naval Academy; the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School; and theU.S. Naval War College. He was awarded a second Distinguished Service Medal forthis service. The admiral was awarded a number of U.S. and foreign decorationsand medals during his naval service including three DSM's, three Legions ofMerit, The Navy Commendation Medal, and three Navy Unit Commendations.