 james otto richardson (18 september 1878 â 2 may 1974) was an admiral in the united states navy who served from 1902 to 1942. as commander in chief, pacific fleet, he protested against the redeployment of the fleet forward to pearl harbor, believing that a forward defense was neither practical or useful, and that the pacific fleet would be the logical first target in the event of war with japan. he was subsequently relieved of command in february 1941. his concerns were to be proved justified in december. ==early life and career== richardson was born in paris, texas. he entered the naval academy in 1898 and graduated fifth in a class of eighty-five with the class of 1902. his first duty assignments were in the asiatic squadron, where he took part in the philippine campaign, and, after 1905, in the atlantic ocean. in 1907â09, lieutenant richardson commanded the torpedo boats tingey and stockton, and the third division, atlantic torpedo flotilla. he was a member of the first class of the navy's post graduate engineering school in 1909â11, then served as an engineer in the battleship uss delaware and on the staff of the atlantic reserve fleet. in 1914, richardson was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander and was attached to the department of the navy's bureau of steam engineering, where he worked to assure the navy's fuel supply. ==world war i and interwar years== in 1917â19, commander richardson was navigator and executive officer of the battleship uss nevada. following a tour at the naval academy, he was given command of the gunboat uss  in 1922 and took her out to asiatic waters, where he also had command of the south china patrol. captain richardson was assistant to the chief, bureau of ordnance, in 1924â27. in the later 1920s, he commanded a destroyer division, then returned to
1878_births 1974_deaths American_military_personnel_of_World_War_I American_military_personnel_of_World_War_II People_from_Paris,_Texas United_States_Naval_Academy_alumni United_States_Navy_World_War_II_admirals United_States_Navy_admirals