The Irish standard., 1917-03-31
Admiral Benson Gets
Latare Medal for III

The Laetare Medal for 1917, will be
conferred upon Admiral VIM. Shep-
herd Benson, ranking Admiral in the
United States Navy, who is Fourth
Degree knight of Columbus and con-
vert to the Catholic faith.
Admiral Benson, who is Chief of
Naval Operations is native of
Georgia, where he was born in 1855.
For two years before entering the
Naval Academy he lived in the coun-
try, where he had no opportunity to at
tend school, and although this was a
handicap, he made the entrance ex-
animation. 1t is a well known fact
that he had no influential friends to
boost him, and his present high posi-
ton is the result of no spectacular
performance, but came from hard
work and fixed habit of making good
in every position assigned to him, and
saying nothing about it.
A brother officer and shipmate said
of him:
Whatever ship he served was sure
to be happy and efficient ship. Not
however, until he took command of
the superdreadnaught utah" did he
find his real element, where the force
of his personality could make itself
felt. 1t was there that he initiated
and created the Utah spirit, famous
throughout the battlefield and now ia
nous throughout the Navy, because
he brought the Utah spirit to the Navy
Department with him. Before he had
been here long, people began to find
out that the Utah spirit was the Benson
spirit, best exemplified in the ancient
phrase Mine the labor, thine the
praise"
''Those who know him best are we'll
aware that over and beyond all is a
profund and consistent piety which
shows itself, not in words, but in his
acts and character, so that, with his
great responsibilities and his far
reaching military authority, the one
idea that shines out above everything
else is his never-ending charity and
devotion to duty"
His first important command was
the Utah." where, without making
any show. he inspired men and officers
to give their best to the service. Next
he was selected for the administrative
office of commandant of the Navy
Yard at Philadelphia. There he con-
tinued the same old method-just kept
on planning and working until things
went right, and that was what he was
doing when called to make good in the
Benson way in his biggest JOHN
fact, one of the greatest military un.
dertakings in times of peace, the or
ganization Of the office of naval opera
lions, the first approach to military
management of the military affairs Of
the Navy.
1t was in the spring Of 1916, that
J Congress enacted that there should be
chief of naval operations, who SHOULD
be charged with the operation of the
fleet, and the preparation of plans fol-
it's use in war. Admiral Benson's
work in the organization of the office
was so successful, and had SO fully
demonstrated the need of the Office
that Congress in 1916, enacted that the
chief of operations should have author
ity to issue orders within his jurisdic
ton in the name of the secretary
that the chief while holding that Office
should have the rank of admiral, and
to insure permanency,> that not les
than Is officers should be assigned t,
duty under him.
One of Admiral Benson's recen
duties has been to tell the Hous
Naval Committee what the Navy need
! most, and it is said that it's actor