Herbert J . Ray Rear Admiral Herbert James Ray ( 1 February 1893 – 3 December 1970 ) was an officer in the United States Navy who served in World War I and World War II . A 1914 graduate of the Naval Academy , he served on the submarines and during World War I . In March 1942 , as Chief of Staff and Aide to the Commandant of the Sixteenth Naval District , Rear Admiral Francis W . Rockwell , he participated in General Douglas MacArthur ' s escape from the Philippines . In Australia , he served with MacArthur ' s General Headquarters , Southwest Pacific Area staff . In September 1943 , he became Captain of the battleship , which he commanded in the Battle of Tarawa , Battle of Kwajalein , Battle of Saipan and the Battle of Peleliu . In October 1944 , he participated in the Battle of Surigao Strait , in which " Maryland " joined the other battleships in engaging the Japanese battleships and and their escorts . Ray left " Maryland " in December 1944 , and was appointed Deputy Director of the Naval Division of the US Control Group Council for Germany . After VE Day , he became the Junior United States Member of the Tripartite Naval Commission in Berlin . He retired from the Navy on 30 June 1949 , and received a tombstone promotion to rear admiral due to his combat decorations . Early life . Herbert James Ray was born in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , on 1 February 1893 , the son of James Herbert Ray and his wife Mary née Rosseler . He was educated at Rhea County High School . In 1910 , he was appointed to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis , from which he graduated on 6 June 1914 . On graduation , he was commissioned as an ensign , and joined the crew of the battleship . In July 1915 , he became an instructor for enlisted rating s in Norfolk , Virginia . He then became part of the crew that was assembled for the new battleship in January 1916 , and served on it when it was commissioned in March 1916 . After the United States declared war on Germany , he underwent submarine r training on board the submarine tender from June to November 1917 . During the war he served on the submarines and . Between the wars . After the war , Ray was posted to the battleship in March 1919 , the submarine tender in July 1919 , and the destroyer February 1920 . He then became the Executive Officer of the destroyer . In November 1920 , he helped fit out the destroyer , and served on it until April 1921 , when he was transferred to the crew of another new destroyer , the . He helped fit it out , and then served with it until September 1921 . Ray returned to Annapolis as an instructor with the Electrical Engineering and Physics Department from September 1921 to June 1923 . He then served on the transport until December 1924 , when he became the Executive Officer of the destroyer . In 1926 , he assumed command of the destroyer . In July , he became Officer in Charge of the Branch Hydrographic Office in Honolulu . He was Aide and Flag Secretary to the Commander Light Cruiser 2 from May 1928 to June 1930 ; Light Cruiser Divisions , Scouting Fleet from June to September 1930 ; and Light Cruiser 3 from September 1930 to July 1931 . Ray married Helen Louise Jacobs from La Plata , Maryland in 1930 . They had two daughters and two sons . Ray was the Navy Representative on the Joint Army - Navy Selective Services Committee at the War Department in Washington , D . C . , from July 1931 to September 1933 . He then helped fit out the new cruiser , and became first he First Lieutenant and Damage Control Officer , and then , in February 1935 , he Executive Officer . Following the usual pattern of alternating duty afloat and ashore , he returned to Annapolis in July 1936 for a second two - year tour as an instructor , this time in the Department of English and History . In June 1938 he entered the Naval War College at Newport , Rhode Island . After graduating in June 1939 , he became the Executive Officer of the . World War II . Southwest Pacific . In March 1941 , Raybecame Chief of Staff and Aide to the Commandant of the Sixteenth Naval District , Rear Admiral Francis W . Rockwell , at Cavite , where he was promoted to captain on 1 July 1941 . He was serving in this capacity when the Pacific War began . He was awarded the Legion of Merit for his part in the fighting . His citation read : In March 1942 , he participated in General Douglas MacArthur ' s escape from the Philippines , for which Ray was awarded the Silver Star . His citation read : In Australia , Ray served with MacArthur ' s General Headquarters , Southwest Pacific Area . One of his sons , Lieutenant James H . Ray , was on the destroyer when it was lost with all hands on 9 August 1942 . When Ray was ordered back to the United States in January 1943 , MacArthur awarded him the Army Distinguished Service Medal . His citation read : USS " Maryland " . Ray served in the office of the Commander in Chief United States Fleet , Admiral Ernest J . King from April to September 1943 . He then became Captain of the battleship . The ship had been damaged in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 but returned to service . " Maryland " participated in the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943 as the flagship of Rear Admiral Harry W . Hill ' s V Amphibious Force and Southern Attack Force , and her guns participated in the shore bombardment . In February 1944 , she joined in the Battle of Kwajalein , firing at pillbox es and blockhouse s on Roi Island . " Maryland " ' s guns supported the Battle of Saipan , silencing a pair of coastal guns . On 22 June , she was torpedoed by a Mitsubishi G4M " Betty " bomber , but was repaired in time to join Rear Admiral Jesse B . Oldendorf ’ s Western Fire Support Group in the Battle of Peleliu . Still with Oldendorff ' s group , but now part of the Vice Admiral Thomas C . Kinkaid ' s Seventh Fleet , " Maryland " participated in the Battle of Leyte in October . In the Battle of Surigao Strait , it joined the other battleships in engaging the Japanese battleships and and their escorts . Ray was awarded a second Silver Star . His citation read : On 29 November , " Maryland " was attacked and severely damaged by kamikaze aircraft , and forced to return to Pearl Harbor for repairs . For his services as captain , he was awarded the Bronze Star . Germany . Ray left " Maryland " in December 1944 . He was appointed Deputy Director of the Naval Division of the US Control Group Council for Germany . After VE Day , he became the Junior United States Member of the Tripartite Naval Commission in Berlin . He was promoted to the wartime rank of commodore on 26 June 1945 . He returned to the United States in April 1946 . For his services in Europe , he was awarded a second Legion of Merit . His citation read : Later life . Ray became Commander of the San Francisco Group of the Nineteenth Fleet in June 1946 . On 10 July , like many other commodores , he was reduced in rank to captain again . He served in this capacity until he retired on 30 June 1949 , at which point he received a tombstone promotion to rear admiral due to his combat decorations . He died on 3 December 1970 at Beale Air Force Base Hospital in California .