Ignatius J . Galantin Ignatius Joseph " Pete " Galantin ( September 24 , 1910 – July 6 , 2004 ) was a four star United States Navy admiral , World War II Navy Cross recipient , and the first commander of the Naval Material Command . Early career . Galatin was born in New York City , on September 24 , 1910 , son of Ignatius Peter and Mary Elizabeth ( Binder ) Galantin . He attended Maine Township High School , Des Plaines , Illinois , and had a year of night school at the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago , before his appointment to the United States Naval Academy in 1929 . As a Midshipman he was captain of the fencing team , and in 1933 was intercollegiate champion . Graduated with the class of 1933 - A and commissioned ensign , to rank from June 1 , 1933 , he subsequently advanced to the rank of admiral , to date from May 19 , 1967 . After graduation from the Naval Academy , he served until December 1935 as a junior watch and division officer on board , operating with Battleship Division ONE , Battle Force . He then had submarine training at the Submarine School , New London , Connecticut , and in July 1936 joined , the largest submarine - minelayer , to serve as first lieutenant and gunner officer in the Hawaiian Islands area . In June 1940 he reported as executive officer and navigator of , which was transferred to the British early in the World War II period by lend - lease agreement . World War II . In August 1942 he assumed command of the . Thereafter , in June 1943 he joined as Prospective Commanding Officer and participated in one war patrol in the Pacific area . From August 1943 until December 1944 he was in command of , which was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her tenth war patrol . He took part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf as Commanding Officer of " Halibut " , and sank a large Japanese warship off Cape Engamo , P . I . He was personally awarded the Navy Cross , the Silver Star and two Gold Stars in lieu of the second and third Silver Star Medal . Halibut was so severely damaged by Japanese depth charges that it was not salvageable so the submarine was scrapped . In January and February 1945 he served as operations and gunnery officer on the Staff of Commander Submarine Squadron Ten , then flew over the Hump to Chungking , China for three months ’ duty as Submarine Liaison Officer to the Chief of the Naval Group . During the period June to November 1945 , he served as operations and gunnery officer on the Staff of Commander Submarine Task Group , Saipan . Postwar . Upon his return to the United States in November 1945 , he was ordered to the Staff of Commander Submarines , Atlantic Fleet , and served as personnel officer until July 1947 . After duty as executive officer of , a submarine tender , he served as operations and gunnery officer on the Staff of Commander Submarine Squadron Eight . He had command of Submarine Division Fifty - one in 1949 , and in December of that year reported to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations , Navy Department , Washington , D . C . , where he served until July 1952 as head of the Submarine Branch , Fleet Maintenance Division . He assumed command of oiler in August 1952 , and was awarded a Letter of Commendation with Ribbon and Combat " V , " for " meritorious service as Commanding Officer of USS " Navasota " during combat operations against enemy North Korean and Chinese Communist forces in the Korean Theatre from February 15 , 1953 to June 1 , 1953 … " The next year he commanded Submarine Squadron Seven , and from August 1954 to June 1955 was a student at the National War College in Washington , D . C . Flag officer . Upon graduation from the National War College , he was ordered to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations , Navy Department , where he served for two years as head of the Submarine Warfare Branch , Undersea Warfare Division . He was Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and Administration of the Commander in Chief , Allied Forces Southern Europe , stationed in Naples , Italy , from September 1957 until November 4 , 1959 , then reported as Commander Cruiser Division Two . In January 1961 he became Director of the Antisubmarine / Submarine Warfare Division , Office of the Chief of Naval Operations ( later redesignated Submarine Warfare Division ) . On February 26 , 1962 he was assigned as Special Projects Office in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy , Navy Department . On March 1 , 1965 he assumed duty as Chief of Naval Material . Upon the reorganization of the Navy Department , effective May 1 , 1966 , he was designated Chief of Naval Material , Naval Material Command . Legacy . Admiral Galantin was a member of the New York Society of Military and Naval Officers of the World Wars . He was married in 1935 to Virginia E . Jaeckel of New York . They had three daughters , six grandchildren and eight great - grandchildren . On July 1 , 1970 Admiral Galantin was transferred to the Retired List of the U . S . Navy . In retirement , he published two books concerning submarines : " Take Her Deep " , a more or less autobiographical account of Galantin ’ s wartime action when he was skipper of " Halibut " , and " Submarine Admiral " which describes the evolutionary process of the submarine in the U . S . Navy . Admiral Galantin died on July 6 , 2004 at the age of 93 . He was buried at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery with full military honors . Military awards . In addition to the Distinguished Service Medal , the Navy Cross , the Silver Star Medal with two Gold Stars , the Commendation Ribbon and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon , Galantin was awarded the American Defense Service Medal , Fleet Clasp ; American Campaign Medal ; Asiatic - Pacific Campaign Medal with five combat stars ; the World War II Victory Medal ; China Service Medal ; National Defense Service Medal with bronze star ; Korean Service Medal with two combat stars ; and the United Nations Service Medal . He also has the Korean Presidential Unit Citation Badge and the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Badge .