Apollo Soucek Apollo Soucek ( 1897 – 19 July 1955 ) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy , who was a record - breaking test pilot during 1929 - 1930 , served in World War II , and was commander of Carrier Division Three during the Korean War , ending his career as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics . Biography . Soucek was born in Medford , Oklahoma . He was the son of Johann " John " Soucek , who had been born in Ovčáry , Bohemia ( then part of the Austria - Hungary , now in the Czech Republic ) , but had emigrated to the United States at the age of 7 with his family . Arriving in June 1875 aboard the Norddeutscher Lloyd ship , the family — Mathias , Maria , and their six children — first settled in Nebraska , then moved to Kansas , before taking part in the Cherokee Strip Land Run in 1893 , and settling in Medford . Early career . Soucek joined the United States Navy in 1918 and was assigned to the battleship with the rank of midshipman . He was commissioned as an ensign on 3 June 1921 . He then served aboard the . In February 1924 Soucek reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola for flight training , qualifying as a naval aviator in October . He was assigned to the Navy ' s first aircraft carrier in November , and served as Assistant Flight Officer of Observation Squadron 2 . In January 1925 he transferred to the to serve as Assistant Navigator and Junior Aviation Officer of Observation Squadron 1 . In May 1927 he was assigned to the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia , before transferring to the Bureau of Aeronautics in July to serve in the Power Plant Design Section . Flying the Wright Apache Soucek set a series of flight altitude record s . On May 8 , 1929 , he set the world altitude record for landplanes by flying to the height of , and on June 4 , he set the altitude record for seaplanes , also in an Apache , reaching the height of . On June 4 , 1930 , Soucek flew an Apache landplane equipped with a Pratt & Whitney R - 1340 radial engine to a height of over NAS Anacostia , regaining the world record he had held in 1929 . In June 1930 Soucek returned to sea duty serving as Squadron Flight Officer of Fighter Squadron 3 on the carrier , and as Gunnery Officer and Executive Officer of Fighter Squadron 3 aboard . In June 1932 he returned to the Naval Aircraft Factory to serve as Assistant to the Superintendent of the Aeronautical Engineering Laboratory . From June 1935 he served as Hangar Deck , Flight Deck , and Senior Watch Officer aboard , returning to the " Lexington " in June 1937 to serve as the Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron 2 . Soucek went back to the Bureau of Aeronautics in May 1938 to serve as Assistant to the Chief of the Personnel Division . World War II . In May 1940 he was assigned to as Navigator , moving to the on 20 October 1941 to serve as Air Officer . Soucek was appointed Executive Officer in 1942 , and served in that capacity during the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo on 18 April . In January 1943 was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations in the Pacific Fleet . From July 1943 he served as Chief of Staff and Aide to the Chief of Naval Air Intermediate Training Command and Deputy Chief of Naval Air Training , based at NAS Pensacola . In March 1945 he was appointed Officer - in - Charge of the fitting - out of the carrier , becoming the first commander on her commissioning on 27 October 1945 . Later career . From January 1946 he commanded Carrier Division 14 , and from August was commander of Fleet Air Wing 1 . On 15 July 1947 he was appointed commander of the Naval Air Test Center at Naval Air Station Patuxent River . From 1949 he served as Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Aviation Plans , and Director of the Aviation Plans and Program Division . He spent most of 1951 in London as U . S . Naval Attaché for Air , before serving in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations from November until February 1952 , when he was appointed commander of Carrier Division 3 / Task Force 77 , flying his flag aboard , supporting operations in the Korean War . On 18 June 1953 Soucek was appointed Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics , however in February 1955 he became ill , quitting his post on March 4 , and was transferred to the Retired List on 1 July . He died of a heart attack on 19 July 1955 , at the age of 58 , and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on 26 July . On 4 June 1957 Naval Air Station Oceana was officially named Apollo Soucek Field . Family . Apollo ' s younger brother Zeus ( 1899 – 1967 ) , also joined the Navy , became an aviator , and set speed , distance and duration records piloting a Naval Aircraft Factory PN - 12 in May 1928 .