Wesley L . McDonald Wesley L . McDonald ( July 6 , 1924February 8 , 2009 ) was a United States Navy admiral and naval aviator . He led the first air strike against North Vietnam after the Gulf of Tonkin incident and was the commander in charge of Operation Urgent Fury , the invasion of Grenada to rescue American citizens . Early life and education . McDonald was born in Washington , D . C . on July 6 , 1924 . He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1946 and married his high school sweetheart . He began his career as a naval aviator in 1950 , serving in several carrier fighter and attack squadrons . In 1964 , McDonald was the skipper of Attack Squadron VA - 56 flying A - 4 Skyhawk s aboard the USS " Ticonderoga " . On August 5 , 1964 , he served as a flight leader for Operation Pierce Arrow , the first retaliatory strike against North Vietnam following the Gulf of Tonkin incident . McDonald led his Skyhawk strike force against oil tanks at Vinh , destroying 90 % of the facility . Career . Senior leader . McDonald ' s career led him to the highest levels of the United States Navy ' s command structure . He attended the National Defense University ' s National War College , graduating with the class of 1969 . From 1970 to 1971 , he commanded the USS " Coral Sea " . In 1972 , as a rear admiral , McDonald was assigned as the carrier group commander . He later served as deputy chief of Naval Personnel in Washington , D . C . in 1975 . In 1978 , as Commander , U . S . Second Fleet , he embarked on the USS " Arthur W . Radford " on the way to NATO exercises in the North Atlantic . In 1982 , McDonald was appointed Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic ( SACLANT ) , one of two supreme commander s of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . At the same time , he assumed command of the U . S . Atlantic Command ( CINCLANT ) and U . S . Atlantic Fleet ( CINCLANTFLT ) . In 1983 , McDonald , in his role as CINCLANT , was placed in overall command of Operation Urgent Fury — the invasion of Grenada to rescue U . S . nationals . He later summed up the success of the operation in an address before the House Armed Services Committee . McDonald was the last United States Navy admiral to command all three organizations ( Allied Atlantic Command , U . S . Atlantic Command , and U . S . Atlantic Fleet ) at the same time . He relinquished command of the U . S . Atlantic Fleet to Admiral Carlisle A . H . Trost , USN , on October 4 , 1985 , and command of the U . S . Atlantic Command and Allied Atlantic Command to Admiral Lee Baggett Jr . in November 1985 . Later life and death . Since his retirement from the Navy in 1985 , McDonald played an active role in the aviation community in his leadership positions with the National Aeronautic Association ( NAA ) and the National Aviation Club ( NAC ) . He helped orchestrate a merger of interests between NAA and NAC bringing benefits to both organizations . McDonald has also served on the boards of the U . S . Navy Memorial Foundation , the U . S . Naval Aviation Museum and the Armed Services YMCA . His first wife , Norma , died in 1989 . McDonald later remarried and lived in Arlington , Virginia with his wife , Helen until he died February 8 , 2009 in Arlington , Virginia . He has one son and three daughters , and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery . Honors and recognition . McDonald ' s awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal , the Navy Distinguished Service Medal , the Legion of Merit , the Distinguished Flying Cross , the Air Medal , and awards from several European and South American nations . In 1990 , McDonald was elected Grand Paramount Carabao , leader of the Military Order of the Carabao . In 2004 , McDonald was presented with the National Aeronautic Association ' s Cliff Henderson award for his 56 years of support to American aviation . In 2007 , the National Aeronautic Association renamed its Elder Statesman of Aviation Award in honor of McDonald , who was a past chairman of the organization . McDonald was a Senior Fellow of the National Defense University . A number of awards are named in honor of McDonald , including :