William A . Moffett William Adger Moffett ( October 31 , 1869 – April 4 , 1933 ) was an American admiral and Medal of Honor recipient known as the architect of naval aviation in the United States Navy . Biography . Born October 31 , 1869 in Charleston , South Carolina , he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1890 . He was the son of George Hall Moffett ( 1829 – 1875 ) , who enlisted in the Confederate States army as a private , and was promoted for bravery on the field of battle , eventually attaining the rank of Captain and adjutant - general , Hagood ' s Brigade , Twenty - fifth South Carolina Volunteers . Moffett was on when she sailed across the Pacific and captured Guam . Ultimately ending up in the Philippines , a month after the US victory at Manila Bay . The then shelled enemy positions in support of American and Filipino troops at the Battle of Manila ( 1898 ) . In December 1915 Moffett received the Medal of Honor for his captaincy of the in a daring and dangerous night landing in 1914 at Veracruz , Veracruz , Mexico . ( See also United States occupation of Veracruz , 1914 ) . ( See text of the Citation set forth below . ) In World War I , he was commander of the Great Lakes Naval Training Center near Chicago , and there established an aviator training program . While commanding the battleship ( 1918 – 1921 ) he supported the creation of a scout plane unit on the ship . Although not himself a flyer , Moffett became known as the " Air Admiral " for his leadership of the Navy ' s Bureau of Aeronautics from its creation in 1921 . In this role , he oversaw the development of tactics for naval aircraft , the introduction of the aircraft carrier , and relations with the civilian aircraft industry . A master politician , he maintained official support for naval aviation against Billy Mitchell , who favored putting all military aircraft into a separate air force . In that regard , Moffett benefited from his longstanding friendship with Franklin D . Roosevelt , who had been appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy by Woodrow Wilson in 1913 . Moffett was also an advocate of the development of lighter - than - air airship s , or " dirigibles . " He lost his life on the when that airship , which was then the largest dirigible in the world , went down in a storm off the coast of New Jersey on April 4 , 1933 . He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery , alongside his wife Jeanette Whitton Moffett . One of their three sons , William Adger Moffett , Jr . , was also a Navy admiral ; he died in 2001 , and is also buried in Arlington Cemetery . Decorations . Rear admiral ' s Moffetts decorations included : Medal of Honor , Navy Distinguished Service Medal , Philippine Campaign Medal , Lifesaving Medal , Mexican Service Medal , Navy Spanish Campaign Medal , World War I Victory Medal and Naval Aviation Observer wings . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and organization : Commander , U . S . Navy . Entered service at : Charleston , S . C . Born : 31 October 1869 , Charleston , S . C . G . O . No . : 177 , 4 December 1915 . Other Navy award : Distinguished Service Medal . Citation : For distinguished conduct in battle , engagements of Vera Cruz , 21 and 22 April 1914 . Comdr . Moffett brought his ship into the inner harbor during the nights of the 21st and 22d without the assistance of a pilot or navigational lights , and was in a position on the morning of the 22d to use his guns at a critical time with telling effect . His skill in mooring his ship at night was especially noticeable . He placed her nearest to the enemy and did most of the firing and received most of the hits .