Ernest M . Eller Ernest McNeill Eller ( 23 January 1903 – 30 July 1992 ) was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy , who served as Director of Naval History , Naval History Division , Office of the Chief of Naval Operations from 1956 to 1970 . Early Life and education . Ernest Eller was born on 23 January 1903 in Marion , Virginia . The son of Edward E , Eller and Elizabeth McNeill Eller , he attended North Wilkesboro High School , North Wilkesboro , North Carolina , and North Carolina State College at Raleigh , North Carolina , before entering the United States Naval Academy in 1921 . As a midshipman he was Managing Editor of " The Log " , President of the Trident Society , and editor of " The Trident " , graduating with the Class of 1925 . He received a Master of Arts degree in Psychology at George Washington University , Washington , DC , in 1934 . Naval career . Graduated and commissioned an Ensign on 4 June 1925 , Eller rose to the rank of Captain in 1944 , to date from 20 July 1943 , and served in the temporary rank of Commodore from 30 September 1946 until 1 December 1947 . On 1 April 1954 he was transferred to the Retired List of the US Navy as a Rear Admiral . He served on until 14 June 1926 , when he reported to the Naval Torpedo Station , Newport , Rhode Island , for instruction . On 3 January 1927 he joined and served on board that battleship until 28 May 1927 . Following instruction in submarines at the Submarine Base , New London , Connecticut , he served successively from February 1928 to April 1932 in and . For the next three years he had duty at the United States Naval Academy in the Department of English and History and the Executive Department . During that period , he earned a Master of Arts degree in Psychology at George Washington University , Washington , D . C . . During his next period of sea duty , he organized and conducted the Fleet Machine Gun School in , in which he served until May 1938 . He then returned to the Naval Academy for duty in the Departments of English and History , and Ordnance and Gunnery . From September 1940 until May 1941 he served as Assistant Naval Attaché in London , England , and as Observer with the British Home Fleet for radar , anti - aircraft , and other wartime technical developments . After brief duty in the Fleet Training Division and Bureau of Ordnance developing anti - aircraft training and weapons , he was ordered to and served as her gunnery officer until May 1942 . He was on board that aircraft carrier when she made her high - speed run from San Diego , California , to Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , with urgently needed plane and pilot replacements immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor . He was also on board when was torpedoed in January 1942 while on her third operational foray into the Marshall Islands and Midway Island areas . He served for the next three years on the staff Admiral Chester W . Nimitz , Commander in Chief , United States Pacific Fleet ( CINCPAC ) , as Assistant Gunnery and Anti - submarine Training Officer . In addition , he analyzed actions and wrote CINCPAC ’ s war reports during the first part of this tour of duty . He was awarded the Legion of Merit with Combat “ V . ” The citation follows in part : For exceptionally meritorious conduct … while attached to the staff of the Commander in Chief , United States Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas , during operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Pacific War Area from May 1942 to April 1945 . Analyzing war reports and developing , expanding and supervising all types of training , particularly anti - aircraft , anti - submarine , amphibious and shore bombardment , ( he ) participated in landings on Makin and Okinawa and in other combat operations which led to improved methods and development of new weapons . In his constant attention to improvements in weapons and armament of his ships and in his supervision of Fleet ammunition supply , he rendered vital service in developing and maintaining the combat readiness of the Fleet … During the summer and fall of 1945 , he commanded the attack transport , participating in three occupation moves into Japan and China . From late in December 1945 until March 1946 , he served as District Public Information Officer , Twelfth Naval District , San Francisco , California . He reported in April 1946 to the Office of Public Information , Navy Department , Washington , D . C . , to serve as Deputy Director and on 31 July 1946 assumed the duties of Director of Public Information . He was promoted to the temporary rank of Commodore on 30 September 1946 . Selected to attend the course at the National War College , Washington , D . C . , which convened on 30 August 1948 , he completed the course and reported in June 1949 for duty in the Staff Planning Section of the Joint Staff , Joint Chiefs of Staff . In this duty he accompanied the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the member countries of NATO establishing plans for the military structure of that organization . A year later , at the outbreak of the Korean War , he became Commander , Middle East Force , in the Persian Gulf – Indian Ocean area . He assumed command of on 14 May 1951 , and in April 1952 he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations , International Affairs Division . Late in 1953 he was hospitalized and on 1 April 1954 was transferred to the Retired List of the Navy . On 15 September 1956 he was recalled to active duty as Director of Naval History , Naval History Division and Curator of the Navy Department , Washington , DC , and served as such until relieved of active duty on 23 January 1970 . Admiral Eller died of a heart ailment on 30 July 1992 at his home in Annapolis , Maryland . He was 89 . Awards and decorations . In addition to the Legion of Merit with Combat “ V , ” Rear Admiral Eller was awarded the American Defense Service Medal , Fleet Clasp ; Asiatic - Pacific Campaign Medal ; the American Campaign Medal ; the World War II Victory Medal ; the Navy Occupation Service Medal , Asia and Europe Clasps ; the China Service Medal ; and the National Defense Service Medal with bronze star . In 1967 , he received the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement . Publications . Books and Pamphlets Major Contributions to the U . S . Naval Institute " Proceedings " ( USNIP )