Question: Facts: - caption: william wohlsen behrens , jr. - placeofburial label: place of burial - battles: world war ii vietnam war - death date: 21 january 1986 - commands: balao ss-285 harder ss-568 skipjack ssn-585 ethan allen ssbn-608 - awards: navy -lrb- 2 -rrb- legion of merit -lrb- 5 -rrb- vietnam distinguished presidential unit citation meritorious unit citation -lrb- vietnam -rrb- gallantry service cross -lrb- vietnam -rrb- medal silver star bronze star medal - birth date: 14 september 1922 - serviceyears: 1943 & ndash ; 1973 - name: william wohlsen behrens , jr. . - branch: united states navy - image: wwbehrensjr.jpg - birth place: newport , rhode island - rank: vice admiral Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of w. w. behrens , jr. . .
Answer:
vice admiral william wohlsen behrens , jr. -lrb- september 14 , 1922 -- january 21 , 1986 -rrb- was an american naval officer and oceanographer who was instrumental in establishing the national oceanic and atmospheric administration .