Clifton Marks

Grand Admiral Clifton Marks in 3 GW

Clifton Marks, also refered by his subordinates by Grand Admiral Clifton is the Grand Admiral of the Gruvanian Navy from 92 BGW to 26 AGW. He brought up reforms that shaped Gruvania back into the strongest navy after the Oil War which brought the Myrefall Naval Treaty that humiliated Gruvania in its own Capital City.

### Life

#### Early Life

Clifton Marks was born in the small town of Graycott in the 2nd of May 60 BGW. Born into a whole family that served in both the Gruvanian Land Army and Navies, he grew a sense of passion of joining the military in order to keep up the family tradition. His father served as Vice Admiral between 56 BGW to 71 BGW at the time of his death, his Mother served in the Land Army as a Lieutenant between 57 BGW to 58 BGW where she was put into reserve.

Clifton was educated in Myrefall Kindergarten, Elementary, and High School. He was regarded by his teachers as a “Brilliant, Honorable, and Spirited”. He excelled in all school subjects and was often refered by his classmates as “Admiral Brilliant”. He did however, got bullied by some of his classmates because of his smartness and it gave him bravery as he often stand up against his bullies during recess. He met his future spouse, Ava during his high school years which would bring happiness in his entire life.

#### Military Career

##### Oil War

In 76 BGW, the Oil War erupted after a dispute of increasing oil exports from Kaphan to Gruvania. 6 days after the declaration of war, Clifton signed up into the Gruvanian military as a ordinary seaman. He went into rigorous 2 months officer training and finally graduated off the Myrefall Grand Naval Academy.

The first ever combat he saw was the Battle Of The Straits Of Myrefall where most of the Kaphan 2nd Fleet was destroyed or captured. He was a cannon loader in the frigate GNS Seasons, in front of the line of battle trying to skirmish. After 2 years of patrolling the Abyss Sea, Clifton was promoted to commandeer the GNS Conqueror. He then saw his first battle commanding the Conqueror by sinking a frigate and a steamship before the First Fleet arrived at the scene. In the following 5 days, he sunk another 2 frigates that were lost and far from the transport group after the battle.

##### Post-Oil War

After the war, he was assigned as reserve but got the rank of Rear Admiral in 82 BGW for his achievements. The Myrefall Naval Treaty humiliated him and the Gruvania and he swore to make Gruvania a formidable force again. He married Ava, his childhood friend in 83 BGW and had their first child in 85 BGW. That same year, he was promoted into Admiral and assigned Carrier Division 1, which is the GNS Polk (not related to the one captured in Straits Of Myrefall) and GNS Formidable, both not Aircraft Carriers that can carry 95 Aircraft Each. His second child was born in 87 BGW, and at 89 BGW got promoted into Vice Admiral. There he got command of 3rd Fleet with its ships, he trained his troops hard so that they can be ready for war if war comes to them.

At 92 BGW at the King’s request, he was promoted Grand Admiral at the age of 38, much to his Father’s suprise. Right after he got promoted to Grand Admiral, he began issuing letters to the King to approve his reforms which he did. In 94 BGW it began again a naval contruction effort which built 8 Supercarriers and some Amphibious Assault Ships. He began to demote or fire old Admirals and Captains to replace with new young officers of the Myrefall Grand Naval Academy, which made the chain of command and communications slightly more easier and more precise.

At age 42 he got his third and last son in 96 BGW and both of his younger sons were enrolled in the Naval Academy to be the next generation of the family tradition. In 98 BGW he was requested by King Aldrich to be Minister of Navy after the previous one died mysteriously, he reluctantly obliged and still kept the rank of Grand Admiral too. With much more power given to him of the Navy, he began a new massive naval construction program that would build 34 Supercarriers, 106 Cruisers, and 374 Destroyers which would be projected to be finished in 12 years. But as time progressed, it is becoming clear that the winds are now silent and he believes there is going to be a war coming.

##### The Grand War

In the opening blows of the Grand War, he ordered that every fleet be made to blockade the entire mainland. This succeeded in establishing naval dominance in just a few weeks into the war. In 2 GW, he sailed with his flagship GNS Orient into the Abyss Sea to air strike important shipping and to sink any Grand Alliance ship that made it out the blockade. As the war in the sea raged on, the forces on land were beginning to fall back from Xaviera as they were no match for the Forarenian Armored Corps.

Forarendt began to use the submarine doctrine in hopes in starving out Gruvania out of the war. In the first 5 years, it destroyed more than 7.000 Freighters out of 56.000 of the Ivory Ships. Clifton then denied their use of submarines by using mass air strikes on the submarine pens in hopes of destroying the ships beneath the megastructure.

In the next 15 years, Gruvania began to steadily increase its armies in the mainland with more escorts to the military ships transporting the precious materials for a offensive. While commanding the fleet, Clifton got sick and had to be in hospital for 2 weeks and therefore nearly missed the gigantic battle of the Abyss Sea. He commanded the fleet while in the medbay of his flagship, when his fleet was under attack, he refused to be moved into a safer room because he wanted his orders to reach precisely as the safe room was more far below the decks than in the medbay.

After the battle, the fleets of both the Forarenian and the Magdorlandian were crushed, ending any sea offensive against Gruvania for the rest of the war. He came back to Myrefall and was hailed as a hero for crushing the enemy fleet. For his deeds, he was commemorated in the magnificent statue of "Le Roi De La Mer" that stood in front of the Royal Palace.

##### Later Years and Death

After the war ended, he was transferred into the Graycott Naval Hospital for further treatment, he got out of there in 5 AGW. He spent his last years with his family and retired from active duty in 12 AGW at the rank of Grand Admiral. He died in Myrefall of Lung Cancer in 25 AGW...