Don P. Moon
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Don Pardee Moon (April 18, 1894 – August 5, 1944) was a rear admiral of the United States Navy, who fought in the invasion of Europe. He was born in Kokomo, Indiana, United States. He married and had four children.
Biography
Moon entered the United States Naval Academy and later graduated fourth in the Class of 1916, being particularly efficient in gunnery.
He was assigned to the battleship Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". and while there developed several instruments to improve gunnery. He later served in the battleships Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". and Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". before returning to shore duty in 1926.
By 1934 he was commanding officer of the Asiatic Fleet destroyer Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"..
He was later put in command of a destroyer division in 1940 and became a captain in 1941. He took part in the invasion of North Africa in 1942.
In 1944 he was promoted to rear admiral. He commanded Exercise Tiger, a rehearsal for D-Day in which three LSTs were torpedoed and sunk by German E-boats near Slapton Sands.
During the June 6, 1944, invasion of Normandy he directed the landings on Utah Beach from the attack transport Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".. For three weeks the Bayfield was in position off Utah Beach and officers and men were on four-hour rotating shifts for this entire time. Shortly afterwards the Bayfield was sent to Naples for the invasion of Southern France. However, on August 5, 1944, Moon shot himself with his .45 caliber pistol. His suicide was attributed to battle fatigue. He was posthumously decorated with Legion of Honour by the Government of France.[1]
Moon was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
He was survived by his wife Sibyl, and his four children, Meredith, Don, David, and Peter.
Memorials
Moon was depicted on a 2004 postage stamp issued to mark the 60th anniversary of D-Day by Sierra Leone.[2]
See also
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References
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- D-Day 1944 – Voices from Normandy, Robert Neillands and Roderick de Normann, Cold Spring Press, New York, 2004 Template:ISBN
- My Dear Moon, Jonathan P. Alter, BookSurge Publishing, 2005 Template:ISBN
External links
- Department of the Navy – Rear Admiral Don Pardee Moon
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- 1894 births
- 1944 deaths
- People from Kokomo, Indiana
- Military personnel from Indiana
- United States Navy admirals
- United States Naval Academy alumni
- Naval War College alumni
- United States Navy personnel of World War I
- United States Navy World War II admirals
- American military personnel who died by suicide
- Suicides by firearm in Italy
- Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
- Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
- Recipients of the Legion of Merit
- United States Navy personnel killed in World War II