USS Little Rock Captain Henry George Moran Bio Page

U.S.S. Little Rock CL-92
Commanding Officer Biography

Rear Admiral Henry G. Moran

24 May 48 - 13 May 49

REAR ADMIRAL HENRY GEORGE MORAN, RETIRED

U. S. NAVY, 58136

TRANSCRIPT OF NAVAL SERVICE - 7 August 1953

04 May l899   Born in West Haven, Connecticut
20 Jun 1919   Midshipman, U. S. Navy Ensign, U. S. Navy
08 Jun 1923   Ensign, U.S.Navy
07 Aug 1947   Captain, U.S. Navy, to rank from 15 May 1943
01 Jul 1953   Transferred to the Retired List with rank of Rear Admiral

SHIPS AND STATIONS

• USS OSB0RNE   Jun 1923 to Aug 1926
• USS NEVADA   Nov 1926 to Nov 1927
• USS NEW YORK   Nov 1927 to Jun 1928
• U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD. ( instruction.)   Jul 1928 to Jun 1929
• Temporary duty at various places   Jun 1929 to Sep 1930
• USS HOUSTON   Oct 1930 to Jul 1931
• Headquarters, SIXTEENTH Naval District   Jul 1931 to Apr 1933
• Staff, Commander Submarine Squadron FIVE   Apr 1933 to Dec 1933
• Navy Yard, New York   Mar 1934 to Jun 1934
• U.S. Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, N. J.   Jun 1934 to Jan 1936
• USS ELLIS (Executive Officer)   Jan 1936 to Sep 1936
• USS ELLIS (Commanding)   Sep 1936 to Dec 1936
• Naval Inspector of Machinery, Quincy, Mass. cfo USS GRIDLEY and on board
as Executive Officer when placed in commission. Jan 1937 to Jun 1939
• Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, N. J. (duty)   Jun 1939 to May 1941
• Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va.
cfo USS HORNET and on board for duty when placed in commission. Jun 1941 to Nov 1942
• USS ENTERPRISE   Nov 1942 to Sep 1943
• Temporary duty at various places to Sep 1943 to Feb 1944
• Staff, Commander, EIGHTH Fleet    Feb 1944 to Mar 1944
• Office of. Commander, Group TWO, ELEVENTH Amphib. Force   Mar 1944 to Oct 1944
• USS BUCKINGHAM (APA 141) (Commanding)   Nov 1944 to Dec 1945
• Naval War College, Newport, R.I. (instruction)   Dec 1945 to May 1946
• Staff, Naval War College, Newport, RI, May 1946 to May 1948
• USS LITTLE ROCK (CL 92) (Commanding), May 1948 to May 1949
• Professor of Naval Science, Columbia University, New York, N. Y.

Wife: Helen Quinn
Date and Place of Marriage: 19 November 1931 in Manila, P. I.
Children: Thomas Henry Moran
Father: Michael Moran (Deceased)
Mother: Marie Early Moran (Deceased)
Schools attended prior to entry into the U. S. Naval Academy:
West Haven High School, New Haven, Conn
Yale University, New Haven, Conn

Awards: Silver Star (USS Hornet at Battle of Santa Cruz Islands)
Presidential Citation (USS Enterprise at Guadalcanal Campaign)

Newspaper Clippings
(Some Sources Unknown)

COMMANDER MORAN
WINS NAVY MEDAL

The Navy's Silver Star Medal for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action” has been awarded to Commander Henry G. Moran, 911 Brill St. The award was made by Admiral William F. Halsey, Commander-in-Chief of Southern Pacific Forces.

Commander Moran served as damage control officer of the aircraft carrier HORNET from the time of its commissioning until sunk in the battle of Santa Cruz Island last October. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1923 and served at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1935. His is married and the father of a 3-year old, Thomas.

MORAN
WINS SILVER STAR

Commander Henry G. Moran, USN who was stationed at the Navy Yard for a time in 1935, has been awarded the Silver Star Medal for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action”.

The citation points out that “Commander Moran efficiently and without regard for personal safety directed operations which resulted in extinguishing many violently blazing fires in the ship”.

Commander Moran who is now on duty in the South Pacific, is an uncle of Miss Eileen Kelly of the Aviation Supply Office. His wife and 3-year old son Tommy, have been living at Miss Kelly’s home at 911 Brill Street.

USS Little Rock, Light Cruise, Arrives Here
For 2nd Visit In Less Than Year; In 6th Fleet

The Blue Devil (Naples?)
Thursday, November 25, 1948

The USS Little Rock, a light cruiser, arrived in Trieste for an indefinite stay Saturday morning, its second visit here in less than a year.

The Little Rock is attached to Cruiser Division Ten of the Sixth Fleet (Mediterranean) Task Fleet.

Capt. Henry G. Moran, of West Haven, Conn., commands the cruiser. An alumnus of Yale and the U.S. Naval Academy he has been an officer in the Navy since 1923. He served on board the Hornet which launched General Doolittle’s raid on Tokyo. He also saw action in the Normandy and Southern France invasions and did occupation duty in Japan.

Wears Silver Star

Captain Moran wears the Silver Star for gallantry in action aboard the Hornet at the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands. He also holds a Presidential Citation for service on the USS Enterprise during the Guadalcanal Campaign.

The Little Rock was built in Philadelphia. Construction was started on 6 March 1943 and she was launched on 27 August 1944. The commissioning took place on 17 June 1945. With an overall length of over 600 feet and a beam of over 60 feet the ship is capable of a speed in excess of 30 knots. She carries four 6 inch turrets; six five inch mounts; and numerous heavy and light machine guns.

On 10 November 1947, the Little Rock pointed her bow to the east for European waters. The ports of Malta, Gibraltar, Tangiers, Bizerte, Bone, Naples, Venice, Trieste and Athens were among the ports visited. She returned to the States in March of this year.

Summer Cruises

During the past summer, in addition to the scheduled operational exercises, the ship made three two week cruises to San Juan, Puerto Rico; Quebec, Canada, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and the Virgin Islands.

On 21 August, the Little Rock received from Rear Adm. George C. Dyer, U.S. Navy, the plaque presented by the Commander of Battleships and Cruises, U.S. Atlantic Fleet for the highest performance in gunnery for the competition year 1947-1948.

Early September found the ship preparing for another cruise to the Mediterranean waters, and on this cruise to the Mediterranean the ship has participated in two fleet exercises and visited the ports of Gibraltar, Sicily, Malta, Rhodes, Sfax, Crete, Trieste, Athens, Salonika, and Corfu.

Additional Information

From U.S. Naval Academy
1923 Yearbook

Class of 1923

HENRY GEORGE MORAN
West Haven, Connecticut
"Pat" " Henrod "

"Hey Mister! How long have you been in country?" Take a look at "it" and you'll see why the question was shot at him so often the year of his debut at the Naval Academy. No, he was not a Sinn Feiner, but a divvil of an Irishman at that.

With a local "rep" as a chaser of the elusive pigskin, our Hero started Plebe year on the football squad but soon made the excused squad instead, and never lost his position as All American Politician. His bum knee turned him from athletics to snaking — and LINE.? What else would make that blond Skywegian propose to him after but one afternoon in Christiania — and she said she'd support him, too!

This yegg started Plebe summer "ratier" than a First Classman and never changed a bit in four years. However, we have straight dope that one of the "more deadly" of the species has him going; so we surmise that "Henrod" will soon learn to obey her regulations, if no others.

Crew Remembrances & Anecdotes

(Add yours..... Contact Art Tilley)