Allan Douglas BLACKLEDGE was born on 30 Jul 1896 in Culbertson, Hitchcock Co, NE. Allan was born at 4:20 a.m. and weighed 11 3/4 pounds. He graduated on 6 Jun 1919 from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD. He died on 11 Dec 1982 in Plano, Collin Co, TX. Death certificate states immediate cause of death as pulmonary embolism. He was cremated on 14 Dec 1982 in Dallas, Tarrant Co, TX. He was buried on 17 Dec 1982 in Arlington National Cemetery, VA. (Section 23, Site 22546). His ceremonial flag was presented to his eldest son Michael, who in turn presented it to Peter, his youngest child.

Allan graduated on 6 Jun 1919 from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, a three-year course due to war conditions. As a midshipman, he served aboard the battleship USS Texas. In 1924 he applied for and was accepted into the very early Naval Aviation program at Pensacola Naval Air Station, FL, which ended for him after a sea plane crash on 18 Jul 1924 that left most bones broken on his left side - and killed his instructor pilot. Anne McBride recalls, "It was the end of Allan's Navy flying, for he was a victim of a crash that nearly killed him. I can't recall how many bones were broken, but after nearly a year in the Naval Hospital, he was again ready for duty, but decided he would forget Navy flying and stick to the regular Navy. The next tour of duty was in Annapolis as an instructor."

The Great Depression had officers' ranks held stable for many years, or paid at the next lower grade. At the time he met and married Missy in 1934, Allan was a very senior LT (16 years) serving on the China Station as Executive Officer of the destroyer USS Parrott (DD-218). Out of genuine affection, his crew presented him with engraved binoculars (which he used for the remainder of his thirty-year career), and a carved model of the USS Parrott (which he presented to Floyd Turnure, the husband of his sister Gertrude). His most significant sea duty assignment was with the Navy's COMTRANSDIV 26: here Allan was the third (and final active duty) commanding officer of the USS Biloxi (CL-80, commissioned Aug 1943) from August 1945 until the ship was inactivated on 18 May 1946, at the Everett-Pacific shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Everett, WA. In Jul 1945 under Allan's command, the Biloxi headed westward and took part in the attack on Wake Island (18 Jul), and arrived at Leyte 14 Aug. Following the surrender of Japan she assisted in the evacuation of Allied prisoners of war from Nagasaki; Allan considered this his proudest moment. Remaining on occupation duty until 9 Nov 1945 the Biloxi then proceeded to Pearl Harbor and the United States. She moved to Port Angeles, WA, 15 Jan 1946 and reported to Commander, 19th Fleet, for inactivation. It was at this time that Allan hosted the Seattle family of his big sister Gertrude, as remembered by her daughters Doris and Phyllis.

Decorations, medals, campaign ribbons ('stars' imply multiple awards): Legion of Merit; Navy Unit Commendation; Victory World War I with Star; Yangtze; American Defense with Star, American Area: Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign with 2 Stars; World War II Victory; Japanese Occupation.

Gertrude's daughters Doris and Phyllis have wonderful wartime memories of "Uncle Al" showing up with the Biloxi in Everett, WA, and having the entire family out to eat in the officers' wardroom. There the little girls were treated to a sumptuous meal containing real butter and meat! - items just not available to civilians except in very limited quantities.

Allan's children (nine-year old twins, plus almost-four year old Michael) remember hiding behind the couch in the summer of 1946 when a strange man rode up in a taxi and entered (without knocking!) their rented house at 3807 Van Ness St in Washington, D.C. It was their father, unrecognized by them, returning from four years of war duty. Penny remembers, "I was afraid. There was a man whom I didn't know and he was in our house. So I hid for safety. The man laughed and encouraged me to come out, which I finally did. He didn't smell like my Mother, but I knew he was nice." The children soon learned to respond with "Yes, sir!", "No, sir!", and "Aye-aye, sir!"

After the war, Allan and his staff prepared a report detailing the flaws in the Navy's WW II amphibious landing at Kwajalein Island that became required reading at the Naval Academy. LtGen Howland M. "Howling Mad" Smith, USMC, had commanded the Amphibious Corps, Pacific, and Allan would tell his sons-in-law how he, Allan, had been on the list to be promoted to Admiral, but Smith used his influence to block that promotion. [source: Charles Herbert Price III. Telephone conversation with Michael A. Blackledge, 15 Sep 2002.]

His most significant shore duty assignment was as Commanding Officer, Naval Ordnance Plant Indianapolis, 1948-1950. Allan retired from the Navy as Captain in 1950 and accepted a position as Vice President of Cameron Iron Works, Houston, TX. There he worked for Herbert Allen, one of his colleagues from war days. Allan had known Herb during Allan's final naval command: NOPI, the Naval Ordnance Plant, Indianapolis. Allan retired from Cameron in 1961, and remained in Houston until the end of his life.

Source: "Blackledges in America," 1st Edition (ISBN 0-9722704-0-X), 2002;
Reference: "Blackledges in America" (Second Edition, Chapter 5), ISBN 978-0-9722704-2-7.