David Harrington Bagley – Admiral, United States Navy

From a contemporary press report

The son of David Worth Bagley, Sr. 71, a Navy admiral who retired from military service in 1977 as commander in chief of U.S. naval forces in Europe, died of cancer April 7, 1992 at his home in Vienna, Virginia.

Admiral Bagley was born in The Hague, Netherlands, where his father was assigned as a Navy officer, and he grew up at various naval installations around the world. He was a member of the US Naval Academy class of 1944, which graduated in June 1943. During World War II he participated in combat operations aboard destroyers in the Pacific. Postwar sea duty included service aboard destroyers and cruisers and command of the destroyer Henderson, the frigate Luce and the cruiser Oklahoma City. He was commander of a cruiser and destroyer group in San Diego and the Western Pacific and commander of a 7th Fleet cruiser and destroyer group which participated in combat operations during the war in Vietnam.

Admiral Bagley’s shore assignments included service at the Naval Academy and as a student at the Naval War College, duty in the office of the chief of naval operations and in an international security affairs unit in the office of the secretary of defense. He was executive assistant and naval aide to the undersecretary of the Navy and had served in the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From 1972 until he became commander in chief of U.S. naval forces in Europe in 1975, Admiral Bagley was chief of naval personnel. His military decorations included two Distinguished Service Medals and Four Legions of Merit.

In retirement, Admiral Bagley became an enthusiastic amateur genealogist. He had lived in the Washington area since 1956. His wife of 45 years, the former Charlotte Lee Hartwell, died in 1991. Survivors include five children, Marie Louise Luddy of Marin County, California, David W. Bagley II of San Diego, Dr. Peter H. Bagley of Weston, Massachusetts, Christopher H. Bagley of Los Angeles and Laura Ridderhof of Smyrna, Delaware. Buried in Section 8 of Arlington National Cemetery on April 9, 1992.

BAGLEY, DAVID H 

• United States Navy
• DATE OF BIRTH: 12/07/1920
• DATE OF DEATH: 04/07/1992
• BURIED AT: SECTION 8  SITE 458
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard