Frank Friday Fletcher

Frank Friday Fletcher was a United States Navy admiral who served in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was awarded the U.S. militarys highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions as commander of Navy forces at the Battle of Veracruz, Mexico. The Fletcherclass destroyer, the most produced class of United States Navy destroyers, was named after him. He was also the uncle of Frank Jack Fletcher, another U.S. Navy Admiral who also received the Medal of Honor for actions at Veracruz.

Fletcher was born on November 23, 1855, in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He was the uncle of World War II Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1875 and spent the next year as a midshipman on USS160Tuscarora. Promoted to ensign in July 1876, he had sea duty on the sloops of war Portsmouth, Plymouth, Lackawanna and Constellation before participating in USS160Ticonderogas voyage around the world in 18781881. Fletcher advanced to the rank of master in April 1882 and was next assigned to the Hydrographic Office in Washington, D.C. In July 1884, he reported to USS160Quinnebaug for service in European waters. After ordnance training in late 1887, he had five years duty at the Bureau of Ordnance, during which time he was promoted to lieutenant and made notable contributions to gun mechanism design and shipboard navigation.

Source: Wikipedia