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RADM Ralph H. Carnahan, USNA Class of 1947


MattS
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Here's his career the best I can reconstruct it. If anyone has any information to fill in the gaps, please let me know.

RADM Ralph Herbert Carnahan (1924-2001)

US Navy 1947-1978

 

1947 Graduated USNA Ens (O-1)

1947-48 USS Saidor (CVE 117)

1950-52 USS Grouper (SSK 214) as Lt(jg) (O-2)

1952 USS Harder (SS 568) Pre-comm crew

1950s USS Gudgeon (SS 567) *Unconfirmed

1957-58 Advance nuclear power training course, Grad 13DEC57 (LCDR O-4)

1958-60 USS Skipjack (SSN 585) XO (LCDR O-4)

1960-61 USS Jallao (SS 368) CO (O-5 CDR)

1961-62 Director of the Nuclear Dept, Submarine School, New London

1962-63 Commander nuclear Power School, Bainbridge, MD

1964-65 CO (Blue) USS Robert E. Lee (SSBN 601)

1965-66 CO USS John Marshall (SSBN 611)

? Director of Operations for the Polaris and Poseidon weapons systems, CINCLANT (CAPT O-6)

1975-76 Deputy Director Defense Mapping Agency (RADM (lh)O-7)

1976-78 Commandant Naval District of Washington

1978 Retired (RADM O-8)

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Commissioning plaque of the USS Skipjack listing him as XO, and a news article about him taking command of the Robert E. Lee.

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An unusual piece. He was commander of the Defense Mapping Agency who presented him with a DMA marker upon his transfer in 1975.

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A few months after I acquired the grouping, a bunch of his ship's plaques appeared on ebay and went stupidly high. I was only able to get one. It's from one of his earlier assignments, USS Grouper. It's punched copper which is neat. I did download photos of the rest though.

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I didn't get his patches which also sold for outrageous amounts, especially seeing as they had already lost their connection to the admiral and were sold without any mention of them belonging to him. :thumbdown:

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Close-up of his medals. If anyone knows where he would have picked up a China Service Medal as a submariner in the 1950s, please let me know.

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  • 8 years later...

Just adding this photo I recently found of the admiral with President Ford captioned, "President Gerald R. Ford and Rear Admiral Ralph H. Carnahan, Commandant of the Naval District of Washington, Inspecting Sailors Assembled in Admiral Leutze Park at the Washington Navy Yard for the 200th Anniversary Celebration of the U.S. Navy".

 

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