Above is the front page of the November 23, 1953 Lorain Journal marking that milestone with a special cartoon, front and center.
"Resting quietly in his home in Washington, D. C., Lorain - born Admiral Ernest J. King today was the recipient of many cards of congratulations as he observed his 75th birthday.
"It was on Nov. 23, 1878, that the admiral who led the nation's naval forces in one of the country's greatest crises was born in an unpretentious white frame house at 113 Hamilton Ave.
"He graduated from Lorain High School in 1897 and from the U. S. Academy in 1901 to begin a long naval career climaxed by his appointment as commander-in-chief at the United States fleet and chief of naval operations.
"The appointment was made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt shortly after Pearl Harbor and came after Admiral King had advanced through the grades to the rank of rear admiral, received in 1933, and the rank of admiral, received in 1941.
"A frequent visitor to Lorain until his serious illness a few years ago, Admiral King never failed to visit his old friends and classmates when here.
"On one of these visits, as honored guest for Lorain's Victory Day celebration at the end of World War II, Admiral King, although on a crowded schedule, took time to pay several personal surprise calls to families of Lorain men who lost their lives in naval action during the war.
"Another well-remembered visit to his hometown was in 1947 when he helped former fellow schoolmates celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation from Lorain High School.
"Although known as a strict disciplinarian in the line of naval duty, there has always been a twinkle in his eye when chatting with fellow Lorainites, exchanging anecdotes recalling the days of his youth here.
"Admiral King has been in ill health since suffering a severe stroke a few years ago. He returned to his Washington, D. C. home after several months in the naval hospital at Bethesda, Md., but still reports back to the hospital periodically for a check=up.
Admiral Ernest J. King has been the topic of many, many blog posts here over the years. I'm still unhappy that the most famous, successful and important person that ever came out of, or will ever come out of, Lorain, Ohio – my hometown – has no sign at the city limits making it known that he was born and raised here. I'm also disappointed that his name is no longer attached to the high school, but perhaps it's just as well, since his incredible accomplishments are completely unknown to the younger generations and, increasingly, even the general public.
Anyway, a quick glance at the rest of the Journal front page might give you a feeling of déja vu, with China involved with drug trafficking, and Israel defending its retaliatory military actions in Qibya.
The good news, though, is that Ohio's hunting season "opened today with partly cloudy skies and the threat of forest fires greatly alleviated."
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By the way, you might be wondering about the men shown 'working' in the photo at the bottom of the page. What were they doing? A quick look at page 17 revealed that they were judging potential acts for that year's edition of the Mary Lee Tucker Christmas Benefit Show.
2 comments:
Just like now with China,
I just saw that Admiral King was played by the actor who played the professor in “Gilligan’s Island” in the 1977 film “MacArthur”. I wonder if the people who live in his house today know it was his.
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