Ulysses Simpson Grant Sharp, Jr.

Admiral, U.S. Navy

Ulysses Simpson Grant Sharp, Jr. was born on 2 April 1906 in Chinook, MT. He was named for Ulysses S. Grant, who had married his father's aunt. Raised in Fort Benton, MT, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1927. He is also a 1950 graduate of the Naval War College.

During World War II, he commanded the destroyer USS Boyd in the Pacific Theater, earning two Silver Star Medals. By the Korean War, he was commanding a destroyer squadron, assisting in the planning of the Inchon landing. He served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for policy and planning in the early 1960s.

On 27 September 1963, Sharp was promoted to the four-star rank of Admiral and assumed Command of the Pacific Fleet, followed by Command of Pacific Command. During his tenure, due to the Tonkin Gulf Incident, the U.S. increased its presence in Vietnam after the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Sharp views on U.S. strategy in the war, namely massive military action, differed sharply with the Johnson administration's preference for a gradual buildup of forces. Sharp was featured on the 14 August 1964 cover of TIME Magazine.

Medals and Awards

Navy Distinguished Service Medal (2 Awards)
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star Medal (2 Awards)
Bronze Star Medal (2 Awards)

In Retirement

After retiring from the Navy, Sharp was a critic of U.S. policy in the Vietnam War, lecturing frequently and writing articles. He wrote an article in Reader's Digest in 1969 titled We Could Have Won in Vietnam Long Ago, and in 1978 his book Strategy for Defeat: Vietnam in Retrospect was published.

Personal

His first wife, Patricia, whom he married in 1930, died in 1986. In 1987, he married Nina Blake.

Death and Burial

After suffering a fall in October 2001, Sharp's health steadily declined. Admiral Ulysses Simpson Grant Sharp, Jr. died on 12 December 2001, at his home in San Diego. He is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

He was survived by his second wife, Nina; two children, one a retired Navy Rear Admiral; a sister; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.