ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
ROUTINE       
 
R 031110Z OCT 03 ZYB MIN PSN 975509J35
 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//DNS//
 
TO NAVADMIN
 
UNCLAS //N01710//
NAVADMIN 269/03
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/DNS/-/OCT//
 
SUBJ/PASSING OF ADMIRAL HUNTINGTON HARDISTY, USN (RET.)//
 
RMKS/1.  IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT I ANNOUNCE THE 1 OCTOBER
PASSING OF ADMIRAL HUNTINGTON HARDISTY, USN (RET).  HE WAS 74.
ADMIRAL HARDISTY WILL BE BURIED WITH FULL HONORS AT ARLINGTON
NATIONAL CEMETERY AT A DATE TO BE DETERMINED.
 
2.  A 1952 GRADUATE OF THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY, ANNAPOLIS, MD,
ADMIRAL HARDISTY FIRST BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A NAVAL AVIATOR IN 1953.
HIS CAREER SPANNED 39 YEARS AND THREE WARS.  SERVING IN NUMEROUS
PRESTIGIOUS POSITIONS HIS COMMAND TOURS INCLUDED USS SAVANNAH, USS
ORISKANY, ATTACK CARRIER AIR WING II, CARRIER GROUP 7, CARRIER GROUP
5/CARRIER STRIKE FORCE 7TH FLEET, AND THE UNITED STATES FACILITY AT
SUBIC BAY, REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES.  NOTED AS AN EXCEPTIONAL
AVIATOR, HE ALSO EARNED A PLACE IN THE AVIATION RECORD BOOKS IN
AUGUST 1961.  OVER THE WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE IN NEW MEXICO, THE
ADMIRAL FLEW AN F-4B PHANTOM II AT AN AVERAGE SPEED OF 902 MILES PER
HOUR - MACH 1.2 - ABOUT 125 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, BRIEFLY DIPPING
TO AS LOW AS 50 FEET OFF THE DECK.  THAT LOW-LEVEL SPEED RECORD WAS
UNBROKEN FOR 16 YEARS.  ADMIRAL HARDISTY ALSO SERVED IN A NUMBER OF
KEY STAFF POSITIONS.  AS DEAN OF ACADEMICS AND ACTING PRESIDENT OF
THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE IN THE LATE 1970'S, HE INFLUENCED MANY OF THE
NAVY'S FUTURE LEADERS.  LATER, HE WAS ASSIGNED AS THE DIRECTOR OF
OPERATIONS FOR THE OFFICE OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF DURING A VERY
ACTIVE PERIOD WHICH SAW A U.S. RESPONSE TO THE ACHILLE LAURUO
HIGHJACKING, THE RETALIATORY BOMBING OF LIBYA, AND THE PEAK OF
SOVIET POWER UNDER LEONID BREZHNEV.  IN 1987, HE WAS APPOINTED VICE
CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, WHERE HE TOOK A SPECIAL INTEREST IN THE
WELFARE OF NAVAL PERSONNEL AND THEIR FAMILIES, HEADING A BLUE RIBBON
COMMISSION ON NAVY MEDICINE.  ADMIRAL HARDISTY CONCLUDED HIS LONG
AND ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF, U.S. PACIFIC COMMAND.
SUPPORT OF OPERATION DESERT SHIELD AND OPERATION DESERT STORM WERE
HIS HIGHEST PRIORITY DURING THE LATTER PORTION OF HIS TOUR.  UNDER
HIS GUIDANCE, PACIFIC COMMAND DEPLOYED MAJOR AIR, SEA AND GROUND
FORCES TO THE MIDDLE EAST, AND PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE RAPID
MOVEMENT OF SUPPLIES AND AMMUNITION TO THE AREA.  THE ADMIRAL'S
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS INCLUDE THE DEFENSE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
MEDAL, NAVY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL WITH GOLD STAR, SILVER STAR
MEDAL, LEGION OF MERIT WITH COMBAT "V" AND FOUR GOLD STARS,
DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS WITH ONE GOLD STAR, MERITORIOUS SERVICE
MEDAL, AIR MEDAL WITH TWO GOLD STARS, NAVY COMMENDATION MEDAL WITH
COMBAT "V" AND TWO GOLD STARS, PHILIPPINE LEGION OF HONOR AND
VARIOUS CAMPAIGN MEDALS.  ADMIRAL HARDISTY ALSO HELD POSITIONS AS
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE NATIONAL NAVAL AIR MUSEUM, PENSACOLA,
FL, CHAIRMAN, ANNAPOLIS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, AND AS A MEMBER OF THE
EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE ARMED FORCES JOURNAL, WASHINGTON, DC.  HE
RETIRED AS PRESIDENT, KAMAN AEROSPACE INTERNATIONAL, BLOOMFIELD,
CONNECTICUT IN 2000.  THE ADMIRAL IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE, SHARON
KELLY HARDISTY, SONS JOHN AND ROBERT AND STEPDAUGHTER TULLY MEYER.
HE HAD EIGHT GRANDCHILDREN.
 
3.  IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, DONATIONS MAY BE MADE IN HIS MEMORY TO:
ADMIRAL HUNTINGTON HARDISTY YOUTH FUND, C/O KIM GASSETT, FLEET BANK,
2523 ALBANY AVENUE, WEST HARTFORD, CT, 06117.
 
4.  RELEASED BY VADM P. A. TRACEY, DIRECTOR, NAVY STAFF.//
 
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