US Navy Admiral. A decorated World War II and Korean War naval officer, he served as the first commander of the Naval Material Command. Born Ignatius Joseph Galantin in New York City, New York, his family moved to Des Plaines, Illinois where he attended Maine Township High School. He attended night school at the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois prior to his receiving his appointment to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland in 1929. At the Academy, he was the captain of the fencing team and intercollegiate champion in 1933, the year he graduated with a commission as ensign. He served as a junior watch and division officer on the USS New York, operating with Battleship Division ONE, Battle Force, until December 1935. He then attended submarine training at the Naval Submarine School in New London, Connecticut, and in July 1936 he joined USS Argonaut, the largest submarine-minelayer, serving as first lieutenant and gunner officer in the Hawaiian Islands area. In June 1940 he became the executive officer and navigator of USS S-24, which was transferred to the British early in the World War II period by lend-lease agreement. In August 1942 he assumed command of the USS R-11 and in June 1943 he joined USS Sculpin as Prospective Commanding Officer and participated in one war patrol in the Pacific area. From August 1943 until December 1944, as a lieutenant commander, he commanded the USS Halibut, which was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her tenth war patrol. He was promoted to the rank of commander and took part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944 as Commanding Officer of Halibut, and sank a large Japanese warship off Cape Engamo, Philippine Islands. With the Halibut severely damaged by Japanese depth charges, it was scrapped and in January through February 1945, he served as operations and gunnery officer on the Staff of Commander Submarine Squadron Ten, then flew over the Burma Hump to Chungking, China for three months' duty as Submarine Liaison Officer to the Chief of the Naval Group. From June to November 1945, he served as operations and gunnery officer on the Staff of Commander Submarine Task Group, Saipan. In November 1945 he returned to the US, and served as a personnel officer to the Staff of Commander Submarines, Atlantic Fleet, and served as personnel officer until July 1947. He followed this assignment with duty as executive officer of USS Proteus, a submarine tender, and then he served as operations and gunnery officer on the Staff of Commander Submarine Squadron Eight. In 1949 he had command of Submarine Division Fifty-one, and in December of that year he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department, Washington, DC, where he served until July 1952 as head of the Submarine Branch, Fleet Maintenance Division. In August 1952 he became commander of the oiler USS Navasota and served in combat operations against North Korean and Chinese Communist forces in the Korean Theater from February 1953 until June 1953. The following year, he commanded Submarine Squadron Seven and from August 1954 to June 1955 he was a student at the National War College at Fort McNair in Washington, DC. Upon graduation from the National War College, he was ordered to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department, where he served for two years as head of the Submarine Warfare Branch, Undersea Warfare Division. In September 1957 he became Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and Administration of the Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe, in Naples, Italy. In November 1959 he became Commander, Cruiser Division Two and in January 1961 he became Director of the Antisubmarine/Submarine Warfare Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (later redesignated Submarine Warfare Division), Washington DC. On February 26, 1962 he was assigned as Special Projects Office in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Navy Department, Washington DC and on March 1, 1965 he assumed duty as Chief of Naval Material in Washington DC. Upon the reorganization of the Navy Department, effective May 1, 1966, he was designated Chief of Naval Material, Naval Material Command and in May 1967 he was promoted to the rank of admiral. He retired in this position in July 1970 with 37 years of continuous military service in the US Navy. His military decorations and awards include the Navy Cross, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star with two gold stars, the Navy and marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat "V", the Navy Unit Commendation Medal with one bronze star, the American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one silver star, the World War II Victory Medal, China Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star, Korean Service Medal with two bronze stars, and the United Nations Service Medal for Korea. He also received the Korean Presidential Unit Citation Badge and the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Badge. After his retirement, he published two books concerning submarines, "Take Her Deep," a more or less autobiographical account of his wartime action when he was commander of the Halibut, and "Submarine Admiral," which describes the evolutionary process of the submarine in the US Navy. He died in Atlantic Beach, Florida at the age of 93.