Allegheny County PA Archives Photo Person.....Rodgers, Bertram Joseph July 12, 1949 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/allegheny ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ian Martin athelhampton@hotmail.com July 23, 2009, 2:43 pm Source: The Estate Of Vernon Eugene Martin, Lieutenant, United States Navy Name: Bertram Joseph Rodgers Date Of Photograph: July 12, 1949 Photo can be seen at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/allegheny/photos/Rodgers-bj.jpg Image file size: 237.2 Kb THIS RECOMPOSITION IS A SYNTHESIS OF INFORMATION ALREADY AVAILABLE ONLINE BUT I HAVE ADAPTED AND SHORTENED THE INFORMATION FOR THIS ENTRY. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bertram Joseph "B.J." Rodgers was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 19, 1894. B.J. Rodgers was an alumnus of South Side High School, 900 E. Carson Street, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. In 1912 Rodgers entered the US Naval Academy (USNA) as a midshipman. He completed his training at the USNA in 1916, and was commissioned an Ensign on June 1916. Ensign Rodgers joined the staff of officers aboard the battleship SOUTH CAROLINA. Rodgers he served on this ship during World War I. On June 1919, B.J. Rodgers transferred from the SOUTH CAROLINA to New London, Connecticut for training in Submarine Warfare and Operations. Subsequently, B.J. Rodgers served on submarine H-4. Rodgers assumed command first of submarine H-8 and then of submarine R-8. Rodgers worked on the commissioning of submarine S-41. Rodgers was then assigned to Submarine Base, Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, serving there two years as an engineering & repairs officer. Rodgers was then assigned to the submarine BONITA as executive officer until May 1927. Rodgers then trained as Naval aviator at Lakehurst, New Jersey. He earned his wings as "lighter-than-air" aviator, and served on the Navy dirigibles LOS ANGELES, AKRON & MACON, until June 1934. Rodgers then served as master of the destroyer BLAKELY. Rodgers was then assigned as the Port Captain at Balboa, Panama Canal Zone. Commander Rodgers took charge of the destroyer SELFRIDGE on June 1938. Rodgers completed a senior leadership training program at Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. Rodgers served on the staff of the War Plans Division, for Chief of Naval Operations, and then served the Commander in Chief at Headquarters, US Fleet, Washington, DC from May 1941 to January 1943, Captain Rodgers took command of heavy cruiser SALT LAKE CITY, on January 1943, and fought the Japanese at the Battle of the Komandorski Islands in the North Pacific. Captain Rodgers earned a Navy Cross and his ship, SALT LAKE CITY, was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation. During the autumn of 1943, Commodore Rodgers was assigned as Senior US Planning Officer, Supreme Allied Commander, Southeast Asia, and earned the Army Legion of Merit for his superior performance with that organization. Rodgers took command of Task Group Two, Eighth Amphibious Force on April, 1944, and prepared for the invasion of Southern France. While under Rodgers’ command, the unit was renamed: Amphibious Group ELEVEN, EIGHT Fleet and was transferred to the Pacific Theater. Rodgers took Amphibious Group ELEVEN, EIGHT Fleet to battle at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. After the war, Rodgers then took charge of Amphibious Group THREE of the SEVENTH Fleet on February, 1946. Rodgers lead Amphibious Group ONE, Pacific Fleet participating in post war amphibious training exercises on the seas of southern California. On April 2, 1948, Rodgers took charge of Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, in which he posed for this photograph on July 12, 1949, with Lt Vernon Eugene Martin as one of his administrative officers, seen on the far left of the photograph with his hand in his pocket. The Admiral lauded Lt Vernon Eugene Martin with his highest commendations. Rodgers was then appointed simultaneously as the Commandant of the Twelfth Naval district, and Commander Naval Base, San Francisco, California on February, 1950, On March, 1954, Rodger assumed command of Naval Forces, Germany. On November, 1955, he was appointed as President of the Permanent General Court Martial, Twelfth Naval district. On April 1, 1956, Vice Admiral Rodgers retired from active duty in the United States Navy. Vice Admiral Rodgers was awarded the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal with Gold Star, Army Legion of Merit, and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon with Star. Admiral Rodgers perished on November 30, 1983 at Coronado Hospital, in Coronado, California and was buried at sea by the ship’s company of the USS Juneau. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/pafiles/ File size: 5.0 Kb