Kenneth Galleher Castleman

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Captain Kenneth Galleher Castleman (15 March, 1876 – 19 June, 1954) served in the United States Navy.

Life & Career

Castleman was born in Kentucky, the son of a Confederate officer who later served as a general in the United States Army in the Spanish-American War. He was appointed to the Naval Academy from his home state, graduating with the Class of 1896 and serving in the Engineer Division.[1] During the War with Spain, he served aboard protected cruiser Newark.[2]

When the Act of March 3, 1899 consolidated the Engineer Division with the Line, Castleman was commissioned Ensign as of that date. He received further promotion to the rank of Lieutenant (Junior Grade) on 6 May, 1901, and to the rank of Lieutenant on 21 March, 1903.[3][4][5].

In December, 1903, Castleman was temporarily in charge of armed yacht Yankton when the ship collided with and sank a tugboat. Convicted at court-martial for negligence and inefficiency, Castleman lost 3 numbers in rank. Likely as a result of the fallout from this, he resigned his commission on December 31, 1904.[6][7][8]

However, an Act of Congress in 1906 allowed Castleman to rejoin the service, with his new date of rank as Lieutenant being 30 June, 1906.[9] His gap in service did not apparently adversely affect his career, as he soon found himself serving as Flag Lieutenant to the Commander, Second Squadron, North Atlantic Station during part of the cruise of the Great White Fleet.[10][11]

Castleman was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander on 1 July, 1911.[12]. He served for three years on battleship Texas, and was promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 July, 1917.[13][14]

During World War I, Castleman served as commanding officer of dispatch vessel Dolphin and as senior aide to Commander, Patrol Detachment, Atlantic Fleet. He was awarded the Navy Cross for this service.[15][16] At war's end, he was in command of transport Martha Washington.[17][18]

Castleman was promoted to the temporary rank of Captain on 21 September, 1918. This promotion lapsed at the end of 1921, but he was promoted to the permanent rank of Captain on 3 June, 1922.[19][20]

In the 1920's into the 1930's Castleman served multiple tours as a Naval Attache, first in Copenhagen from 1919 to 1921, later in Rome from 1924 to 1926, and finally in Berlin from 1930 to 1933.[21][22][23] Between these tours he also held commands at sea and ashore. These included light cruiser Birmingham from 1921 to 1923, repair ship Vestal from 1926 to 1927, and, after serving as Chief of Staff to the Commander, Asiatic Fleet, the Submarine Base at Pearl Harbor from 1929 to 1930.[24][25][26][27][28][29]

Passed over for further promotion, Castleman was placed on the Retired List at his own application on over 40 years service on 1 June, 1935.[30] He was recalled to active duty in World War II, serving most of the war as head of the Office of Naval Officer Procurement for the Third Naval District.[31][32]

Reverting to inactive duty after the war, Castlemen resided in Newport, RI, where he died in 1954.[33]

See Also

Bibliography

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Percy N. Olmsted 		Captain of U.S.S. Birmingham
22 Nov, 1921[34] – Mar, 1923[35] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
William K. Riddle 		Captain of U.S.S. Vestal
1926[36] – Jun, 1927[37] 		Succeeded by
Wilbur R. Van Auken

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Register of Officers, 1898. p. 51.
  2. ↑ List and Station, July 1898. p. 29.
  3. ↑ Register of Officers, 1900. pp. 36-37.
  4. ↑ Register of Officers, 1902. pp. 34-35.
  5. ↑ Register of Officers, 1904. pp. 34-35.
  6. ↑ Norfolk Landmark 3 January, 1904 p. 5.
  7. ↑ Boston Evening Transcript 15 January, 1904 p. 12.
  8. ↑ Register of Officers, 1905. p. 172.
  9. ↑ Register of Officers, 1907. pp. 32-33.
  10. ↑ Register of Officers, 1908. pp. 30, 201.
  11. ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader 1 February, 1907 p. 14.
  12. ↑ Register of Officers, 1912. pp. 26-27.
  13. ↑ Register of Officers, 1917. p. 201.
  14. ↑ Register of Officers, 1918. p. 18.
  15. ↑ Navy Directory 1 March, 1918 p. 28.
  16. ↑ Hall of Valor
  17. ↑ Navy Directory 1 November, 1918 p. 54.
  18. ↑ NavSource
  19. ↑ Register of Officers, 1919. p. 20.
  20. ↑ Register of Officers, 1923. p. 16.
  21. ↑ Register of Officers, 1921. pp. 16-17.
  22. ↑ Register of Officers, 1926. p. 16.
  23. ↑ Register of Officers, 1933. p. 16.
  24. ↑ Register of Officers, 1922. pp. 18-19.
  25. ↑ Register of Officers, 1924. pp. 16-17.
  26. ↑ Register of Officers, 1927. p. 14.
  27. ↑ News-Pilot (San Pedro, CA) 28 June, 1927 p. 14.
  28. ↑ Navy Directory 1 April, 1928 p. 13.
  29. ↑ Hartford Courant 3 March, 1930 p. 18.
  30. ↑ Register of Officers, 1935. pp. 402-403, 502.
  31. ↑ Hartford Courant 16 September, 1942 p. 11/
  32. ↑ The Record (Hackensack, NJ) 10 February, 1944 p. 4.
  33. ↑ Newport Daily News 16 June, 1954 p. 2.
  34. ↑ Register of Officers, 1922. pp. 18-19.
  35. ↑ Register of Officers, 1924. pp. 16-17.
  36. ↑ Register of Officers, 1927. p. 14.
  37. ↑ News-Pilot (San Pedro, CA) 28 June, 1927 p. 14.

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