Joseph K. Taussig Jr.
Joseph Knefler Taussig Jr | |
---|---|
![]() Official photograph of Taussig as a junior officer | |
Born | Newport, Rhode Island | May 28, 1920
Died | December 14, 1999 Annapolis, Maryland | (aged 79)
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | 1941-1954 |
Rank | Captain |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Navy Cross, Purple Heart[1] |
Relations | Vice Admiral Joseph Taussig (father) Rear Admiral Edward David Taussig (grandfather) |
Joseph Knefler Taussig Jr. (May 28, 1920 – December 14, 1999) was a United States Navy officer during and after World War II, and a Navy civilian official in the 1980s. He was the son of Vice Admiral Joseph Taussig, and the grandson of Rear Admiral Edward David Taussig.
Early life and education[]
Taussig was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on May 28, 1920.[2] After attending high school in Washington D.C., Taussig entered the United States Naval Academy and graduated on February 7, 1941. He then was assigned to USS Nevada (BB-36).[3]
Pearl Harbor attack[]
Taussig was the officer of the deck of USS Nevada and senior officer in charge of her anti-aircraft batteries during the Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.[4] Taussig was severely wounded but refused to leave his station until the crew carried him away. He ended up having his leg amputated, then returned to duty three days later.[5] He received the Navy Cross for his actions that day.[6][3][7]
When he retired from active duty in 1954, at age 34, he was the youngest captain in the Navy.[6]
Civilian service[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Joseph_K_Taussig_Jr_1983.jpg/220px-Joseph_K_Taussig_Jr_1983.jpg)
In 1981 he returned to Navy service as a civilian.[8] Taussig was "the [U.S.] Navy's first designated high-level safety specialist" and self-styled "safety czar", appointed as a civilian special assistant to the Secretary of the Navy in 1985.[9] He twice received the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award.[6]
Personal life[]
Taussig married Betty Bostwick Carney, daughter of Rear Admiral Robert Bostwick Carney (future Chief of Naval Operations), in 1943.[10] He died from an embolism at Anne Arundel Medical Center, on December 14, 1999, aged 79.[6][7] Betty Carney Taussig established the Joseph K. Taussig Jr. Award at the United States Naval Academy in 2001, in memory of her husband.[11] She died at the age of 94 on April 27, 2015.[12] Taussig and his wife are buried at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery.[13]
Namesake[]
The Executive Suite at the United States Naval Institute headquarters in Annapolis is named in his honor.
References[]
- ^ Paul Girsdansky (December 6, 1987). "His ship was only one to move". Annapolis Capital. p. D1 – via Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Social Security death index, U.S. Social Security Administration
- ^ Jump up to: a b Neal Thompson (December 7, 1998). "Navy veteran proudly bears scars of Pearl Survivor: Joe Taussig's story is of a man, a ship and what happened to both Dec. 7, 1941". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ "70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor", Naval History Blog, U.S. Naval Institute, December 6, 2011
- ^ Cutler & Baker 2004.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Capt. Joseph Taussig Dies". The Washington Post. December 17, 1999.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Capt. Joseph Taussig Jr., 79, awarded the Navy Cross". The Baltimore Sun. December 18, 1999.
- ^ Douglas Lamborne (December 6, 1999). "Aboard Nevada, Annapolis man made sacrifice at Pearl Harbor". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Simon 1989.
- ^ "Milestones", Time, December 13, 1943
- ^ "Mid Receives Gift in Honor of Captain Joseph K. Taussig Jr". United States Navy. May 24, 2002. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- ^ "Betty Carney Taussig". Baltimore Sun. May 3, 2015. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018. Alt URL
- ^ "Capt Joseph Knefler "Joe" Taussig, Jr". Find A Grave. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
Sources[]
- Simon, Harvey (January 1, 1989), A man and his mission: Joseph Taussig and Navy safety, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government
- Cutler, Thomas J.; Baker, A.D. III (October 2004), "Lest We Forget: Joseph K. Taussig Jr.; USS Langley (CV-27)", Proceedings, U.S. Naval Institute, 130 (10)
Further reading[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joseph K. Taussig Jr. |
- "Taussig Jr, Joseph Knefler, CAPT". Togetherweserved.com. 1941.
- 1920 births
- 1999 deaths
- People from Newport, Rhode Island
- United States Naval Academy alumni
- United States Navy officers
- United States Navy personnel of World War II
- Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)
- United States Assistant Secretaries of the Navy
- Burials at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery
- Attack on Pearl Harbor
- Military personnel from Rhode Island
- American amputees