Joseph K. Taussig Jr.

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Joseph Knefler Taussig Jr
Joseph K Taussig Jr 1941.jpg
Official photograph of Taussig as a junior officer
Born(1920-05-28)May 28, 1920
Newport, Rhode Island
DiedDecember 14, 1999(1999-12-14) (aged 79)
Annapolis, Maryland
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service1941-1954
RankCaptain
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsNavy Cross, Purple Heart[1]
RelationsVice 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[]

Taussig as civilian Defense Department employee in 1983

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[]

  1. ^ Paul Girsdansky (December 6, 1987). "His ship was only one to move". Annapolis Capital. p. D1 – via Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ Social Security death index, U.S. Social Security Administration
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor", Naval History Blog, U.S. Naval Institute, December 6, 2011
  5. ^ Cutler & Baker 2004.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Capt. Joseph Taussig Dies". The Washington Post. December 17, 1999.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Capt. Joseph Taussig Jr., 79, awarded the Navy Cross". The Baltimore Sun. December 18, 1999.
  8. ^ Douglas Lamborne (December 6, 1999). "Aboard Nevada, Annapolis man made sacrifice at Pearl Harbor". The Baltimore Sun.
  9. ^ Simon 1989.
  10. ^ "Milestones", Time, December 13, 1943
  11. ^ "Mid Receives Gift in Honor of Captain Joseph K. Taussig Jr". United States Navy. May 24, 2002. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  12. ^ "Betty Carney Taussig". Baltimore Sun. May 3, 2015. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018. Alt URL
  13. ^ "Capt Joseph Knefler "Joe" Taussig, Jr". Find A Grave. Retrieved June 20, 2020.

Sources[]

Further reading[]

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