Draper Kauffman
| Draper Laurence Kauffman | |
|---|---|
| Born |
4 August 1911 San Diego, California |
| Died | 18 August 1979 (aged 68) |
| Buried at | United States Naval Academy Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom United States |
| Service/branch |
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (1940–41) United States Navy (1941–73) |
| Years of service | 1941–1973 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands held | Naval Combat Demolition Unit Underwater Demolition Team 5 USS Gearing (DD-710) Destroyer Division 122 USS Bexar (APA-237) USS Helena (CA-75) Destroyer Flotilla Three United States Naval Academy U.S. Naval Forces in the Philippines 9th Naval District |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Navy Cross (2) Navy Distinguished Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit |
| Relations | James L. Kauffman (father) |
Rear Admiral Draper Laurence Kauffman (4 August 1911 – 18 August 1979) was a pioneering underwater demolition expert, who served during the 1960s as 44th Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy. During World War II, he organized the first U.S. Navy Demolition Teams, which later gave rise to the SEALs. His wartime service also included participation in the invasions of Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Draper L. Kauffman, the son of Vice Admiral James L. Kauffman, was born in San Diego, California, on 4 August 1911. He attended St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., and Kent School in Kent, Connecticut and was appointed to the United States Naval Academy from Ohio in 1929.
Kauffman graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1933, but poor eyesight denied him a commission in the regular Navy.
Employed by the United States Lines Steamship Company, his travels in Europe alerted him to the danger of Nazi Germany. In February 1940, he joined the American Volunteer Ambulance Corps in France. On 16 June, he was captured by the Germans and held prisoner for two months.
Released in August, he made his way to England and was commissioned a sub-lieutenant in the British Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, later rising to lieutenant. At the height of the Blitz on London (1940–1941), he served as a bomb and mine disposal officer, and achieved a high degree of proficiency in bomb disposal techniques.
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