George J. Dufek
| George John Dufek | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
February 10, 1903 Rockford, Illinois |
| Died | February 10, 1977 (aged 74) Bethesda, Maryland |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1921–1959 |
| Rank |
 Rear Admiral
|
| Commands held |
USS Bogue USS Antietam |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (2) Croix de guerre Légion d'honneur |
| Other work | Director, Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Virginia |
George John Dufek (10 February 1903, Rockford, Illinois – 10 February 1977, Bethesda, Maryland) was an American naval officer, naval aviator, and polar expert. He served in World War II and the Korean War and in the 1940s and 1950s spent much of his career in the Antarctic, first with Admiral Byrd and later as supervisor of U.S. programs in the South Polar regions. Rear Admiral Dufek was the director of the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia after his retirement from the Navy in 1959.
Born in Rockford, Illinois, he joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at his local high school and was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1921. Upon graduation in 1925 he received his ensign's commission and commenced his career aboard the battleship USS Maryland. He was later assigned to the submarine USS S-39 and was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) in 1928.
In 1932 he entered flight training school at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida; after graduating as a naval aviator in 1933 he served as navigator and executive officer on three different ships. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1935 and assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga in 1938.
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