John M. Hoskins
| John Hoskins | |
|---|---|
Rear Admiral John Hoskins (1956)
|
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| Birth name | John Madison Hoskins |
| Nickname(s) | "Uncle John", "Peg-Leg" |
| Born |
October 22, 1898 Pineville, Kentucky |
| Died | March 31, 1964 (aged 65) Falls Church, Virginia |
| Buried | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Service/ |
United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1917–57 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held |
USS Princeton USS Valley Forge MATS Commander, Naval Air Forces |
| Battles/wars |
World War II |
| Awards |
Navy Cross Navy Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit Purple Heart |
| Spouse(s) | Sue Waters Hoskins (1904–72) |
World War II
Vice Admiral John Madison Hoskins (October 22, 1898 – March 30, 1964) was an officer and aviator in the United States Navy. Four years after graduating the United States Naval Academy, Hoskins entered flight school and served his entire career in naval aviation, eventually commanding aircraft carriers in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Despite losing his right foot in an explosion aboard USS Princeton (CVL-23) in 1944, Hoskins refused retirement and went on to serve as the first commanding officer of the new USS Princeton (CV-37). After the war, Hoskins became a leading proponent of jet aircraft on carriers, was assigned to training command of the first naval aviators designated for carrier assignment, and himself flew as commanding officer of the flight demonstration which convinced the Department of the Navy that jet aircraft should be a part of the aircraft carrier's fixed-wing complement.
In the early days of the Korean War, Hoskins's was the first carrier group on station following the outbreak of hostilities on the Korean peninsula; the naval flight group under his command based on USS Valley Forge was the first to give airborne support to retreating South Korean army units. While he was commanding officer of Valley Forge, the carrier and her aircraft were twice deployed to the war zone to repel advances by the enemy and were major contributors to the successful Inchon landings. Before his retirement, he was made the subject of a 1955 biographical film by Republic Pictures entitled The Eternal Sea with Sterling Hayden and Alexis Smith portraying Hoskins and his wife Sue.
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