Thomas J. Ryan (admiral)
| Thomas John Ryan, Jr. | |
|---|---|
US Naval Academy photo of Thomas J. Ryan
|
|
| Born |
August 5, 1901 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Died | January 28, 1970 (aged 68) |
| Buried at | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1921 - 1950 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Unit | Third Fleet |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Rear Admiral Thomas John Ryan, Jr. (August 5, 1901 – January 28, 1970) was a career American naval officer who received the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration, for his actions while in Yokohama, Japan during the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. Ryan went on to serve in World War II as a destroyer flotilla commander.
Ryan was a 1921 graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. While an ensign, he was in Yokohama, Japan during the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, during which he saved a woman, Mrs. Slack, from the burning Grand Hotel. This action earned Ryan the Medal of Honor, making him one of 18 men to receive the Medal of Honor during the interwar period from 1920-1940. Ryan was presented the Medal of Honor by President Calvin Coolidge at the White House on March 15, 1924.
During World War II, Captain Ryan served as a destroyer flotilla commander in the South Pacific while part of the Third Fleet under the command of Admiral William "Bull" Halsey and saw action during the Solomon Islands campaign. He commanded the destroyer screen which supported the invasion of New Georgia in 1943, assisting the American landings on Rendova Island on June 30, by knocking out Japanese shore batteries. In the Battle of Kolombangara two weeks later on July 12–13, he was in command of the rear echelon of destroyers as part of Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth's Task Force 18. A torpedo fired from Ryan's destroyers during the battle may have hit the Japanese cruiser Jintsu, which was sunk during the battle.
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