Commanding Officers of USS Oriskany

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Oriskany Museum and USS Oriskany Reunion Association
Commanding Officers of USS Oriskany


Ship's Captains through the years. Captains Charles and John Iarrobino were the only two brothers in US Naval History to be captains of the same ship.

Commanding officers of USS Oriskany Percy H. Lyon - September 1950- July 1951 John D. Lambrecht - July 1951- July 1952 Courtney Shands - July 1952- June 1953 Charles D. Griffin - June 1953 - July 1954 Leroy C. Simpler - July 1954- July 1955 Charles L. Westhofen - July 1955 - January1957 James M. Wright - March 1959- February 1960 William S. Guest - February 1960- March 1961 Harry H. Barton - March 1961- March 1962 Charles A. Iarrobino - March 1962 - March 1963 Herman J. Trum - March 1963 - March 1964 William H. House - March 1964- March 1965 Bart J. Connolly III - March 1965- March 1966 John H. Iarrobino - March 1966 - March 1967 Billy D. Holder - March 1967 - March 1968 Jack S. Kenyon - March 1968- September 1969 John A. Gillcrist - September 1969- September 1970 Frank S. Haak - September 1970 - March 1972 John C. Barrow - March 1972 - October1973 Forrest P. Anderson - October 1973 - January 1975 Huntington Hardisty - January 1975 - June 1976 Robert G. Conaughton - June 1976 - September 1976
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CAPTAIN PERCY H. LYON USN, SEPT 1950-JULY 1951

Captain Percy H. Lyon USN was born in Sioux City, Iowa in 1902. He graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1925. His first tour of duty was aboard the USS PITTSBURGH. Later he served aboard various cruisers, destroyers and submarines. In 1933 he completed flight training and served aboard the carriers LEXINGTON and RANGER. Captain Lyon placed in commission and commanded 2 other ships: the USS OSMOND INGRAM (AVD-9) and the USS ROI (CVE-103). His shore stations and commands were at Bronson Field, Pensacola, Kodiak, Alaska, and the Naval Air Station, Bermuda. After leaving the Oriskany at Izmir, he headed for new duties as Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station, Anacostia, near Washington DC. This short bio was copied from the 1951 cruise book. Captain Lyon's daughter Elisabeth Lyon has made contact with the Oriskany Museum, and has made two visits there. Captain Lyon's wife Marguerite passed away in 2001 in California.

CAPTAIN JOHN OSGOOD LAMBRECHT USN, JULY 1951- JULY 1952

Captain John O. Lambrecht USN took command of the Oriskany at Izmir for the second half of the cruise, relieving Captain Percy Lyon USN on Thursday, July 26, 1951. Captain Lambrecht came to the Oriskany from the National War College in Washington. Previously he had had wide experience in highly responsible naval assignments. A member of the Annapolis Class of 1925, he first served in engineering and gunnery on the battleship PENNSYLVANIA and in the Far East. In 1930 he took flight training at San Diego and Pensacola. By 1934 he served as an instructor at Pensacola. After that he spent more than 3 years as an air officer in Asiatic waters. Just before Pearl Harbor he went to Corpus Christi as Operations Officer, leaving that assignment just after he made Captain in July 1943. He became Chief of Staff, ComCarDiv 11, Pacific Fleet. Then he was ordered to NAB Manus as Commandant. In July 1945 he took command of the aircraft carrier MAKASSAR STRAIT. The next year he was assigned to OpNav as Assistant Chief, Committees (Aviation), General Planning Group. In February 1948, Captain Lambrecht joined the Staff, Commander In Chief, US Atlantic Fleet, staying until August 1950. He was Assistant Chief for Plans, and Assistant to the US Representative to the North Atlantic Ocean Regional Group. From there he moved to the National War College, before coming to the Oriskany. This bio was found in the 1951 cruise book.