The Reminiscences of Rear Adm. Joseph C. Wylie Jr., USN (Ret.): 1911-1993

After graduation from the Naval Academy in 1932, Wylie served in the heavy cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31) under Captain Chester Nimitz. He had duty in the Naval Academy’s executive department and was in the commissioning crews of three destroyers: USS Reid (DD-369), USS Bristol (DD-453), and USS Fletcher (DD-445). The latter was in the famous 12-13 November night surface action off Guadalcanal. Later in the war he commanded the destroyer minesweeper USS Trever (DMS-16) and the destroyer USS Ault (DD-698). His personal letters in the appendices give further details on his wartime destroyer experiences. Other tours of duty described in the volume include the Office of Naval Research, the Naval War College as student and staff member, and the Destroyer Flotilla One staff. He commanded the attack cargo ship USS Arneb (AKA-56) and heavy cruiser USS Macon (CA-132) and was Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Nine. Later staff duty was with Commander Amphibious Group Two, in OpNav, and for Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic and Commander in Chief Atlantic Fleet. Before retiring in 1972, he rounded out his career as Deputy Commander in Chief U.S. Naval Forces Europe and, finally, as Commandant of the First Naval District. Admiral Wylie was a delightful storyteller and an officer with a broad view of naval operations.

Paul Stillwell is an independent historian and retired naval officer. He worked for thirty years at the U.S. Naval Institute as an oral historian and editor of Naval History magazine. He is the author or editor of fourteen books, including four on battleships and an award-winning volume on the Navy’s first African American officers, The Golden Thirteen. His 2021 book Battleship Commander: The Life of Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee Jr. also received acclaim. He lives in Arnold, Maryland.