Oscar C. Badger II
Oscar was born in Washington, D.C. on the 26th of June, 1890 and grew up in a family with a rich military history. His grandfather was Oscar Charles Badger, who was a US Navy Commodore (a rank that is equivalent to today’s Captain, or O-6 pay grade), that served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. His father was Charles Johnston Badger, who was a US Navy Rear Admiral that served in the Spanish-American War and World War 1. George Edmund Badger was a distant cousin of Charles and he was a US Senator for North Carolina and served as the Secretary of the Navy under Presidents Harrison and Tyler. To carry on with tradition, Charles attended and graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1911 and shortly after his commission, he would find himself as an Ensign on board the USS Utah. His actions would earn him the Medal of Honor and the citation reads:
For distinguished conduct in battle, engagements of Vera Cruz, 21, 22 April 1914. Ens. Badger was in both days' fighting at the head of his company and was eminent and conspicuous in his conduct, leading his men with skill and courage.
Charles received the Medal of Honor on the 4th of December, 1915, and he went on to serve with the destroyer force in European waters during World War 1. He was the commander of the USS Worden for three months in 1918 and received the Navy Cross for distinguished service for his duties of commander of the destroyer. Charles would serve as a gunnery officer on board several ships after the War and was then assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance, which was an organization of the Navy that was responsible for all things naval weapons (storage, procurement, and deployment) from 1862 and 1959.
Charles would take command of the USS North Carolina in 1941 and the following year, he was promoted to Rear Admiral and took command of destroyer for the Atlantic Fleet. He became Commander Service Squadrons South Pacific in February of 1944 and at the end of the War, Charles was the first Navy officer to step ashore into Japan. His World War 2 service would see his receive four Legion of Merit awards, two with Combat V Device, which is a military award for exceptional meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service that can also be awarded to Department of Defense personnel.
After the War, Charles received his promotion to Vice Admiral and then to Commander Naval Forces, Far East. He retired from the Navy in June of 1952 at the rank of Admiral after forty-one years of service. In 1968, the USS Badger (FF-1071) was named and launched in honor of Charles, his father, his grandfather, and his uncle. Oscar Charles Badger II died on the 30th of November, 1958 at the age of 68 and he is buried with his wife Isabelle in Arlington National Cemetery: Section 2, Grave 3760-WS.
