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Adapted from "Captain Graham Montrose Adee, United States Navy, Retired" [biography, dated 27 November 1951] in Modern Biographical Files collection, Navy Department Library.

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  • Biography
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
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Graham Montrose Adee

13 December 1880 - 11 September 1952

PDF Version [3.6MB]

Graham Montrose Adee was born in Washington, DC on 13 December 1880, son of David Graham Adee and Ellen Skeel Adee. He attended Columbian University (now George Washington), and graduated from the National Law School with the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1903. On 8 June 1904 he accepted an appointment in the United States Navy as Assistant Paymaster, Supply Corps, with the rank of Ensign. He advanced in rank to that of Captain to date from 2 October 1925. His transfer to the retired list of the Navy after thirty years of active duty dates from 1 November 1934.

Upon receiving his commission in the Navy in 1904, he was ordered to USS Columbia, and after three months reported in the Navy Department, Washington, DC, for an assignment in the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts from September 1904 to April 1906. He was then ordered to USS Mayflower, the President's yacht, in which he served as Passed Assistant Paymaster until detached in July 1910. The next two years he was attached to the Navy Yard, Boston as Passed Assistant Paymaster, and had additional duty as a member of the General Court Martial there.

Assigned to sea duty, he joined USS North Carolina and from July 1912 to February 1914 he served aboard, followed by six months similar duty in USS Vermont. He was a member of the landing party from the Vermont at Vera Cruz, Mexico, during the campaign in April 1914. After being hospitalized three months, he joined USS St. Louis, cruiser, and served from December 1914 to August 1915.

Returning to shore duty, he was ordered to the Navy Yard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as Accounting Officer. When detached in November 1917, he reported to Harlow & Hollingsworth Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware, and served as Cost Inspector one year. Ordered to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in October 1918 to establish a headquarters, he was Cost Inspector for minesweepers and motor torpedo boats, having additional similar duty consecutively at Staten Island (NY) Shipbuilding Company, and at Lake Torpedo Boat Company, Bainbridge, Connecticut, until detached in August 1920.

He joined USS Nevada and served as her Supply Officer from August 1920 to August 1922. For three years following his detachment he was Disbursing Officer of the Navy Yard, Washington, DC. He then had duty on the staff of Commander Destroyers, Battle Fleet, as Aide and Supply Officer, serving aboard USS Omaha from September 1925 to October 1927. He then returned to the Navy Department, for an assignment in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Plans Division, until May 1932, followed by a year as Officer in Charge of the Navy Purchasing Office, Newport, Rhode Island, and a year as Disbursing Officer of the Naval Training Station there. He was so serving when relieved of active duty pending his transfer to the Retired List of the Navy, effective 1 November 1934.

In civilian life he served a term, 1937-1938 as State Senator from Newport in the General Assembly of Rhode Island. He was the Chairman of the Newport Housing Authority when, in August, 1940, he was ordered to active duty. He served as Accounting Officer of the Third Naval District headquarters, New York, New York, until again relieved of active duty in March 1944.

Captain Adee had the Mexican Campaign Medal; Victory Medal for World War I service; American Defense Service Medal; American Campaign Medal; and World War II Victory Medal.

END 

Published: Wed Jan 03 12:38:56 EST 2018