Campbell Dallas Emory was born in Washington on June 12, 1899, a son of Mrs. Josephine DeWolff Poe and the late George Meade Emory. He attended Broadway High School, Seattle, Washington, before entering the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, in 1917 by appointment from Washington. While a midshipman he was captain of the swimming team in his first-class year. Graduating in June 1921, he was commissioned an Ensign and has progressively advance in grade to the rank of Captain to date from June 20,1942. Upon transferring to the Retired List of the Navy on July 1, 1951, he was promoted to rear Admiral on the basis of combat awards.
As a Junior Officer in USS Mississippi he served from his graduation in 1921 until 1924 in deck, radio, and engineering duties. He then had duty in the Asiatic Fleet successively as Gunnery, Torpedo, and Engineer Officer in USS Hulbert, destroyer, and as Executive Officer of USS Word, Battle Force destroyer.
From 1928 to 1930 he attended he Postgraduate School, Annapolis, Maryland, for the general line course. The next two years he was Navigator of USS Hannibal, Fleet auxiliary, and in 1932-1933 he served in the cruiser USS Memphis as Senior Watch and Gun Division Officer. The two years period 1933-1935, he was assigned to the University of Washington at Seattle as Instructor in the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
Ordered to the duty in connection with fitting out USS Phelps at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, Massachusetts, upon commissioning of that destroyer on February 26, 1936, he went aboard as Executive Officer and Navigator and served until the summer of 1939. He was then assigned duty in the Navy Department, Washington, D.C attached to the Training Division, Bureau of Navigation (renamed in 1940 Bureau of Naval Personnel). In the spring of 1940, he assumed command of USS Mayo, and transferred the next year to duty as Executive Officer of USS Atlanta, building a Federal Shipbuilding Company, Kearny, New Jersey. Following her commissioning in December 1941 and shakedown exercises, that cruiser joined the Pacific fleet in 1942, and was subsequently sunk in the battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942.
He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with combat distinguishing device, V, “For heroic services” against enemy Japanese forces, November 13, 1942 and the Ribbon for and facsimile of the Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to officers and men of the Atlanta. The citations follow:
Bronze Star Medal, Combat V: “… When hostile shellfire had seriously damage his ship, Captain Emory supervised all activities engaged in fighting fire, in controlling underwater damage and in caring for the wounded….”
Presidential Unit Citation_ USS Atlanta: “For outstanding performance during action against enemy Japanese forces off Guadalcanal Island, November 12/13, 1942. Struck by a tornado and no less than “-49 shells, the Atlanta, after sinking an enemy destroyer and repeatedly hitter a cruiser which later went down, gallantly remained in battle under auxiliary power with one third of her crew killed or missing, her engine room flooded and her topside a shambles. Eventually succumbing to her wounds after the enemy had fled in defeat, she left behind her a heroic example of invincible fighting spirit.
After the loss of the Atlanta, he served for seven months in 1943 in command of USS Neches, oiler, before reporting to the Navy Department, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, for duty in the Naval Transportation Service, and there throughout 1944. In January, 1945 he was given command of the newly commissioned USS Grafton, attack transport, and after drills and exercise on the West Coast, she finally received sailing orders to the Western Pacific, and in April started her maiden voyage, destination Pearl Harbor, Later moving into the Philippine Islands, Palau Islands, Okinawa, and Ulithian.
Relieved of that command in the summer of 1946, he reported to Commandant, Thirteenth Naval District, Seattle, Washington, for duty as General Inspector, followed by duty next year at the University of Washington, Seattle, as professor of Naval Science, Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. He was serving when relieved of active duty pending his transfer to the Retired List of the Navy due to physical disability on July 1, 1951.
In addition to the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V, and the Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon, Rear Admiral Emory has the Victory Medal (World War I); the second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal; Yangtze Service Medal; American Defense Service Medal; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal; and World War II Victory Medal. He married in 1935 Miss Elizabeth Morrison of Seattle, Washington. Their current residence is 1112 Broadway, North, Seattle.
He died March 30, 1977.
