Naval History and Heritage Command

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Alton Kindt Fisher was born in Abrams, Wisconsin on November 1, 1905. He attended grade schools there, was graduated from Oconto Falls High School, had two years at the University of Wisconsin, and was graduated from Marquette University Dental School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1935. He interned at Milwaukee Children’s Hospital, 1935- 1936, and begun the practice of dentistry (private) in Milwaukee. In 1937 he also was made an Instructor in Histology at Marquette, leaving his practice and other work for active duty with the Naval Reserve in November 1940.

Having served as an enlisted man in the US Naval Reserve Force from April 1929, he was honorably discharged on June 21, 1929 to accept appointment as Ensign, US Naval Reserve. He was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) to date from May 23, 1933 and to Lieutenant, to date from May 28, 1938. He was called to active duty in November 1940, and on May 6, 1941, was commissioned Passed Assistant Dental Surgeon with rank of Lieutenant, to rank from May 28, 1938. He subsequently attained the rank of Captain in the Dental Corps of the Naval Reserve, to date from July 1, 1954, and his election for the rank of Rear Admiral was approved by the President on November 1, 1960.

After serving from November 1940 until March 1941 as a Line Officer on board USS Paducah, he reported to the US Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island, where he served as Assistant Dental Officer and Instructor until September 1944. He was then ordered to Headquarters, Eighth Naval District, New Orleans, Louisiana, where he remained throughout the latter months of World War II and until December 1945 as Assistant to the District Dental Officer Supervisor of Construction Mobile Dental Units. Following a period of terminal leave, he was released from all active duty.

Recalled into active naval service, he reported in June 1958 to the Arctic Research Laboratory, Point Barrow, Alaska, and was engaged in the Dental Research Project for the Naval until September of that year. Prior to that time, he had completed the Resident “Senior Reserve Officers Course, 1956” at the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.

Captain Fisher has the Naval Reserve Medal (for ten years’ service)’ the American Defense Service Medal; American Campaign Medal; and the World War II Victory Medal. He is a member of the American Dental Association; the Wisconsin State Dental Society; and the Milwaukee County Dental Society.

Among his books and papers published are: “ The Dental Pathology of the Prehistoric Indians of Wisconsin”; “Additional Paleopathologic Evidence of Paget’s Disease”; “Spinal Pathology in Prehistoric Wisconsin”; “A Prehistoric Invalid”:; “ Why Bother About Bones”; and serveral papers on American Archelogy.