Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

The Navy Department Library

Tags
Related Content
Sources

Adapted from "Captain Harold Raymond Badger, United States Navy, Deceased"  [biography, dated 9 July 1962] in Modern Biographical Files collection, Navy Department Library.

 
Topic
  • Aviation
Document Type
  • Biography
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
Location of Archival Materials
  • NHHC-Library

Harold Raymond Badger

 

 

7 June 1907 – 27 April 2001

 

Download PDF Version [105KB]

Harold Raymond Badger was born in Seattle, Washington, on June 7, 1907, son of Alva R. and Agnes Badger, both now deceased.  He attended public schools in Centralia, Washington, and was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Electrical Engineering in 1932 from the University of Washington, where his minor had been Aeronautical Engineering.  After graduation, he was employed by St. Helens Mfg. Co., Centralia, Washington, from June 1932 until June 1934, and was Layout and Stress Engineer for Boeing Airplane Co., at Seattle the next year.

While in college, he enlisted in the US Naval Reserve, and on June 26, 1929, he was commissioned Ensign, USNR.  While a Student Naval Aviator, he took the first aerial photographs of the summit of Mt. Ranier from an N2C-1 Training Plane.  Designated a Naval Aviator on February 6, 1931, he transferred from the Naval Reserve to the US Navy in the rank of Lieutenant on August 28, 1946, and subsequently attained the rank of Captain, to date from July 1, 1951.

His first tour of active duty, from July 1935 until February 1941 was at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, where he served successively as Flight Instructor, Ground School Instructor and OIC Division Ground School.  He then reported to the Naval Air Training Center, Corpus Christi, Texas, to serve as Executive officer of the Ground School.  In December 1942, a year after the outbreak of World War II, he became Officer in Charge of the Ground School, and from July 1943 until March 1944 served as Commanding Officer of Squadron NV18D8-B, at that center.

From March to June 1944, he was prospective Commanding Officer of ACORN 38 and during the latter months of the war was Commanding Officer of ACORN 44, the Naval Air Base, Katchin Hanto, Okinawa.  “For meritorious achievement (in that command) from May 30 to September 2, 1945…” he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V”.  The citation continues:  “Quickly disembarking personnel and equipment, Commander Badger established a temporary refuge for observation scout aircraft and, despite intermittent hostile air attacks, rapidly developed an air base at Katchin Hanto, Okinawa Jima, which was ready by September 16 for the entire seaplane units assigned.  In addition, he cooperated fully with other commanders by caring for large numbers of personnel on short notice…”

He continued in command of the Naval Air Base at Katchin Hanto until December 1945, then returned to the United States.  Completing the course at the Army Industrial College, Washington, DC, in July 1946, he had a three year tour of duty as Head of the program Branch, Maintenance Division, in the Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department.  The next two years were spent at the Naval Air Station, Almeda, California, and in September 1951, he was transferred to the Naval Air Material Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for duty as Director of the Naval Air Experimental Station.

In April 1954, he was designated Overhaul and Repair Officer, at the Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas, and after more than three years’ service in that capacity, he returned to the Bureau of Aeronautics in September 1957.  This time served as Executive Director to the Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Maintenance and Support.  In December 1959, he again reported to the Naval Air Station, Alameda, California, where he was assigned duty as Overhaul and Repair Officer.

In addition to the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V”, Captain Badger has the Naval Reserve Medal; the American Defense Service medal; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Service medal with one engagement star; World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal, Asia Clasp; the National Defense Service Medal; and the Navy Expert Pistol Shot’s Medal.

He died April 27, 2001.

 

END

Published: Mon Aug 03 07:23:49 EDT 2020