James Forrestal

James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892 – May 22, 1949) was a Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense (1947–1949). He suddenly resigned the Defense position, took refuge in a mental hospital, and shortly thereafter committed suicide by throwing himself from the hospital window.

Government Work

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asked Forrestal to be a special assistant in June 1940, then appointed him Under Secretary of the Navy in August, where he was very effective at mobilizing industrial production for the war effort. He became Secretary of the Navy May 19, 1944, Frank Knox having died of a heart attack, and led the Navy through the closing year of the war and the demobilization following.

Related Topics:
Franklin Delano Roosevelt - 1940 - Under Secretary of the Navy - May 19 - 1944 - Frank Knox - Heart attack

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Forrestal opposed the unification of the services, but even so helped develop the National Security Act of 1947 that created the National Military Establishment (the Department of Defense was not created as such until August 1949), and with the former Secretary of War Robert Patterson retiring to private life, Forrestal was the next choice.

Related Topics:
National Security Act of 1947 - National Military Establishment - Department of Defense - 1949 - Secretary of War - Robert Patterson

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His 18 months at Defense came at an exceptionally difficult time for the US military establishment; Communists came to power in Czechoslovakia and China, West Berlin was blockaded, necessitating the Berlin Airlift to keep it going, Israel's declaration of independence brought war to the Middle East, and negotiations were going on for the formation of NATO. His reign was also hampered by intense interservice rivalries.

Related Topics:
Communist - Czechoslovakia - China - West Berlin - Berlin Airlift - Israel - Middle East - NATO

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He supported Dewey's Presidential campaign along with Dewey's chief advisor, Allen Dulles. Forrestal and the Dulles brothers created the OPC. President Harry Truman constrained military budgets billions of dollars below what the services were requesting, putting Forrestal in the middle of the tug-of-war. At the same time, Forrestal was becoming more and more worried about the Soviet threat (see The Russians are coming). President Truman found out about Forrestal's support of Dewey and fired him.

Related Topics:
Dewey - Allen Dulles - OPC - Harry Truman - Soviet - The Russians are coming

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