Daniel GALLERY

Daniel Gallery attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, graduating at age 19, before wrestling in the 1920 Olympics. He came from a family with long roots in the US Navy. Gallery eventually rose to the rank of Rear Admiral in the Navy. He was an early Naval aviator who flew seaplanes, torpedo planes, and amphibians. In World War II Gallery commanded the Fleet Air Base in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he earned a Bronze Star for his actions against German submarines. In 1943 he became commander of the USS Guadalcanal, and led Task Group 22.3. With TG 22.3 he is best known for capturing and boarding a German U-boat. Task Group 22.3 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and Captain Gallery received the Distinguished Service Medal for capturing U-505. Gallery was put in command of the aircraft carrier USS Hancock near the end of the war.

Gallery was later promoted to rear admiral and became Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. During the Korean War, he commanded Carrier Division Six. Gallery became embroiled in a dispute when plans were made to merge the Marines into the Army. He wrote a series of articles in The Saturday Evening Post that were so inflammatory that Gallery was fortunate to not be court-martialed for insubordination. The episode, however, prevented his promotion to Vice Admiral. His final command was in Puerto Rico with the 10th Naval District. While there he established the first Little Leagues on Puerto Rico and the first military steel band in 1957. The 10th Naval District Steel Band became the US Navy Steel Band, but called themselves Admiral Dan’s Pandemoniacs. Gallery was profiled out of the Navy in 1960 for medical reasons.