Captain Josephus Asa Briggs
was the second commanding officer of the U.S.S. Tarawa (CV-40). He relieved
Captain Alvin Ingersol Malstrom on 21 March, 1947, while the ship was in the repair
yard at the Naval Air Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Briggs was born in Sidney,
Nebraska, on 6 September 1900. He attended Central High School, Omaha,
Nebraska, Hall's Preparatory School and the University of Missouri, Columbia,
Missouri.
He was appointed to the U.S.
Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, from the Second District of Nebraska in
1919, and while a Midshipman was on the crew squad and later manager of the
crew. Graduated and commissioned Ensign in June 1923, he subsequently was
promoted as follows: Lieutenant (junior grade) June 8, 1926; Lieutenant, July
1, 1931; Lieutenant Commander, June 23, 1938; Commander, January 2, 1942; and
Captain, July 1943, to rank from May 1, 1943.
After graduation in 1923,
Captain Briggs remained on duty at the Naval Academy until July 30, when he
joined the battleship Tennessee. In July 1924 he was transferred to the U.S.S.
Chase, and in September of that year reported for duty in the U.S.S. Sinclair,
in which he served until June 1929.
He received a Letter of
Commendation from the Secretary of the Navy for obtaining highest merit in
torpedoes during 1925-26 in Destroyers, U.S. Fleet. From June 1929 until May
1933, he had consecutive duty in the U.S.S. Melville, U.S.S. Zane and U.S.S.
Decatur.
After brief duty in the U.S.S.
Saratoga he was ordered in August 1933 to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola,
Florida, for flight training. He was designated naval aviator on September 11,
1934. In December of that year he was assigned duty with Torpedoe Squadron 2
based on the aircraft carrier Saratoga.
From June 1937 until July
1940, he had duty at the Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island; for
contributing to the increase in torpedo production there during the year 1937-38
he received a Letter of Commendation from the Secretary of the Navy.
Captain Briggs then
commissioned the U.S.S. Greene and commanded that vessel from August 1940 until
May 1942. On July 2 of that year he assumed command of the U.S.S. Barnegat,
which operated on supply and refueling duties under command of the British
Admiralty in Icelandic waters until October 1942, assisted in the landings in
North Africa and acted as anti-aircraft defense there.
In the latter action the
Barnegat operated off the beach at Mahedia, assisting in the landing of troops
and patrolling as an anti-submarine screen. She also assisted in establishing
and operating the Naval Air Station, Port Lyautey, and established port
directorate and control shipping in the port.
Captain Briggs earned the
Legion of Merit with two Gold Stars and "V" Combat Distinguishing
Device; the American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp (U.S.S. Greene); the
European-African-Middle Eastern Area Campaign Medal with one Star; the
Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal with two Stars; the Philippine Liberation
Ribbon with one Star; the American Area Campaign Medal and the World War II
Victory Medal.
notified that the airport was
ready for operations. The Squadron, at that time based at Lyneham, proceeded to
Port Lyautey, arriving on November 13.
For his services in that
assignment he was awarded the Legion of Merit with the following citation:
"For exceptionally
meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the
Government of the United States as Commander of the Fleet Air Wing and as
Commanding Officer of the Naval Air Station at Port Lyautey, French Morocco,
during November and December 1942. Displaying sound judgment and keen
administrative ability, Captain Briggs promptly established the Naval Air
Station upon the occupation of French Morocco and, by his thorough
indoctrination of the men under his command, maintained a vigilant and
successful anti-submarine patrol which was largely responsible for the security
of our shipping in this vital area. A forceful and inspiring leader, he
skillfully supervised the salvaging of scuttled vessels in the Wadi Sebou River
and later served as Liason Officer with the United States Army and with French
Army and Navy officials, contributing greatly to the effective unity of command
in French Morocco."
Detached from the command of
the Barnegat in June 1943, Captain Briggs was then assigned duty as Chief of
Staff, Naval Air Technical Training Command, Chicago, Illinois. On December 20,
1944, he assumed command of the U.S.S. Hoggatt Bay. For his services as Commanding Officer of that
aircraft carrier escort he was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of a third Legion of
Merit (with Combat Distinguishing Device) for action during the invasion of
enemy-held Luzon, P.I., in January 1945, and a Gold Star in lieu of a second
Legion of Merit (with Combat Distinguishing Device), for operations in Okinawa
in May and June 1945.
The citation for the third
Legion of Merit follows:
"For exceptionally meritorious
conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the
United States as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Hoggatt Bay, prior to and
during our invasion of enemy-Japanese-held Luzon, Philippine Islands, from
January 3 to 18, 1945. By his outstanding
leadership and persevering
efforts during this critical period, Captain Briggs contributed in large
measure to his air group's success in inflicting severe damage on enemy
aircraft, personnel and installations. When a hostile plane exploded on the
Hoggatt Bay's flight deck on January 15, killing eight, wounding fourteen and
starting fierce fires, Captain Briggs ably supervised control measures to
return his
ship to operational status in
minimum time. His devotion to duty throughout was in keeping with the highest
traditions of the United States Naval Service."
After the surrender of the
Japanese in September 1945, he had duty as senior Naval member on the staff of
the Commandant, Army and Navy Staff College, Washington, D.C., from October
1945 until June 1946. He then served as Professor of Naval Science and Tactics,
Georgia School of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, with additional duty commanding
the Navy V-12 Unit there.
In March 1947, he assumed
command of the U.S.S. Tarawa and served in that capacity until relieved on 28
February 1948 when he became a member of the Continental U.S. Defense Planning
Group, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. until December 6, 1949. After a
brief temporary stint with Naval Operations, he was assigned to the North
Atlantic Treaty Regional Planning Group, Paris, France, until August 21, 1951,
when he returned to Naval Operations.
On July 1, 1953, Captain
Briggs was retired and advanced to Rear Admiral on the basis of combat
citations. His first wife was the former Marie Elizabeth Plane of San
Francisco, California; she died in 1964. He subsequently married Marjorie
Powell Hamilton, widow of Rear Admiral William H. Hamilton, a classmate. He had
two sons, U.S. Air Force Colonel Josephus Asa Briggs, Jr., and Robert Plane
Briggs.
Following retirement, Briggs
formed an industrial management company, Special Projects Consultants, Inc., in
Washingon, D.C.; he served as its president and chairman until dissolving the
corporation in 1971. He was active in the Naval Academy Alumni Association,
serving as the president of the Washington, D.C., chapter. Involved in
community affairs, he was a member of the Army-Navy Town Club, the New York
Yacht Club, and a variety of civilian-military groups.
Admiral Briggs died 28 May
1993 at Virginia Beach, Virginia. He was buried in a private service in
Arlington National Cemetery.