William Bull Halsey's Accomplishments

William “Bull” Halsey is one of the most prominent Naval figures of the 20th century for his unconventional but extremely effective style of leadership during World War II. His greatest successes can be seen through his influences with his men and the respect he was given. His up bringing as the son of a Naval officer and his experience in his early years is what can be attributed to this style of leadership. He was able to leverage the skills he had in order to lead the biggest Naval war effort in United Sates history. His lasting legacy can be seen not only in his sheer accomplishments in turning the tide of the war but also in the lasting lessons in leadership that he left behind. As was often the case during the time period because he

During the First World War he was assigned command of the Destroyers: USS Benham and USS Shaw, with the mission of defending against German U-boats and protecting commerce with Europe. It was during these commands that he was able to really gain the reputation as a great leader known especially for aggressively following his gut making decisions some would deem incorrect due to evidence but this is what set Halsey apart at the time. Most notably during this time he was awarded the Naval Cross because of the outstanding job he did in defending against the U-boats. Once the war concluded he was then promoted to be the commanding officer on board an aircraft carrier. The only stipulation however, was that he had to get his wings and train as a naval aviator. So at the age of 52 he is the oldest person to ever go through Naval Flight

It was during this command that the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred; he was on board the USS Enterprise at the time over 100 miles away when the attack happened. After hearing of the attacks that day he uttered the words “Before we’re through with ‘em, the Japenese language will only be spoken in hell.” which is a testament to his fury and drive in the war to defeat the Japanese. He was soon promoted to Admiral and led his men through Admiral Nimitz’s island hopping in the Pacific theater. There are many different instances during this campaign that Halsey styles become