BAGLEY-WORTH

Excerpts from obituary published in San Diego Union-Tribune on 12/4/2016:

Worth Harrington Bagley, a Navy admiral who retired in 1975 as Vice Chief of Naval Operations, died October 9, 2016, at his home in La Jolla, California.  He was 92.  ADM Bagley did not come upon a naval career by happenstance.  He was born in Annapolis, Maryland, on July 29, 1924, to a Navy Commander and his mother who was the niece of Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during World War II.  He was also the namesake of his uncle, Worth Bagley, the only naval officer killed in the Spanish-American War.  

His father's naval career took the family to France, Washington, D.C., San Diego, and Honolulu, before Bagley returned to his birthplace to attend the Naval Academy.  He graduated a year early in 1946 due to World War II, and then began a career that would culminate in his selection as the youngest four-star admiral in naval history, including service as Commander in Chief of Naval Forces Europe (1973-74) and as Vice Chief of Naval Operations (1974-75).  His older brother, David, also became an admiral, marking the only instance in U.S. Navy history where two brothers attained four-star rank.  He served as Commanding Officer of USS Bridget, USS Lawrence, and USS Canberra.  As a flag officer, he served as Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Seven and Director of the General Planning and Programming Division of the Navy Department.

ADM Bagley’s time serving as Director of the General Planning and Programming Division and as Vice Chief of Naval Operations came at a crucial time in naval history, as the Navy confronted Soviet expansion and modernization, the withdrawal of forces from Vietnam, and an array of personnel reforms, including the introduction of women at sea, the implementation of the Navy Equal Opportunity Manual, the Navy's first affirmative action plan, and the expansion of programs for minority recruitment.  After retiring, ADM Bagley served as a fellow at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, which published his “Sea Power and Western Security: The Next Decade” in 1977; served on the Quadrennial Defense Review board in 1986; co-authored a nationally syndicated column; and owned and operated a small business in San Diego.  

ADM Bagley is survived by his beloved wife of 61-years, their three children, and five grandchildren.   He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)