John Harllee (January 2, 1914 – February 5, 2005) was an American admiral who served in the United States Navy in World War II and the Korean War. ^[3] He was a member of the Federal Maritime Commission from 1960 to 1969, and was a maritime consultant and wrote books and for professional journals after retiring.

Life and career

Born in Washington, D.C., the son of Ella Fulmore and William C. Harllee, a United States Marine Corps general officer, ^[2] Harllee attended Western High School. ^[2] He then attended the United States Naval Academy and Naval War College, graduating from both. ^{[1] [2]}

Harllee was a lieutenant in Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese attack on the base. ^[1] He was subsequently the chief staff officer of a torpedo boat group in the southwest Pacific consisting of 200 boats and 10,000 personnel, including Lt. John F. Kennedy. ^[1] The group was honored with the Presidential Unit Citation for Outstanding Combat Performance in 1943 to 1944. ^[1] He personally received the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit with the combat "V" device. ^{[1] [2]}

After World War II, Harllee was part of the Navy's Congressional liaison team, and was assigned to Representative John F. Kennedy from 1947 to 1948. ^{[1] [2]}

During the Korean War Harllee returned to active duty as the executive office of the cruiser Manchester, receiving the Commendation Medal. ^{[1] [2]} He retired from the Navy in 1959. ^{[1] [2]}

After retiring, Harllee served as the chairperson of Citizens for Kennedy and Johnson in northern California in 1960. ^{[1] [2]} After Kennedy was elected, he appointed Harllee to the Federal Maritime Commission, ^[1] of which he became president in 1963. ^[1] He was re-appointed to the commission by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and retired in 1969. ^[2] After retiring, he traveled as a maritime consultant and wrote articles for professional journals. He was the author of three books: The Marine from Manatee: A Tradition of Rifle Marksmanship (1984), Terror and Triumph: The Saga of Frank Carden (1990) and From Ships Destroyed to Ships Enjoyed: One Man's Experiences at Sea From Pearl Harbor to the Captain's Table (1997). ^{[1] [4]}

Harllee died in February 2005 of pneumonia at the Maplewood Park Place retirement community in Bethesda, Maryland, at the age of 91. ^{[1] [2] [4]}

References