W. W. Behrens, Jr.

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W. W. Behrens, Jr. bigraphy, stories - United States admiral

W. W. Behrens, Jr. : biography

September 14, 1922 – January 21, 1986

Vice Admiral William Wohlsen Behrens, Jr. (September 14, 1922 – January 21, 1986) was an American naval officer and oceanographer who was instrumental in establishing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Family

Vice Admiral Behrens and Betty Ann Taylor Behrens of Tampa, Florida, were the parents of Elizabeth Hunt Behrens Garland of Lexington, Massachusetts, William W. Behrens III of Montville, Maine, (deceased), Charles Conrad Behrens of Orlando, Florida, and Susan Taylor Behrens Raker of Amherst, Massachusetts.

His son William W. Behrens III, was co-author, with Donella H. Meadows, Dennis L. Meadows and Jørgen Randers, of The Limits to Growth in 1972.

Biography

Behrens was born at Newport, Rhode Island, the son of Rear Admiral (then Lieutenant) William W. Behrens Sr. and Nellie Vasey Behrens. He graduated from Friends Select Academy in Philadelphia, from Rutherford Preparatory School in Long Beach, California and then from the United States Naval Academy in the class of 1944 (graduated early in June 1943), where he attended via a Presidential appointment.

1940s

Behrens graduated from the Submarine School, New London, Connecticut, in 1943, and was assigned to the as Gunnery Officer, for two war patrols, and was awarded Presidential Unit Citation. He was then assigned to the , as a communications and engineer officer, on four war patrols, and was awarded Navy Unit Citation, Silver Star, Bronze Star with "V", with personal citations for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity". He was credited with conceiving electronic slip rings allowing for continuous, non-reversing trainability of submarine sonar; as well as authoring the first Short form code for use in submarine "wolfpack" communications.

From July 1946 to August 1948 he was assigned to the as Engineer Officer; from September 1948 to March 1950 to the as Executive officer, Operations officer and Navigator. He was awarded a Navy "E".

Behrens was then the Project officer for the Navy’s first underwater telephone (UQC-1) for voice communications between ships and submerged submarines. Then he was project officer for first U.S. scanning sonar (QHB-1).

1950s

From 1950 to 1952, he was at the U.S. Fleet Sonar School, as an ASW instructor & Officer in Charge in the C Pro-Submarine Sonar instruction section; from 1952 to 1953, he was assigned to the as Executive Officer and Navigator, again being awarded a Navy "E". From 1953 to 1954 he was assigned to the as Commanding Officer and received another Navy "E"; from 1954 to 1955, he was assigned to the as Commanding Officer; and in 1955, he was assigned to the U.S. Submarine School as Head of the Engineering Department. He commenced his study of nuclear physics and engineering.

From 1955 to 1957, he was Director of the first Nuclear Power School, and acquired a qualified faculty, where he wrote curricula for both officer and enlisted courses and set requirements for operation of nuclear reactors under rigid guidelines later adopted by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).

From March 1957 to December 1957, he was at the Naval Reactors Branch, AEC, and was Special Advisor to the Chief, Naval Reactors, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. He the completed nuclear physics study through the doctorate level and qualified as Nuclear Reactor Operator, License Number 5.

From 1958 to December 1960, he was assigned to Construction and Commissioning, Command of the , the first modern submarine (designed from the keel up with improved marine nuclear reactor, fast attack, whale shaped, sail diving planes, high test steel, true submersible). Again he was awarded a Navy "E" and the Navy Unit Citation as well as the Legion of Merit Award for "completion of a mission of great value to the United States."

1960s

From January 1961 to March 1961 he was at the Guided Missile School, Dam Neck, Virginia in the Polaris Command Course. From March 1961 to May 1963 he was assigned to the as Commanding Officer (Gold) and again awarded a Navy "E". From 1963 to 1964 he attended the National War College as a student. His dissertation there was Nuclear Power for the U.S. Merchant Marine. Behrens also attended George Washington University, where he was awarded an M. A., degree in International Affairs.