| William P. Lawrence |
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| Rank, Service |
| Vice Admiral O-9, U.S. Navy |
| Veteran of: |
U.S. Naval Academy 1947-1951
U.S. Navy 1951-1986
Cold War 1951-1986
Korean War 1953
Vietnam War 1966-1973 (POW)
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| Tribute: |
Bill Lawrence was born on January 13, 1930, in Nashville, Tennessee. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in July 1947 and he was commissioned on June 1, 1951. He continued on at the Academy until September 1951 as Aide to the Commandant. Lawrence completed flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator in November 1952. He served with VF-193 at Moffet Field, California, from March 1953 to October 1955. Lt Lawrence completed Test Pilot School in August 1956 and he served as a test pilot at Pax River, Maryland, until May 1959. During this time he became the first Navy pilot to fly twice the speed of sound in a production Navy aircraft. Lawrence next flew with VF-101 before becoming a Ship Navigator on the USS Newport News from June 1961 to July 1962. He went back on flying duty in July 1962 with VF-101 and then VF-14. In February 1964, LCDR Lawrence served as Aide to the Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Strike Command. After two years in this post, he was assigned to VF-121 and then became the Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of VF-143 in July 1966. CDR Lawrence also began flying combat missions in Southeast Asia in July 1966, and he was forced to eject over North Vietnam on June 28, 1967. He was immediately captured and taken as a Prisoner of War, and was held in captivity for the next 2,076 days. Captain Lawrence was released during Operation Homecoming on March 4, 1973. After hospitalization, he served as Director of the Aviation Programs Division from May 1975 to June 1977, and as Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air Warfare from July 1977 to August 1978. Admiral Lawrence served as Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy from August 1978 to August 1981, and as Commander of Third Fleet from August 1981 to September 1983. Admiral Lawrence's final assignment was as Chief of Naval Personnel from September 1983 to January 1986. He retired from the Navy on January 31, 1986, with the rank of Vice Admiral. Bill met and married Diane Wilcox after his return from Vietnam in 1973. He died on December 2, 2005.
His 3rd Silver Star Citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while interned as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from July to August 1969. His captors, completely ignoring international agreements, subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly toward the eventual abandonment of harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese, which was attracting international attention. By his determination, courage, resourcefulness, and devotion to duty, he reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces. |
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