Apollo Soucek
{{Infobox military person
| name = Apollo Soucek
| image = Apollo Soucek MSH.jpg
| caption = Apollo Soucek
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1897|2|24}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1955|7|22|1897|2|24}}
| placeofburial_label = Place of burial
| placeofburial = Arlington National Cemetery
| birth_place = Lamont, Territory of Oklahoma
| death_place = Washington, D.C.
| placeofburial_coordinates =
| nickname = Sockem
| allegiance={{flag|United States of America}}
| branch = 25px United States Navy
| serviceyears = 1918–1955
| rank = 38px Vice admiral
| unit =
| commands = Fighting Squadron 2
{{USS|Franklin D. Roosevelt|CV-42}}
Carrier Division 3/Task Force 77
| battles = World War I
World War II
Korean War
| awards = Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Legion of Merit (2)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
Apollo Soucek (February 24, 1897 – July 22, 1955) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy, who was a record-breaking test pilot during 1929 and 1930, served in World War II, and was commander of Carrier Division Three during the Korean War, ending his career as chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.
Biography
Soucek was born in Lamont, Oklahoma. He was the son of Jan "John" Souček, who had been born in Ovčáry, Bohemia (then part of Austria-Hungary, now in the Czech Republic), but had emigrated to the United States at the age of 7 with his family. Arriving in June 1875 aboard the Norddeutscher Lloyd ship {{SS|Ohio|1869|6}}, the family—Mathias, Maria, and their six children—first settled in Nebraska, then moved to Kansas, before taking part in the Cherokee Strip Land Run in 1893{{Cite web
|url=http://www.immigrantships.net/v3/1800v3/ohio18750612.html#Soucek
|title=Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild Vol. 3 - Ship Ohio
|work=immigrantships.net
|accessdate=8 November 2010
|archive-date=26 January 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126083046/http://www.immigrantships.net/v3/1800v3/ohio18750612.html#Soucek
|url-status=live
}} and settling in Medford.
=Early career=
Soucek entered the United States Naval Academy in 1918 and served with the rank of midshipman aboard the battleship {{USS|Missouri|BB-11|3}} during World War I. He was commissioned as an ensign on 3 June 1921. He then served aboard the {{USS|Mississippi|BB-41|3}}. In February 1924, Soucek reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola for flight training, qualifying as a naval aviator in October. He was assigned to the Navy's first aircraft carrier {{USS|Langley|CV-1|3}} in November, and served as assistant flight officer of Observation Squadron 2. In January 1925, he transferred to the {{USS|Maryland|BB-46|3}} to serve as assistant navigator and junior aviation officer of Observation Squadron 1. In May 1927, he was assigned to the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia, before transferring to the Bureau of Aeronautics in July to serve in the Power Plant Design Section.{{Cite web
|url=http://www.dmairfield.org/people/soucek_aa/index.html
|title=The Apollo "Sockem" Soucek Page of the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register Website
|work=dmairfield.org
|accessdate=8 November 2010
|archive-date=25 January 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125064505/http://dmairfield.org/people/soucek_aa/index.html
|url-status=live
}}
Flying the Wright Apache, Soucek set a series of flight altitude records. On May 8, 1929, he set the world altitude record for landplanes by flying to the height of {{Convert|39,140|ft|m}}, and on June 4, he set the altitude record for seaplanes, also in an Apache, reaching the height of {{Convert|38,560|ft|m}}. On June 4, 1930, Soucek flew an Apache landplane equipped with a {{Convert|450|hp}} Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engine to a height of {{Convert|43,166|ft|m}} over Naval Air Station Anacostia, regaining the world record he had held in 1929.{{Cite web
|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/avchr4.htm
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970206095440/http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/avchr4.htm
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=6 February 1997
|title=Naval Aviation 1930-39
|work=history.navy.mil
|accessdate=8 November 2010
}} Soucek received the Distinguished Flying Cross for these flights.
In June 1930, Soucek returned to sea duty, serving as squadron flight officer of Fighter Squadron 3 on the carrier {{USS|Lexington|CV-2|3}}, and as gunnery officer and executive officer of Fighter Squadron 3 aboard {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|3}}. In June 1932, he returned to the Naval Aircraft Factory to serve as assistant to the superintendent of the Aeronautical Engineering Laboratory. From June 1935, he served as hangar deck, flight deck, and senior watch officer aboard {{USS|Ranger|CV-4|3}}, returning to the Lexington in June 1937 to serve as the commanding officer of Fighter Squadron 2. Soucek went back to the Bureau of Aeronautics in May 1938 to serve as assistant to the chief of the Personnel Division.
=World War II=
In May 1940, he was assigned to {{USS|Yorktown|CV-5|3}} as navigator, moving to the {{USS|Hornet|CV-8|3}} on October 20, 1941, to serve as air officer. Soucek was appointed executive officer in 1942, and served in that capacity during the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo on April 18 and during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. He was later awarded the Silver Star for his efforts during this battle.
In January 1943, he was appointed assistant chief of staff for operations in the Pacific Fleet. From July 1943, he served as chief of staff and aide to the chief of Naval Air Intermediate Training Command and deputy chief of Naval Air Training, based at NAS Pensacola. Soucek was awarded the Legion of Merit with Gold Star for his service in this capacity. In March 1945, he was appointed officer-in-charge of the fitting-out of the carrier {{USS|Franklin D. Roosevelt|CV-42|3}}, becoming the first commander on her commissioning on October 27, 1945.
=Later career=
From January 1946, he commanded Carrier Division 14, and from August was commander of Fleet Air Wing 1. On July 15, 1947, he was appointed commander of the Naval Air Test Center at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. From 1949, he served as assistant chief of Naval Operations for Aviation Plans, and director of the Aviation Plans and Program Division. He spent most of 1951 in London as U.S. naval attaché for air, before serving in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations from November until February 1952, when he was appointed commander of Carrier Division 3/Task Force 77, flying his flag aboard {{USS|Boxer|CV-21|3}}, supporting operations in the Korean War. Rear Admiral Soucek received the Distinguished Service Medal for his service in Korea.
On June 18, 1953, Soucek was appointed chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics. However, in February 1955 he became ill, quitting his post on March 4, and was transferred to the Retired List on July 1.
He died of a heart attack on July 19, 1955, at the age of 58, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on 26 July. He was posthumously promoted to vice admiral.{{cite web |url=https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/apollo-soucek%E2%80%99s-high-altitude-flying-helmet |title=Apollo Soucek's High Altitude Flying Helmet |author=Kathleen Hanser |newspaper=April 28, 2015 |publisher=National Air and Space Museum |access-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119175431/https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/apollo-soucek%E2%80%99s-high-altitude-flying-helmet |url-status=live }}
On June 4, 1957, Naval Air Station Oceana was officially named Apollo Soucek Field.
Family
Apollo's younger brother Zeus (1899–1967), also joined the Navy, became an aviator, and set speed, distance and duration records piloting a Naval Aircraft Factory PN-12 in May 1928.{{Cite web
|url=http://records.fai.org/data?p=5344
|title=History of Records: Zeus Soucek (USA)
|work=records.fai.org
|accessdate=8 November 2010
}}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Decorations
| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="4"|200px |
| colspan="4"|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|width=108}} {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Silver Star ribbon.svg|width=108}} {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=award-star|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=108}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg|width=108}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|other_device=nv|ribbon=Bronze Star ribbon.svg|width=108}} |{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=World War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=108}} |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=China Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=108}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=108}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=3|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon.svg|width=108}} |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=108}} |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=108}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Army of Occupation ribbon.svg|width=108}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=108}} |{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Korean_Service_Medal_-_Ribbon.svg|width=108}} |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg|width=108}} |
| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |
| colspan="14"|Naval Aviator Badge |
| 1st Row
|colspan="3"|Navy Distinguished Service Medal |colspan="4"|Silver Star |colspan="5"|Legion of Merit with Gold Star |
|---|
| 2nd Row
|colspan="3"|Distinguished Flying Cross |colspan="3"|Bronze Star Medal |colspan="3"|World War I Victory Medal |colspan="3"|China Service Medal |
| 3rd Row
|colspan="3"|American Defense Service Medal |colspan="3"|Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal |colspan="3"|American Campaign Medal |colspan="3"|World War II Victory Medal |
| 4th Row
|colspan="3"|Navy Occupation Medal |colspan="3"|National Defense Service Medal |colspan="3"|Korean Service Medal |colspan="3"|United Nations Korea Medal |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Biography}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20121106092053/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,723671-1,00.html "Sky High"]. Time. May 20, 1929.{{Dead link |date=July 2021}}
- [https://archive.today/20121203211409/http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2010/05/27/how-i-broke-the-worlds-altitude-record/?Qwd=./ModernMechanix/9-1930/altitude_record&Qif=altitude_record_0.jpg&Qiv=thumbs&Qis=XL%23qdig "How I Broke the World's Altitude Record"], Modern Mechanix, September 1930
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060724040414/http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-1910/APP11.PDF Navy and Marine Corps Air Stations and Fields Named for Naval Aviators and Others]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soucek, Apollo}}
Category:American aviation record holders
Category:Flight altitude record holders
Category:United States Navy admirals
Category:United States Naval Academy alumni
Category:United States Naval Aviators
Category:Aviators from Oklahoma
Category:United States Navy personnel of World War I
Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II
Category:United States Navy personnel of the Korean War
Category:Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Category:Recipients of the Silver Star
Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
Category:People from Grant County, Oklahoma