Robert B. Pirie

{{Short description|United States Navy Vice Admiral (1905–1990)}}

{{for|his son who served as the Under Secretary of the Navy|Robert B. Pirie Jr.}}

{{Infobox military person

|name = Robert Burns Pirie

|image =Robert B. Pirie.jpg

|caption =

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1905|4|18}}

|death_date = {{Death date and age|1990|1|9|1905|4|18}}

|placeofburial_label = Place of burial

|placeofburial =

|birth_place = Wymore, Nebraska, US

|death_place = Fort Belvoir, Virginia, US

|placeofburial_coordinates =

|nickname =

|allegiance={{flag|United States of America}}

|branch = 25px United States Navy

|serviceyears = 1926–1962

|rank = 40px Vice admiral

|unit =

|commands = {{USS|Sicily|CVE-118|3}}
{{USS|Coral Sea|CV-43|3}}
U.S. Second Fleet
NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic

|battles = World War II
Cold War

|awards = Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal

|relations = Robert B. Pirie Jr.

|laterwork =

}}

Robert Burns Pirie (18 April 1905 – 9 January 1990) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy. He was Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for air when he retired in 1962.{{Cite news

|url= https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEED71439F931A25752C0A966958260

|title=Robert Pirie, 84, Dies - Retired Vice Admiral

|work=query.nytimes.com

|access-date=19 October 2010

|date=12 January 1990

}}

Biography

A native of Wymore, Nebraska, he was a 1926 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. His classmates included Henry C. Bruton, Charles Carpenter, Howard Gilmore, Lofton Henderson, Carlton Hutchins, Fitzhugh Lee, Max Leslie, Wade McClusky, and John Sylvester.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/luckybag1926unse/page/504/mode/2up |title=Lucky Bag |date=1926 |publisher=First Class, United States Naval Academy |others=Nimitz Library U. S. Naval Academy}} He joined the Navy's air arm in 1928. In World War II he was executive officer of the carrier {{USS|Mission Bay|CVE-59|3}} in the Atlantic.

After the war he headed the aviation department at the Naval Academy and commanded two carriers, the {{USS|Sicily|CVE-118|3}} and the {{USS|Coral Sea|CV-43|3}}, before assuming division and fleet commands. He was named Deputy Chief of Naval Operations in 1958, serving until his retirement.

File:NH 95737 Vice Admiral Robert B. Pirie, USN.jpg

In the 1950s, he was allowed to wear facial hair, unusual then, reportedly because of a skin condition. It was a distinguished-looking Van Dyke beard.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9kLnnCK0QvYC&q=robert+pirie+admiral+vice+beard+-wikipedia+skin+condition&pg=PA15|title=Tennessee Patriot: The Naval Career of Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence, U.S. Navy|isbn=9781591147008|last1=Lawrence|first1=William P.|last2=Rausa|first2=Rosario|year=2006}}

While serving as Deputy Chief of Navy Operation (Air) 1958-1962 and was credited with maintaining the Navy’s air traffic controller program, following the enactment of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. The Air Traffic Controller of the Year award, named in honor of Vice Adm. Robert B. Pirie, is presented for outstanding contributions to operational readiness and safety applied by individual Navy and Marine Corps Air Traffic Controller.

In 1958, Pirie also became an inaugural member, along with Hugh Dryden, Abe Silverstein and Ira Abbott, of the Civilian-Military Liaison Committee, which sought to coordinate the space-related activities of the Department of Defense with those of the newly created NASA.{{cite book |url=https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4003.pdf |title=Space Medicine in Project Mercury |first=Mae Mills |last=Link |page=173 |date=1965 |publisher=NASA |access-date=2020-02-12}} He helped to assemble the original January 1959 list of more than 500 test pilot volunteersLink, p. 47. [https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4003.pdf] Retrieved 2020-02-12. which would quickly be whittled down to the April 1959 list of Mercury Seven astronauts.{{cite news |url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1990-01-13-9001190012-story.html |title=Robert Pirie, 84, Pioneer Navy Pilot |first=Ray |last=Lynch |date=January 13, 1990 |newspaper=South Florida Sun Sentinel |access-date=2020-02-12}}

Pirie retired from active duty in November 1962.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=doOUmxsdWNkC&pg=PA589 |title=Register of Retired Commissioned and Warrant Officers, Regular and Reserve, of the United States Navy |date=1 October 1978 |page=589 |publisher=Bureau of Naval Personnel |access-date=2022-03-10}} After he left the Navy, he held management positions with the Aerojet General Corporation. He was a former president of the Naval Academy Foundation and the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. He was inducted into the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor in 1986.

After Pirie's death in 1990, he was interred at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery.

Awards

Vice Admiral Robert Burns Pirie received a lot of high military decorations for valor or for distinguished service. His military awards included Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with Gold Star or Bronze Star Medal.{{cite web|url=http://www.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=55108|title=Valor awards for Robert Burns Pirie - Hall of Valor|publisher=militarytimes.com|access-date=2012-11-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221182004/http://www.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=55108|archive-date=2014-02-21}}

Here is his ribbon bar:

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=106}}

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Silver Star ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=award-star|other_device=v|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|other_device=v|ribbon=Bronze Star ribbon.svg|width=106}}

{{ribbon devices|number=4|type=service-star|ribbon=United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{ribbon devices|number=5|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon.svg|width=106}}

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Army of Occupation ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Phliber rib.svg|width=106}}

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
colspan="14"\|Naval Aviator Badge
1st Row \|colspan="12"\|Navy Distinguished Service Medal
2nd Row \|colspan="4"\|Silver Star \|colspan="4"\|Legion of Merit with Gold Star and "V" Device \|colspan="4"\|Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device
3rd Row \|colspan="4"\|Navy Presidential Unit Citation with four stars \|colspan="4"\|American Defense Service Medal with Atlantic Clasp \|colspan="4"\|Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one silver service star
4th Row \|colspan="4"\|American Campaign Medal \|colspan="4"\|European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal \|colspan="4"\|World War II Victory Medal
5th Row \|colspan="4"\|Navy Occupation Service Medal \|colspan="4"\|National Defense Service Medal with one service star \|colspan="4"\|Philippine Liberation Medal with two bronze stars

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

colspan="14"|Naval Aviator Badge

1st Row

|colspan="12"|Navy Distinguished Service Medal

2nd Row

|colspan="4"|Silver Star

|colspan="4"|Legion of Merit with Gold Star and "V" Device

|colspan="4"|Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device

3rd Row

|colspan="4"|Navy Presidential Unit Citation with four stars

|colspan="4"|American Defense Service Medal with Atlantic Clasp

|colspan="4"|Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one silver service star