Frank George Fahrion, USN
| Born | 17 Apr 1894 | Pickens, Randolph County, West Virginia, USA | |
| Died | 16 Jan 1970 | (75) | La Jolla, San Diego County, California |
 | Ranks
Retired: 1 May 1956 Decorations |
Warship Commands listed for Frank George Fahrion, USN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| USS Warrington (i) (DD 383) | Cdr. | Destroyer | 2 Feb 1940 | 22 Apr 1941 (1) |
| USS North Carolina (BB 55) | T/R.Adm. | Battleship | 6 Oct 1944 | 26 Jan 1945 |
Career information
USA Admiral, U.S. Navy Frank George Fahrion graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with the class of 1917 and was commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy. He then served on a number of destroyers. Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, he led a destroyer division guarding convoys to Iceland and to Mid-Atlantic rendezvous with British escorts. In 1940, Commander Fahrion was commanding officer of the Destroyer USS Warrington.
In early 1942, Fahrion was the Destroyer Screen Commander for the USS Yorktown (CV-5) carrier Task Force 17 in the Central Pacific raids on the Gilbert Islands. For service as Chief of Staff to Commander North Pacific Force, he was awarded the Legion of Merit. From February 1943 - July 1944, Fahrion was commanding officer of the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island. There he earned a Gold Star in lieu of a second Legion of Merit for his skillful direction of the research, development and manufacturing phases of the successful torpedo program. Fahrion was commanding officer of the battleship USS North Carolina (BB-55) from 6 October 1944 to 26 January 1945. During that time they covered Fleet raids ranging from the Philippines to Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The Bronze Star Medal for Valor was won by Fahrion for his actions.
He was advanced to flag rank in January of 1945. In recognition of his skillful and intensive direct naval gunfire support missions while commanding Cruiser Division Four throughout the Okinawa Campaign, Rear Admiral Fahrion received a Gold Star in lieu of a second Bronze Star Medal.
The Heavy Cruiser USS Fall River (CA-131) was assigned to Joint Task Force One (JTF-1) to serve as the flagship for Rear Admiral Fahrion, commander of Operation Crossroads, the atomic bomb tests of July 1946 at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands. She embarked Fahrion at Pearl Harbor on 17 March and with him sailed in the Marshalls between 21 May and 14 September. At the close of World War II, Admiral Fahrion was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of a third Legion of Merit for superbly organizing and directing the target and salvage units of Joint Task Force One during "Operation Crossroads."
In the years before his retirement, Fahrion served as Inspector General, Pacific and U.S. Pacific Fleet: Commander Destroyers, U.S. Pacific Fleet (1946-1948), and Superintendent of the Naval Gun Factory, Washington, D.C. In July 1950, he assumed command of the Destroyer Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and was promoted to vice admiral on Dec 28, 1951. He then served as Commander Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, from January 1952 until his retirement on 1 May 1956.
The USS Fahrion (FFG-22), fourteenth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class of guided-missile frigates, was commissioned on 16 January 1982 and named in honor of Admiral Fahrion. An Act of Congress on 23 February 1942, enabled admirals to be promoted one grade, to three- and four-star grades, upon retirement if they had been specially commended for performance of duty in actual combat. Having met the conditions of this Act, Fahrion was promoted to the four-star rank of full Admiral in May 1956.
After retiring from the Navy, Admiral and Mrs. Fahrion made their home in La Jolla, California, where he died on 16 January 1970. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Gladys Yates Fahrion in 1944, and was survived by his second wife, Kathleen Dwyer Fahrion. Kathleen died in 1987 and both wives are buried with him at Arlington National Cemetery.
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