RADM James Ramage
by RADM James D. “Jig Dog” Ramage, USN(Ret)
Character is hard to define, but I know it when I see it. While it is associated with leadership, it is not the same thing. Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin were great leaders, but all were without moral or ethical strength, i.e., character.
One of the great leaders who we in Naval Aviation during World War II admired was CDR John G. Crommelin, who served as air boss and executive officer in USS Enterprise (CV-6) during 1942 and 1943. During that time, four new commanding officers passed through the ship, and John provided the character, the underpinning of spirit, that saw the carrier through some trying times. The man was everywhere — he spent many hours in the ready rooms and elsewhere on the ship. He was an excellent pilot and flew with the squadrons when we operated ashore in the forward area. He was the soul of the ship, the very embodiment of the name Enterprise in a way that dramatized the character of this strong leader. The “Big E” was the only fast carrier remaining in the South Pacific in the period of time between the loss of Hornet (CV-8) at the Battle of Santa Cruz in 1942 and the arrival of Essex (CV-9) and others in her class beginning in 1943. John Crommelin later played a key role in the 1949 struggle to save Naval Aviation. In placing his convictions before his career, Crommelin was forced into retirement as a result of his outspoken support of the carriers in a page of history known as “The Revolt of the Admirals.” None who know him ever heard him express any regret for his courage in the face of overwhelming odds — he knew what must be done, and he gave it his best shot regardless of the cost to him personally.
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