Commodore Robert Stevenson Haggart was born in Salem, N.Y. on April 7, 1891 and was appointed to the Naval Academy on June 17, 1908.
Upon graduation in 1912, he joined USS Michigan, operating in Mexican waters during part of 1914 and landed with the Michigan battalion in the occupation of Vera Cruz that year.
He served as executive officer of the destroyer USS McCall when the United States entered World War I in 1917 and the following December assumed command of USS Hull.
In 1918, he reported to Quincy, Mass., for duty in connection with fitting out USS Maddox. In 1919, he was executive officer of USS Bernadou and then spent three years as an instructor in Marine Engineering and Naval Construction at the Navla Academy.
Additional sea tours saw duty as executive officer on USS Bushnell, the first lieutenant on the battleship USS Texas, engineering officer on USS Oklahoma and commanding officer of USS Willian B. Preston.
From August, 1934 to July, 1935, he was commander, Destroyer Division 16.
THe next three years, he served as instructor in Naval Science and Tactics with the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit, Georgia School fo Technology, Atlanta, Ga. He then became executive officer of USS Chicago and served until June, 1939, when he reported for fitting out duty on USS Pyro at the Navy Yard, Puget Sound, Washington. He commanded that auxilliary-ammunition ship from commissioning on July 1, 1939 until July 11, 1940.
He was professor of Naval Science and Tactics, Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps Unit, at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla. fromAugust to September, 1940 and had similar duty at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C. In December, 1941, he was under instruction at the Naval War College, Newport, R.I., for six months completing the command course there.
From June 20, 1942 until March 6, 1944, he was in command of USS Tennessee. Under his command the Tennessee moved early in June, 1943 to Aleutian waters where it held extensive patrols in the northern waters. The following months, the ship sailed to Kiska as one of the vessels of the softening up bombardment, and when the troops were landed, the ship returned undamaged. Tennessee then particpated in the Gilberts, Tarawa, Kwajalein and Marshall Islands Operations during World War II. For his service as commanding officer of Tennessee during the assault and capture of Eniwetok Atol, Marshall Islands, from Feb. 17 to 23, 1944, he received a Letter of Commendation from the commander-in-chief, Pacific Fleet, with authorization to wear the commendation ribbon.
He was also entitled to the Naval Unit Commendation awarded the officers and men of Tennessee.
In April, 1944, he reported for duty as commander, Naval Training Center, San Diego, the first person to officially hold that position after the reorganization of the base. For his contribution in the training of recruits from 1944 to 1948, the Secretary of the Navy awarded him a Letter of Commendation with authorization to wear the Bronze Star on his Commendation Ribbon.
In June, 1948, he was assigned General Court Martial duty in the Eleventh Naval District, San Diego and remained in that assignment until relieved of al active duty pending retirement. He was transferred to the retired list on July 1, 1949.
In addition to the Navy Cross (for service in World War I), Commendation Ribbon with Bronze Star and the Navy Unit Commendation, Commodore Haggart received the Mexican Service Medal (USS Michigan); the Victory Medal, Destroyer Clasp (USS Hull); the American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clas (USS Pyro); the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars; and the World War II Victory Medal. There is no further information regarding Commodore Haggart after 1950.
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