Merlin O'Neill

Merlin O'Neill
Born(1898-10-30)30 October 1898
North Kenova, Ohio, U.S.
Died1 March 1981(1981-03-01) (aged 82)
Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, U.S.[1]
Service / branch
Years of service1921–1954
RankAdmiral[Note 1]
CommandsCommandant of the Coast Guard
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsLegion of Merit[2]

Merlin O'Neill (30 October 1898 – 1 March 1981) served as the tenth Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from 1 January 1950 to 1 June 1954.

Born in North Kenova, Ohio, in 1898, O'Neill was commissioned in the United States Coast Guard in 1921. He served on a number of vessels, including his first command, the USS Ericsson. In 1927, he began a three-year period as an instructor at the United States Coast Guard Academy before returning to sea in command of the USCGC Monaghan, in 1930. From 1935, he held a number of positions at Coast Guard Headquarters. During World War II he participated in Allied amphibious landings in Morocco and Sicily. He served as Assistant Commandant from 1946 until his appointment as Commandant of the Coast Guard in 1950 and retired in 1954 with the rank of admiral.

  1. ^ Pearson, Richard. "Adm. Merlin O'Neill, 82, Commanded Coast Guard", The Washington Post, page C4, Mar 5, 1981
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference USCGHO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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