About Julien J. LeBourgeois
Julien Johnson LeBourgeois (23 November 1923 – 16 September 2012) was a vice admiral of the United States Navy. His career included service in World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War, duty aboard and command of cruisers and destroyers, various planning and staff assignments, and a tour as President of the Naval War College. == Early life == LeBourgeois was born in Southern Pines, North Carolina, on 23 November 1923, the son of U.S. Navy Commander Henry Blow LeBourgeois and Dorothy Johnson LeBourgeois. He was raised in Long Beach, California, and Suva, American Samoa, and attended the Georgia Military Academy in College Park, Georgia. He entered the United States Naval Academy in 1941, where he was a member of the track team, and graduated in 1944 after only three years due to the accelerated curriculum in use during World War II. == Naval career == === World War II === LeBourgeois' first assignment was as a gunnery officer aboard the light cruiser USS Columbia (CL-56), then in combat against the Japanese in the Pacific. Aboard Columbia he saw action in the Palau campaign, including the Battle of Peleliu, and in the Leyte campaign, during which Columbia fought in the Battle of Surigao Strait, a part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Columbia also supported the invasion of Mindoro and took part in the invasion of Lingayen Gulf on Luzon, during which three kamikazes struck Columbia and for which the ship was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation. After that, Columbia operated in support of the invasion of Balikpapan and took part in the 1945 anti-shipping sweep in the South China Sea. === 1946–1965 === LeBourgeois remained aboard Columbia through the end of World War II and for an additional year beyond, leaving her in August 1946 to report for duty as gunnery officer and first lieutenant aboard the destroyer escort USS Harveson (DE-316). In June 1947 he transferred to the destroyer USS Brownson (DD-868) and served as her gunnery officer, first lieutenant, and damage control officer over the next two years.
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