Our Deepest Thanks
In this month of Thanksgiving, we salute a supporter whose generosity has greatly strengthened the Naval Institute.
Vice Admiral William D. Houser, USN (Ret.)
For nearly four decades, Vice Admiral William Douglas Houser (1921–2012) was an active and enthusiastic participant in the Naval Institute as a Member, author, and supporter. All who knew him understood his longstanding passion for the Battle of Midway and his commitment to ensuring that its significance never be forgotten. His Naval Academy Class of 1942, which graduated early in December 1941 for wartime service, holds that it had more participants at Midway than any other.
In the mid-1990s, Bill Houser was instrumental in his class project to erect a monument to Midway that stands near Bancroft Hall, the Naval Academy’s massive dormitory. In 2001, in partnership with the Naval Institute, he and his classmates endowed an essay contest about lessons learned at Midway that remains part of the Academy’s curriculum. Now, two years after his passing, his widow, Jan Evans Houser, is continuing his legacy through a substantial gift to the Naval Institute. To honor and further the admiral’s mission, the scenic third-floor veranda at the Institute’s headquarters at Beach Hall has been dedicated as the Vice Admiral William D. Houser–Battle of Midway Terrace. Those who visit the terrace, with its sweeping views of the Naval Academy Cemetery, the Severn River, and Chesapeake Bay beyond, will be reminded of the sacrifices and daring of the Battle of Midway.
Dozens of family members and admirers of Admiral Houser were on hand for the dedication ceremony on 18 September. The key speaker was former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Tom Hayward, a family friend, who flew in from Seattle for the event. Speaking without notes, his succinct and eloquent retelling of the Battle of Midway held the audience in thrall. Among the distinguished guests was Roberta Wright McCain—the widow of Admiral John S. McCain Jr., former commander, U.S. Pacific Command, and mother of former Vietnam prisoner of war and current Arizona Senator John McCain—accompanied by her son Joe. Other guests included Ingrid Beach, widow of Run Silent, Run Deep author Captain Ned Beach (and, with his father, namesake of Beach Hall), and former U.S. Congresswoman Beverly Byron, past chairwoman of the Naval Academy Board of Visitors.
A bronze plaque unveiled by Jan Houser, Tom Hayward, and Naval Institute chief executive Vice Admiral Pete Daly reads:
The Vice Admiral William D. Houser–Battle of Midway Terrace
Nowhere are the Navy’s core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment better represented than at the Battle of Midway, 4–7 June 1942. It is a classic drama in which the underdog comes off the ropes to score a devastating knockout punch. It is replete with moments of phenomenal courage, inspirational sacrifice, clever deception, and fateful decisions. In short, it exemplifies what is best about the United States Navy.
In the decades that followed, Vice Admiral William D. Houser (Naval Academy Class of 1942) worked tirelessly to ensure that our Navy and the American people would not forget the courage and sacrifice that changed the course of a world war. Through his efforts and the generosity of his estate, the U.S. Naval Institute is proud to carry on his legacy by dedicating this terrace to that iconic battle.
The aircraft that clashed over the Pacific are now rusted relics, and the wakes of the great ships have long vanished, but the importance of those momentous events and the people who made them happen must never be forgotten.
So Dedicated this 18th day of September in the year 2014.
We salute Admiral William Houser for his service to our nation and—with Jan Evans Houser—to the Naval Institute.