Page 42: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2021)

OPINION: The Final Word

How to Honor America’s Greatest

Oceanographer? A Call for the

USNS Walter Munk

By Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., U.S. Navy (retired) n the 2021 National Defense Au- of our greatest ocean scientists, there is underwater acoustics. These directly thorization Act, Congress estab- no better candidate than the renowned underpinned the U.S. Navy’s competi- lished a commission to rename oceanographer Dr. Walter Munk. I ? rst tive advantage in Antisubmarine War-

I several military bases and ships met Walter when I was a newly-mint- fare against the Soviet Union during that commemorate members of the ed Ensign in the Navy while earning a the Cold War. His accomplishments not

Confederacy. One of these is the Na- Master’s degree at Scripps Institution of only inspired me as a junior of? cer at val oceanographic ship USNS Maury Oceanography, where he was a Profes- Scripps, they were foundational for the (T-AGS 66), named after oceanogra- sor and research scientist. This was over resurgence of ocean science within the pher Matthew Fontaine Maury, who re- 30 years ago, long into his career which Navy that I led with the establishment signed his commission in the U.S. Navy spanned nearly eight decades. Since of Task Force Ocean. This included ad- to join the Confederacy at the outbreak then, I climbed a long ladder in ocean vancements in ocean technology and of the American Civil War. The USNS science and technology that carried unmanned systems and built upon simi-

Maury is an asset of the Naval Meteo- me to multiple sea-going expeditions, lar work by the Navy to address climate rology and Oceanography Command brought me back to Scripps to earn a change impacts on national security.

(NMOC), which I led from 2014-2017. Ph.D., and led me to serve at the highest More remarkable were Walter’s ac-

I attended the ship’s commissioning in levels of the U.S. Government. At every complishments in science as a whole. 2017, where I praised Maury’s recogni- step, Walter Munk served as a beacon, From unlocking the nature of ocean tion as the father of modern oceanogra- lighting the way and inspiring me along currents that is the basis of modern nu- phy. I did the same on other occasions with many others. While volumes could merical models, pioneering research in when I served as the Superintendent be written about why a ship should bear ocean acoustic tomography and internal of the U.S. Naval Observatory, which his name, I share three points here that waves, developing modern methods of

Maury founded in 1842. Notwithstand- are both compelling and personal. tidal time series analysis, to exploring ing this association, I agree with others Walter’s ? rst contribution was to na- unexplainable characteristics of sea who have called it disgraceful for any tional security when he worked with level rise, the expanse of his impact on military unit to be named after someone Dr. Harald Sverdrup at Scripps during the ? eld of geophysics is simply dizzy- who fought against our government to World War II to predict surf conditions ing. When I was given the opportunity maintain a system that enslaved other for Allied landings in the Paci? c theater. to steer National policy regarding ocean human beings. Walter actually enlisted in the Army be- science and technology, I did not ignore

The most appropriate individual af- fore Scripps and the Navy found more the example of this iconic ocean cham- ter which to rename USNS Maury effective applications for his talent. This pion. As the Acting and Deputy Admin- would be an American who made sig- began a highly impactful partnership istrator of the National Oceanic and ni? cant contributions to Naval ocean- with the Navy that lasted throughout Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), I ography and re? ected the diversity of Walter’s life and saw him make critical initiated and oversaw the development our population. Among the pantheon advances in physical oceanography and of a National Strategy and Plan to map 42 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • December 2021

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