US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Acknowledgements
During the nine years that the author of this factual study of the life of
Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner worked on these volumes, hundreds of all
ranks and ratings in the Armed Forces have been interviewed. My very real
thanks go to each one of them for their contribution to this work, but
particularly to those wI-10had the intestinal fortitude to permit themselves
to be quoted when they had something critical to say abou; the subject.
To the Director of Naval History, Rear Admiral E. M. Eller, who initiated
this factual study, who encouraged me to undertake it and then patiently,
very patiently, waited for the end product, more than thanks is due. My
warmest gratitude extends to him.
The long seige of my efforts was mostly carried through in the Navy’s
Classified Operational Archives, whose physical location shifted frequently,
but the courtesy of Dean Allard who heads the Archives Division and of
Mrs. Mildred Mayeux, research assistant, who was a thousand times helpful,
never shifted. They are real gems in the naval historical research field.
To Mr. Paul A. Sweeney of the Office of Naval Operations, who took my
maps and diagrams and made them come alive with his cartographic art,
my deepest thanks.
To my friends of many years, Vice Admiral T. G. W. Settle and Captain
John E. Dingwell, who read the manuscript and pointed out my errors, thanks
again for their patience and real help.
To a former Ships Writer of mine, Chris A. Miller, who persisted through
his retirement years in the decipherment of my handwriting and the typing
(and then retyping) thanks ten times over. And to Mrs. Jean Ellinger who
typed the final smooth copy so well, an accolade.
Last, but not least, my wife of 48 years bore with me and my writing chore
with remarkable understanding, year after year after year, and my public
thanks to her.
GEORGE C. DYER
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