Why the USS Coral Sea Produced Some of the Navy’s Greatest Admirals
If you think aircraft carriers are just giant floating runways, think again. The USS Coral Sea (CV-43), commissioned in 1947, was more than a ship—it was a leadership incubator. Over the years, at least 15 commanding officers of the Coral Sea eventually reached admiral rank, a remarkable track record that speaks to the ship’s role in shaping top-tier naval leaders. First, let’s talk about how the Navy’s admiral ranks came to be. The U.S. started with Rear Admirals, evolving from the old Commodores who led squadrons in the 1800s. Today, the rank is split into Lower Half (one star) and Upper Half (two stars), which helps the Navy scale responsibilities. Then there’s Vice Admiral, the three-star officers who run fleets or major bureaus, and Admiral, the four-star leaders who are basically the generals of the sea. During World War II, the Navy even created Fleet Admiral, a five-star rank for global wartime command—basically “admirals of admirals.” Now, back to the Coral Sea. From the momen...