Wallace L. Lind

Wallace Ludwig Lind (18 June 1887 – 12 April 1940) was an officer in the United States Navy.

W.L. Lind (3rd from left) as commanding officer of USS Omaha (CL-4), 1938-1939.

Biography

Lind, born on 18 June 1887 in Brainerd, Minnesota, was appointed a midshipman on 30 June 1905 and commissioned an ensign on 5 June 1911.

Ensign Lind served on Stewart (DD-13), Denver (C-14), Goldsborough (TB-20), and Cheyenne (BM-10). On 31 August 1915, he departed Cheyenne and, one month later, arrived at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, for a post-graduate course in steam engineering, following which he attended Columbia University for special instruction.

Lind served on board Rhode Island (BB-17) from 2 March to 12 July 1917 and was then detailed to New York, N.Y., for duty on board the troop transport President Lincoln as engineering officer and, later, as executive officer. It was during this assignment that he was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism. On 4 May 1920, he reported to Michigan (BB-27) as first lieutenant followed by a tour as first lieutenant on Arizona (BB-39).

Lind assumed command of Capella (AK-13) on 5 June 1922 and, upon being detached from that ship, reported to the Naval Air Station, San Diego, Calif., on 18 April 1923 for duty as executive officer. Upon the completion of his duties there, he served as engineering officer of Arizona. This was followed by instruction at the Naval Unit, Edgewood Arsenal, Edgewood, Maryland, and at the Naval War College, Newport, R.I.

Into the 1930s, Lind served as executive officer of Medusa (AR-1), Altair (AD-11), and Omaha (CL-4); followed by shore duty at the Navy Yard, Boston, Mass. From 1935 to 1938, Commander Lind was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department, Washington, D.C. During this period, he received his promotion to captain to rank from 30 June 1937. Captain Lind died on 12 April 1940 at Baltimore, Maryland.

Namesake

In 1944, the destroyer USS Wallace L. Lind (DD-703) was named in his honor.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.