RADM ALEXANDER MALCOLM SINCLAIR

CO USS Leahy 01 August 1974 - 22 October 1976

Passed 14 September 2009

Inputs provided by Don Hall*

Bio......

RADM ALEX SINCLAIR US NAVY - RET.

Home town - Santa Cruz, CA

1944 - 1947 ENLISTED SERVICE
Boot camp - San Diego.
Hospital Corps School.
US NAVAL HOSPITAL WEST PALM , FL. General Ward.
NAPS (Naval Academy Prep School) sponsor Eddie Ederlatz (Navy football
coach).
Discharged as a HA1/C (hospital apprentice) pay grade E2.

1948 - 1951 Midshipman USNA
Entered USNA via fleet appt. Commissioned as Ensign June 1951.

1951 - 1953 Sea Assignments.
USS Antietam CVA 36 - WESPAC - Div. officer.
USS Yorktown CVA 10 - WESPAC - Fire Ctrl officer.
USS shangrila CVS 38 - PACFLT - Div. officer
USS Firecrest AMS 10 - CO - Homeported-Sasebo. Yellow Sea mine
sweeping ops.

1954 - 1967 Submarine Assignments
Submarine school - New London.
USS Rasher SSR 269 - Wespac - Communications officer.
USS Baya AGSS 318 - PACFLT - Engineering officer.
USS Parche SS 384 - Reserve training - Alemeda, Ca - Officer-in-Charge.
USS Piper SS 409 LANTFLT - XO.
USS BANG SS 385 LANTFLT - CO - SPEC OPS - Barents Sea.
COMSUBPAC STAFF - Pearl Harbor - PCO Instructor.

1968 - 1982 Assignments
Armed Forces Staff College.
Pentagon.
USS Dale CG 19 - WESTPAC - Gufl of Tonkin - XO.
Pentagon.
USS Edward McDonnell DE 1043 - LANTFLT - CO.
USS Leahy CG 16 LANTFLT - Leningrad ship visit - CO.
Pentagon.
Selected for Flag Officer.
Pentagon.
Commander - Crus/Dest Group 5 - PACFLT - CTF 75.
Pentagon DCNO (OP 04B)
Retired - 1982

Alex Sinclair has passed on 14 September 2009

USS Leahy 1975 Leningrad Visit -

On May 12, shortly before her sixth Med cruise, Leahy became the first U.S. warship (with USS Tattnall DDG-19) to visit Leningrad, Russia since the early 1960's, and the first U.S. warship to visit the Soviet Union since World War II.
In all, more than 12,300 Soviet visitors toured Leahy during her 5 day visit.

Elizabeth Taylor was one of the distinguished visitors

I'm sure many shipmates were not aware of the panic situation on the
bridge of the LEAHY during docking at Leningrad. With both US and
Soviet admirals on the bridge with CO Alex Sinclair while the LEAHY
was being maneuvered by a Soviet pilot, Sinclair had to re-take instant
command of the LEAHY when the Soviet pilot gave an erroneous
command (i.e. - port instead of starboard) to prevent the LEAHY from
grounding. As fate would have it, the Soviet admirals all praised the
leadership of Captain Sinclair, and the US admiral sat on the review
board when Sinclair was being considered for Flag rank (which he
made).

The selection of the LEAHY to be the visiting ship to Russia was a
significant tribute to the command and crew of the LEAHY. As would be
expected, tremendous attention was focused on every movement of the
LEAHY, from its departure from Norfolk to the arrival in Leningrad.
Just imagine the consequences of the LEAHY grounding in the Neva river.
The Russian admiral, who was on the bridge, and witnessed Sinclair
retaking command from the Russian pilot, constantly urged the US
admiral to promote Captain Sinclair.

click on the underlined links below

Ships commanded by ADM. Alex Sinclair

RADM Alex Sinclair (at age 73) with granddaughter Katelynn - Lone
Sailor Memorial - year 2000

Leahy CO Entry  

Lone Sailor Entry  

*Don Hall - I have been friends with Alex Sinclair for nearly 65
years, and correspond on a regular basis. Alex resides in VA, and I
live in Santa Cruz, CA, his birth place. Alex, being a relative private
person, was hesitant in relating details of his Navy career, but little
by little, we were able to extract many interesting stories of his
commands over the years since his retirement. Alex is dealing with
Parkinson's disease now, and we try to provide him with bits of
nostalgia and memorabilia from events that were very important in
his career. It has been very rewarding to discover entries in the
various web logs of the ships he commanded, and read the tributes
to him from his crew, both officers and enlisted personnel.

*donhall@cruzio.com