Original Item: One-of-a-Kind. This is an exceptional named U.S. Navy WWII display associated with Vice Admiral Bertram Joseph Rodgers, one of the most highly decorated American naval officers of the war and the Navy Cross recipient who commanded the heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) during the desperate Battle of the Komandorski Islands on March 26, 1943. Mounted on the approximately 16 x 27 ½” presentation board are Rodgers’ gold Naval Aviator wings, an eight-place ribbon bar headed by the Navy Cross and Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and two period photographs, including one personally signed by Rodgers and dated 1941. The existing board has suffered water damage and warping, but the historic material mounted to it offers the foundation for an outstanding professionally framed display devoted to an officer whose career encompassed aviation, submarines, surface warfare, amphibious operations, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and command at the vice admiral level.

Bertram Joseph Rodgers was born on March 18, 1894, in Knoxville, Pennsylvania. He entered the United States Naval Academy in 1912 and graduated with the Class of 1916, joining a generation of officers who would eventually occupy many of the Navy’s most important commands during WWII.

While at Annapolis, Rodgers was an accomplished athlete and played varsity baseball throughout his four years at the Academy, earning the Naval Academy “N.” He also held cadet leadership responsibilities and served as an ordnance officer within the brigade.

His naval career became unusually broad.

During the interwar period, Rodgers served in submarines and later underwent lighter-than-air training at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey. He completed the course in 1928 and was designated a Naval Aviator, making the gold aviation wings included with this display an especially meaningful component rather than simply a decorative addition.

Rodgers subsequently served with Navy airships during an era when lighter-than-air aviation was considered an important component of long-range naval reconnaissance. His career therefore bridged several very different worlds of naval warfare, from submarines and dirigibles to heavy cruisers and amphibious task forces.

The centerpiece of Rodgers’ combat reputation came as commanding officer of:

USS Salt Lake City (CA-25)

The cruiser had already accumulated an extraordinary wartime record before Rodgers took her into the North Pacific. Salt Lake City participated in operations connected with the Doolittle Raid, supported the Guadalcanal campaign, and fought at the Battle of Cape Esperance, where she sustained enemy gunfire damage.

After repairs, she was transferred north to oppose Japanese attempts to reinforce their forces in the Aleutian Islands.

On March 26, 1943, American naval forces intercepted a significantly stronger Japanese force near the Komandorski Islands.

The resulting engagement became one of the most remarkable surface actions of the Pacific War.

There were no aircraft carriers and no meaningful air support directing the battle. Instead, cruisers and destroyers fought an extended traditional gunnery engagement across the cold waters of the North Pacific.

Rodgers commanded Salt Lake City, the largest American warship in the engagement.

The battle continued for approximately 3 1/2 hours. Salt Lake City came under intense Japanese fire and was repeatedly hit. At one stage the cruiser temporarily lost propulsion and appeared to be in an extremely dangerous position against the approaching Japanese force.

Rodgers nevertheless continued fighting his ship.

His calm handling of the cruiser under extraordinarily difficult circumstances helped keep the American formation intact until Salt Lake City’s engineering personnel succeeded in restoring power. The Japanese commander ultimately broke off the engagement, and the reinforcement convoy intended for the Aleutian garrisons turned back.

For his conduct during the battle, Captain Rodgers received the:

Navy Cross

His citation reads:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain Bertram Joseph Rodgers, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the Heavy Cruiser U.S.S. SALT LAKE CITY (CA-25), during operations in the Aleutian Islands on 26 March 1943. During a 3 1/2-hour engagement with an enemy force of far greater strength, Captain Rodgers handled his cruiser with such excellent judgment and skill that she was able to inflict severe damage on one heavy cruiser and lesser damage on another heavy, and a light cruiser. His outstanding achievement contributed to the withdrawal of the Japanese force and frustrated their desperate attempt to reinforce troops in the Aleutian Islands. Captain Rodgers’ conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Navy of the United States.

The Battle of the Komandorski Islands was not the end of Rodgers’ wartime career.

He later rose to flag rank and became deeply involved in amphibious warfare. During the invasion of Southern France in 1944, Rodgers commanded naval forces supporting Operation Dragoon, coordinating the movement and landing of troops, supplies, and equipment of the U.S. Seventh Army.

For this service he received the:

Navy Distinguished Service Medal

Rodgers subsequently served as commander of Amphibious Group 11 during operations against Iwo Jima and Okinawa in 1945.

His task force supported minesweeping, underwater demolition operations, shore bombardment, troop landings, and the continued advance of American ground forces against some of the strongest Japanese defenses encountered during the Pacific War.

For his performance during these operations, Rodgers received a Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Distinguished Service Medal.

Following WWII, Rodgers continued serving in increasingly senior commands. His assignments ultimately included command of Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, commandant of the 12th Naval District in San Francisco, and command of U.S. Naval Forces Germany.

He ultimately retired with the rank of:

Vice Admiral

The insignia grouping mounted on the board provides an excellent visual summary of the earlier portion of that remarkable career.

At the top are Rodgers’ gold:

Naval Aviator Wings

These have particular relevance to his interwar lighter-than-air aviation service and his 1928 designation as a Naval Aviator.

Also mounted is an eight-place ribbon bar containing:

Navy Cross
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
WWI Victory Medal with one star
American Defense Service Medal with one star
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one campaign star
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three campaign stars
WWII Victory Medal

This is not Rodgers’ complete final-career ribbon rack, as he accumulated additional decorations and later awards over the course of his long service. It nevertheless represents an impressive wartime grouping and is particularly significant because the first two ribbons correspond to his highest U.S. naval decorations.

The board also contains two photographs of Rodgers.

One is personally signed by him and dated:

1941

Of particular interest, the ribbon arrangement Rodgers is wearing in the photograph is quite similar to the mounted ribbon group, providing an excellent visual connection between the officer and the insignia displayed alongside his image.

The complete presentation board measures approximately:

16 x 27 ½”

Condition of the board itself is poor.

It has suffered water damage and is now noticeably warped. Some of the original lettering applied to the board is also wearing away.

The mounted artifacts and photographs remain the real collector value of the presentation. With careful conservation and professional reframing, the wings, ribbons, photographs, and surviving identification information could be transformed into an exceptionally impressive display while preserving the history of the original presentation.

Named WWII flag officer material is difficult to encounter, particularly when it relates to an officer with such a varied combat career. Rodgers was not simply a senior administrator who acquired rank late in the war. He personally commanded USS Salt Lake City through one of the Pacific War’s most dramatic cruiser engagements, earned the Navy Cross in combat, subsequently directed major amphibious operations in both Europe and the Pacific, and received two awards of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.

The combination of Rodgers’ Naval Aviator wings, Navy Cross ribbon, Distinguished Service Medal ribbon, wartime campaign ribbons, signed 1941 photograph, additional portrait, and direct association with USS Salt Lake City and the Battle of the Komandorski Islands makes this an unusually compelling named officer grouping. Properly reframed, it would make a superb centerpiece for an advanced U.S. Navy, USS Salt Lake City, Aleutian Campaign, Naval Aviation, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, amphibious warfare, or WWII flag officer collection.