The Battle of Leyte Gulf

STAN SMITH (1921-1970) served in patrol craft, the battleship U.S.S. Arkansas, and the submarine Lionfish during World War II. He holds medals and decorations from five major battles.
Twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of marine disaster and sea stories, Stan Smith has also written many magazine articles, a regular column for the N.Y. Daily News, and television documentaries for the March of Time and Wide Wide World. He was an Associate Producer at NBC. He was a member of the Military Historians Society.
REAR-ADMIRAL WILLIAM HERMAN BROCKMAN JR. (18 November 1904 - 1 February 1979) served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Born at Baltimore, Maryland. Enlisting in the Naval Reserve in 1922, he was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy a year later and graduated from there in 1927. He specialized in submarines from 1929 onward and commanded the submarine rescue ship Mallard (ASR-4) in 1938-39. He was Commanding Officer of Nautilus (SS-168) during the June 1942 Battle of Midway and in subsequent operations, earning the Navy Cross with two gold stars for himself and the Presidential Unit Citation for his ship during this period.
After a year with the Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet, Brockman was a Submarine Division commander from September 1944 to December 1945, receiving promotion to the rank of Captain in March 1945. He commanded Cahaba (AO-82) until February 1946, then served in Seventh Fleet and Navy headquarters staff positions until retiring in November 1947. Promoted to Rear Admiral upon retirement, Brockman was active in business for many years thereafter.
Admiral Brockman was a recipient of the Navy Cross with two Gold Stars, Silver Star, Navy Presidential Unit Citation, Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal.
Brockman died at Boca Raton, Florida, aged 74.