Daniel V. Gallery, 1901-1977.

Guide to the Daniel V. Gallery Papers, 1907-1977

MS 384

A collection in the
Special Collections & Archives Department
Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy
589 McNair Road
Annapolis, MD 21402-5029

Prepared by Ruth Hennessy
July 2005
(Edited by David D'Onofrio, November 2008)

Descriptive Summary

Biographical Sketch

Daniel Vincent Gallery was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 10, 1901, entered the Naval Academy in 1917, and graduated with the class of 1921 on June 3, 1920. He advanced through the ranks until 1960, when he retired from the Navy with the rank of Rear Admiral.

As a midshipman, Gallery was a member of the United States Olympic wrestling team and participated in the Olympic Games of 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. In 1927 he was ordered to Pensacola for flight training. He was in command of the U. S. Navy Fleet Air Base in Iceland when World War II broke out. In 1943, Gallery took command of the U.S.S. Guadalcanal. In June 1944, Gallery captured the German submarine U‑505 off Cape Blanco, French West Africa, the first boarding and capture at sea of an enemy naval vessel since 1815.

In 1928, Gallery married Vera Lee Dunn.  They subsequently adopted three children, James J., Daniel V. III, and Beatrice Constance.

In 1945, he assumed command of the U.S.S. Hancock, and when the formal surrender of the Japanese imperial government was signed on board the Missouri, Hancock's planes flew overhead.

Gallery later served as Assistant Chief of Naval Operations (guided missiles), commanded Carrier Division Six during the Korean conflict, commanded the Naval Air Reserve Training Command at Glenview, and served as commandant of the 10th Naval District, with headquarters at San Juan, Puerto Rico. While in San Juan, Gallery set up the first Navy steel band.

During his career, Gallery accumulated over 6,000 hours flying time in all types of naval aircraft, including single‑seat jets. He was a prolific writer of books, articles, and short stories, and a skilled cartoonist.  Among the works authored by Gallery are Twenty Million Tons Under the Sea (1956), Eight Bells and All’s Well and Now, Hear This (1965), Stand By-y-y to Start Engines (1966), The Brink (1968), Cap’n Fatso (1969), and The Pueblo Incident (1970).

Scope and Content Note

The papers of Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery (1901-1977) span the years 1907-1977.  The collection consists of correspondence, publications of Rear Admiral Gallery and others, government documents, legal documents and papers.  Most materials are original although there are a small number of photocopies.  There is an extensive collection of photographs, awards, honors and audiovisual materials.  The bulk of the material is centered on his Navy experiences and his career as a writer.

Related Collections

DVDs of the following materials are housed in Archives in the Special Collections and Archives Department, Nimitz Library, United States Naval Academy: Birth of the Carrier Task Force: A Saga of U.S. Naval Aviation by CDR Eugene E. Wilson,  Admiral Dan's Pandemoniacs written by Rear Admiral D. V. Gallery, USN, Capture of U-505 by U.S.S. Guadalcanal directed by Oscar Rudolph (created and produced by Sam Gallu; screenplay by Rear Admiral D.V. Gallery, USN), To Tell the Truth (segment with Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery, also available in Nimitz Library Audiovisual Area), Away boarders [Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery (Ret.) reminisces about the capture of the U-505] from NBC with cooperation of the Navy Department of the United States.

Also available in the Special Collections and Archives Department, Nimitz Library, is the transcript of a U.S. Naval Institute Oral History with Rear Admiral Gallery (Reminiscences of Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery, U.S. Navy (Retired), 1976).

Series Descriptions

I. CORRESPONDENCE (Boxes 1-16)

Organized into eight sub-series.

General: Arranged by date.  The bulk of this correspondence relates to current news, Navy interests and writing.  Material is arranged chronologically, 1927-1974.

Authors, Political Leaders: Arranged by date.  This group of correspondents consists primarily of author Herman Wouk, with whom Gallery carried on an extensive discussion of “good” writing.  Presidents and political leaders include Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight David Eisenhower, and Richard Milhous Nixon, as well as Louis Ferre of Puerto Rico and Musician Pablo Casals.  Most letters are originals.  Photocopies of these originals are filed chronologically in the General category.

Research and Researchers: Arranged by date.  The correspondence in this sub-series involves well known military personnel and historians, and follows Gallery's interests and verification of material for his writing.  Includes letters from Captain Axel Lowe, Admiral Doenitz, and Admiral Nimitz.  Also included in this sub-series are opinions on UCMJ, Brainwashing, and the Secretary of the Navy (SecNav).

Publishers and Publishing: Arranged by date.  As well as the correspondence with Gallery's agent and the major publishers of his work, this sub-series contains correspondence with editors and staff of various periodicals concerning articles he had written.

Parents: Arranged by date.  Extensive correspondence with Gallery's parents, offering insight into his childhood, career and family relationships.

Family: The correspondence in this sub-series is with his wife, children, siblings, and other family members.  These letters are personal and some refer to children’s school, camp and other activities.

Personal Information: This sub-series contains bills, finances, medical records, and retirement information.

Donations of Material: This correspondence discusses Gallery's material at Boston University, and its transfer to Nimitz Library.  Includes lists of various donations and publications.

II. EDUCATION (Box 17-18)

Organized into two sub-series.

Elementary to High School: Papers, compositions and notebooks from St. Patrick’s Academy and St. Ignatius Academy, 1909-1912.

United States Naval Academy: Documents in this sub-series relate to United States Naval Academy admissions, examinations, faculty contacts, notes, compositions and fight with the son of the Secretary of the Navy.

III. NAVAL CAREER DOCUMENTS (Box 19-22)

Organized into two sub-series.

Orders: Official orders and related documents.

Career-Related Papers: Arranged alphabetically by document type.  Included in this sub-series are documents and papers incidental to Gallery's career, including professional information, aviator log books, diaries, weather, and ship information.

IV. PATENTS AND RESEARCH MATERIALS: (Box 23-25)

Organized into three sub-series.

Patents and Inventions: Contains verification of Gallery's many patent holdings, including gun sight, a synchronous anti-aircraft range keeping system, and laying chemical screens.

General Research: Arranged alphabetically by subject.  Includes notes on aircraft carriers and aerodynamics.

Personal Interests and Considered Opinions: Arranged alphabetically by subject.  Includes material on steel band, Little League, and the USS Idaho Yarn.

V. MANUSCRIPTS, BOOKS AND BOOK REVIEWS: (Box 25-69 and 102[OS])

Primarily arranged chronologically by book publication date.  Periodical articles arranged alphabetically by periodical title.

This series contains books, proofs and manuscripts, as well as reviews, edits, articles, and criticism by and about Rear Admiral Gallery.  Both published and unpublished materials are included.  Book titles are arranged chronologically by publication date.

VI. SCRAPBOOKS AND EPHEMERA: (Box 70-74 and 103[OS]-108[OS])

Arranged alphabetically by document type.

VII. PHOTOGRAPHS AND PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS: (Box 75-95 and 109[OS]-113[OS])

Organized into seven sub-series.

This series contains a large variety of photographs taken during Rear Admiral Gallery’s tours of duty, as well as his family photographs.  Many photographs are unidentified.

Portraits and Family Photographs: Includes portraits and other images of Gallery and his family, as well as other high ranking officers in the United States Navy.

United States Naval Academy and United States Navy

Fleet Air Base, Iceland

U-505: Includes images of U.S.S. Guadalcanal.

West Indies

Miscellaneous

Negatives

VIII. AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS: (Box 96-97 and 114[OS]-115[OS])

This series contains Navy and Marine Corps directories from various assignments.

Audio: Arranged alphabetically by title.  Audio recordings on LP and magnetic tape, largely relating to the capture and exhibition of German submarine U-505.

Motion Picture Film:  Arranged alphabetically by title.  16mm films of motion picture adaptations of Away Boarders and Steel Band, as well as appearances by Gallery on the television game show To Tell the Truth.

Slide Film:  Two rolls of undeveloped Kodak Ektachrome slide film.

IX. CERTIFICATES: (Box 98[OS]-99[OS])

Arranged alphabetically by presenting organization.

X. CARTOONS AND DRAWINGS: (Box Box 99[OS]-101[OS])

Arranged by drawing type.

Container List

Comments and Suggestions: Web Systems Management Librarian Last Updated: April 16, 2009