Willis Augustus Lee

Willis Augustus Lee

Willis Augustus "Ching" Lee, Jr. (May 11, 1888 – August 25, 1945) was a Vice Admiral of the United States Navy during World War II. Lee commanded the American ships during the second night of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (November 14–15, 1942) and turned back a Japanese invasion force headed for the island. The victory ended Japanese attempts to reinforce their troops on Guadalcanal, and thus marked a turning point in both the Guadalcanal Campaign and the Pacific War itself.

Lee was also a skilled sport shooter, and won 7 medals in the 1920 Olympics shooting events (including five gold medals), tied with teammate Lloyd Spooner for the most anyone had ever received in a single games. Their record stood for 60 years. He was the most successful athlete at the 1920 Olympics.

Read more about Willis Augustus Lee:  Early Life Through World War II, 1920 Olympics, Interwar Years, World War II, Family, Namesakes

Famous quotes containing the words augustus and/or lee:

    I am not a literary man.... I am a man of science, and I am interested in that branch of Anthropology which deals with the history of human speech.
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