Allegiance United States Name Marion Cheek Years of service 1911–1945 Battles and wars World War II | Rank Rear Admiral USN(R) Battles/wars World War II | |
Born October 18, 1888
Ripley, Tennessee ( 1888-10-18 ) Awards Navy Cross
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal
Intelligence Medal of Merit Died June 20, 1969, San Francisco, California, United States Education United States Naval Academy Place of burial San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, California, United States Other work Central Intelligence Agency | ||
Service/branch United States Navy | ||
Admiral Marion Case Cheek, USN(R) (October 18, 1888 – June 20, 1969) was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy Reserve. During World War II, he served as an intelligence officer in the Pacific. After retiring from the Navy, he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency.
Contents
Biography
Cheek graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1911.
World War II
As a lieutenant commander at the outbreak of World War II, in September 1942 he received the Navy Cross "For distinguished service in the line of his profession as Intelligence Officer of the Sixteenth Naval District in the city of Manila" during which he volunteered for a number of assignments which brought him under enemy fire.
He was sent to Corregidor and later to Australia along with a million pesos of Philippine government funds.
Promoted to commander, he became part of Admiral William F. Halsey's Third Fleet staff and part of its unofficial "Dirty Tricks Department," which also included Rear Admiral Robert Bostwick Carney, Commander Harold Stassen, Captain Ralph E. Wilson, Captain Leonard J. Dow, and Commander Horace D. Moulton.
During his time with the Third Fleet he was awarded the Legion of Merit twice, and the Bronze Star. He was promoted to captain on August 1, 1943
Captain Cheek returned to his role in the reserves as a commander after the war, but was promoted to captain on July 25, 1949, with relative precedence to his previous promotion to captain, and rear admiral on November 10, 1949.
Post-war career
He went to work for the Central Intelligence Agency where he received the Intelligence Medal of Merit for his service. He retired from government service in 1958.
He is buried at San Francisco National Cemetery.