Victor Delano

DELANO VICTOR DELANO Captain, U.S. Navy (Retired) Victor Delano, Captain U.S. Navy (Retired), a Pearl Harbor survivor, died on August 25, 2014 at Casey House in Rockville, Maryland. He was 94. Victor was born in Washington, DC on December 20, 1919 to Captain Harvey Delano and Marcia Murdock Delano. Victor entered the Naval Academy in 1937 and graduated "With Distinction" in February 1941 (accelerated due to the impending war) and was commissioned Ensign. His first assignment was aboard the USS West Virginia, where he was when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941. He served in the Pacific theater during the remainder of the war aboard the antiaircraft cruiser, USS San Juan (1942-43) and the destroyer, USS Wedderburn (1944-45). Following the war, Victor commanded the USS Shoveler and Mine Division 23 as part of the mine sweeping operations in Japan. After attending postgraduate school at the Naval Academy, Victor earned a Masters in Physics in February 1949. From there, he was assigned to Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory until 1951 to work on atomic weapons effects testing. His extensive naval career included a variety of ship and staff assignments. During Korea, Victor was the commanding officer of the destroyer USS Eversole. He then attended the Armed Forces Staff College and served in various staff assignments until 1958 when he became the Executive Officer of the heavy cruiser USS Newport News. He assumed command of the USS Taconic, a communication support ship, from 1962-1963. Later, he took command of Amphibious Squadron Eight, a group of ships used for specific tactical operations. After serving as Congressional support to Admiral Thomas Moorer, the Chief of Naval Operations, Victor retired from the Navy in 1969. During his distinguished naval career, Victor earned two Legion of Merit awards, a Bronze Star with Valor, and a Purple Heart. Following his retirement from the Navy, Victor served as Treasurer and then President of the Wichita Eagle-Beacon until the paper was sold. Victor served in numerous organizations as a director/officer/trustee including Avon Old Farms School (Avon, CT), the Victor Murdock Foundation (Wichita, KS), the Naval Academy Alumni Association, the Naval Academy Foundation, the Naval Historical Foundation, the William Allen White Foundation (Lawrence, KS), the Kingsbury Center (Washington, DC), the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), and the Episcopal Center for Children (Washington, DC). Victor was an active member of many organizations including the Chevy Chase Club, the Metropolitan Club, Grey Oaks Country Club (Naples, FL), and the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevins. His naval and military organizations included the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, the Naval Academy Alumni Association (NAAA), the Naples-Ft. Myers Chapter of the NAAA, the Naval Historical Foundation, the Naval Institute, and the Military Order of the Carabao. Victor will be remembered as an officer and gentleman and a proud member of the Greatest Generation. He lived life to the fullest, traveling the world, enjoying food and wine, and sharing his stories with his family and the friends he made everywhere. He was a proud and active supporter of Navy sports, particularly Navy football where he was a season ticket-holder for more years than anyone can remember. He was also an avid golfer and recorded two holes-in-one. Victor's wife, Jacqueline Stinson Delano, died in 1990. Victor is survived by his daughter, Katherine Delano Jahnig and her husband, Frederick Jahnig of Chevy Chase, Maryland; his son, Harvey Delano II of Sacramento, California; and his grandchildren, Leigh Jacqueline Jahnig of Chicago, Illinois and Peter Delano Jahnig at Tulane University. Victor is also survived by his dear friend and traveling companion, Julie R. Woods of Baltimore, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to: The Episcopal Center for Children, 5901 Utah Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20015 and the Kingsbury Center, 5000 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery will be held at a date to be determined.