Joseph Orleck

Who was Joseph Orleck?

Joseph Orleck was an officer in the United States Navy.

Born at Columbus, Ohio, Orleck enlisted in the Navy 23 June 1924. Rising through the enlisted ranks, he was warranted Boatswain, 14 December 1938, and appointed Ensign, 15 June 1942. He assumed command of USS Nauset, 28 May 1943 with the rank of Lieutenant. Lt. Orleck went down with his ship after a Luftwaffe bomber attack in the Gulf of Salerno, 9 September 1943. A recipient of the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for rescue work during the Casablanca invasion, he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his courageous firefighting and flood control efforts to prevent total loss of his ship during the Salerno assault.

USS Orleck was named for him.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.