Roper
Clifford Harris Roper
Clifford Harris Roper, seen here as a Captain, was born Oct 16, 1894 in Napa, California to Clifford Alvin Roper (1870 – 1942) and Mabel Eva Lovejoy Roper (1870 – 1954). His father owned a grocery store in Napa. In 1910 at age 15 he worked as a messenger boy in the Post Office. He had a younger brother named Foster (named for his grandfather whose middle name was Harris) an even younger sister named Lotus
Roper was a 1916 graduate of the US Naval Academy and soon after married Cathrine A. Parker on June 3, 1916. They soon had a daughter Cathrine named for her mother.
He had been serving aboard the USS Maine in February 1919 but was detached to be an aid and staff lieutenant to Admiral Wells, commander of Division #1, Atlantic Fleet. In September 1919 he was assigned to the battleship New Hampshire but had to have volunteered for submarine duty because by 1921 he was aboard the USS R-13 stationed out of Pearl Harbor. He was transferred on May 26, 1921 to command of the USS R-14 relieving Vincent A Clarke , Jr who had commissioned the R-14.
He was again transferred, this time to the commissioning CO of the USS S-38 built at Union Iron Works in San Francisco, Calif. The S-38 was commissioned on May 11, 1923.
In 1926 daughter Ruth A Roper was born and later in life was married to Clark P. Jeffers.
Under Instruction Naval War College 1938 - 1 Jan 1939 Staff Naval War College 1 Jul 1939 - 1 Oct 1939 Commander Submarine Division Twelve 1 Jul 1940 - 12 Nov 1940 Commander Submarine Division Forty Two 1 Oct 1941 Commander Submarine Squadron Eight Apr 1942 - 25 Oct 1942 Captain USS New Orleans (CA-32) Nov 1942 - Apr 1943 Captain of the Yard Portsmouth Navy Yard Jun 1943 - Feb 1946 Commander Naval Ordnance Plant Pocatello 1 Nov 1946 - 1948
On July 1, 1936 he was promoted to Commander and in July 1940 he was relieved of his position on the Staff of the Naval War College and replaced CDR Scott Umsted as Commander of Submarine Division 12 and held that position until November of 1940 when he was moved to COMSUBDIV 42.
On January 1, 1942 he was promoted to full Captain and later that year was given command of the Cruiser USS New Orleans CA 32 and earned a Navy Cross for his part in the Battle of Tassafaronga where the New Orleans, though critically damaged fought the enemy off and saved the ship.
In 1944 Roper was photographed (above) at the commissioning of the USS Sea Devil SS 400.
Clifford H. Roper retired from th Navy as a Rear Admiral and lived in San Francisco, Calif until his death on January. 22, 1971.
He is buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery , San Bruno, San Mateo County, California, USA Plot: Section X Site 5303. Wife, daughter and Son-In-Law are all buried in the same plot.
Thanks to Jim Haas for adding detail to this Bio.
US Navy Photo
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