Admiral John Lesslie Hall Jr. (11 April 1891 – 6 March 1978) was a senior officer of the United States Navy, who served during World War II. Biography Education Hall, son of the literary scholar John Lesslie Hall, was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, and attended The College of William & Mary for three years before transferring to the U.S. Naval Academy where he graduated in 1913. He starred in American football for three seasons at William and Mary and four years at the Naval Academy. He excelled in three sports at the Academy and was awarded the coveted "Academy Sword" for athletic excellence. Early career As a junior officer he served in the battleships and . During World War I he trained engineering personnel on the battleship , and was engineering officer of the destroyer . During the years following the war he had sea duty, mainly in destroyers, and served ashore as a Naval Academy instructor. From the mid-1920s until 1934, Hall was successively an Aide to the Naval District commandant at Charleston, South Carolina, Executive Officer of the submarine tender , Commanding Officer of the destroyer , spent three years with the Naval Academy's physical training and athletics programs, and was a Navigation Officer on the battleship . Promoted to commander in 1934, he went to the Far East to serve in heavy cruiser , and then commanded the gunboat , and a destroyer division. During the late 1930s, Hall was at the Naval War College, initially as a student, then as a member of the staff. In July 1940 he achieved the rank of captain and was given command of the battleship . This was followed by staff duty with elements of the Atlantic Fleet. World War II In mid-1942 Hall was appointed rear admiral for the invasion of Morocco, and was the chief of staff of the Western Naval Task Force during the North African landings in 1942, receiving the Distinguished Service Medal for opening ports and preventing sabotage while commander of Northwest African Sea Frontier. In February 1943, he became commander of Amphibious Force, North African Waters (Eighth Fleet), expertly cross-training army artillerymen and navy gunners so that his ships' call-fire missions could be conducted in direct support of troop advances rather than at "targets of opportunity." His concept proved devastating to enemy forces and tank divisions as he led one of the major assault