married in 1943. He served in this assignment until 1944 and was promoted to lieutenant commander and commander. Late in 1944, Tolley returned to the Pacific when he was assigned as the navigator of the battleship USS North Carolina where he participated in combat action at Leyte Gulf and off Luzon during the liberation of the Philippines. He was also aboard North Carolina during the invasion of Iwo Jima and was wounded by shell fragments at Okinawa Gunto. For his service during the war, Tolley received the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service, the Purple Heart for being wounded in action and seven battle stars. Post War Career After the war, he became an intelligence officer on the Naval Operations staff and commanded the attack cargo ship USS Vermilion (AKA-107) from June 1947 to September 1948. From 1949 to 1952, he was the director of the intelligence division at the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, where his unorthodox teaching methods were frowned upon by his superiors although his classes were very popular with his students. Other tours included operations officer on the staff of Commander Amphibious Group Two and command of Amphibious Squadron Five, during which time he was tasked with forming an evacuation plan for Taiwan. In 1956, he was designated commander of fleet activities at the Yokosuka, Japan. Later life Tolley retired from the Navy in 1959, and was promoted to rear admiral on the retired list in recognition of his being decorated for combat service. He then returned to his boyhood home in historic Corbett Village, Monkton, Maryland. In retirement, he wrote more than 100 articles and three books, "Yangtze Patrol," "Cruise of the Lanikai" and "Caviar and Commissars." In 1992, he was inducted into the Defense Attache Hall of Fame in Washington. In 1993, he was honored at the White House Rose Garden by President Bill Clinton and later by Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin. Tolley died at his home in Corbett, Maryland on October 28, 2000 at the age of 92. A bronze bust of Admiral Tolley was erected at the United States Naval Academy in his honor. Awards Bronze Star Medal Navy Commendation Medal Purple Heart Yangtze Service Medal China Service Medal American Defense Service Medal with "FLEET" clasp Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one silver and two bronze battle stars European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Medal