In 1956 Ellis was made captain of the Navy 's new supercarrier USS Forrestal . He commanded the ship during its inaugural cruise and subsequently was fleeted up to Rear admiral on July 18 , 1958 . His first post as a two-star admiral was Chief of Staff to Commander Carrier Division 6 . Ellis stepped back into a command role with his appointment as Commander Carrier Division 2 in 1961 . On June 2 , 1964 he was given a third star and Vice admiral rank , and put in charge of the Sixth Fleet . After two years serving in this capacity he was relieved of his command and awarded the Distinguished Service Medal . Specifically recognized in his full citation are Ellis 's adroit management of an Atlantic command at a time when the Vietnam War pulled increasing Navy resource to the Pacific ; and the swiftness with which he assisted in the recovery of a hydrogen bomb lost off the coast of Spain . Ellis 's final position within the Navy was as Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic , a post he served in during his last year of service , 1968 . He died in a Norfolk , Virginia hospital on September 26 , 1982 as a result of cancer
hydrogen bomb lost off the coast of Spain
1966 Palomares B-52 crash
William Edward Ellis