# Admiral Halsey, psoriasis and midway **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471 "2009-07-18T20:33:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/41 "2017-09-17T11:52:45Z")
psoriasis is more likely to be always present. Its inate in the genes, or immune system configuration, of the person… Shingles is caused by a virus , which bides its time hiding insides neurons and breaks out at times , eg when the persons immune system is lowered and it escapes from neuron to skin … Also, being a navy guy in close quarters with elderly people… if an elderly person there had an outbreak of shingles, its possible that the other personnel on board also got shingles. So there’s another clue… why can’t he do his duties with a bit of sick skin ? because he has a highly infectious disease that could spread to the rest of the crew ? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/42 "2017-09-17T14:19:14Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > Also, being a navy guy in close quarters with elderly people… if an elderly person there had an outbreak of shingles, its possible that the other personnel on board also got shingles. > > So there’s another clue… why can’t he do his duties with a bit of sick skin ? because he has a highly infectious disease that could spread to the rest of the crew ? Shingles could be contagious in that someone with oozing blisters could infect someone with the varicella zoster virus on direct contact, causing _chickenpox_ if they’ve never been infected before. But you can’t directly catch shingles from someone else. I never heard that Halsey was sidelined because of oozing, dripping blisters or that he was prone to hugging other crew members and thus risking disease spread. Widespread chronic skin diseases can cause misery in other ways than pain (i.e. severe itching). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/43 "2017-09-17T14:58:34Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I never heard that Halsey was sidelined because of oozing, dripping blisters or that he was prone to hugging other crew members and thus risking disease spread. Maybe the guy who had to pick up his hat. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/44 "2017-09-17T16:23:41Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > The real hero of Midway was \*\*Captain Joseph Rochefort \*\*and his team of codebreakers at Pearl Harbor, who had provided the information on the Japanese plan to the US Admirals. He argued with the Washington DC Intelligence group, who were quite fooled by the Japanese misinformation, and thought the Midway attack would come a month later. Luckily Nimitz, CiC Pacific, believed him. (But the Washington bureaucrats got even with Rochefort afterwards; he never again got promoted,never got a sea command, never got any recognition or medals, and was eventually transferred to a minor job elsewhere.) He did, indeed, get screwed over medal-wise but partially at his request. When Nimitz put him up for a DSM, Rochefort demurred saying that it would only make trouble. He _was_ awarded the Legion of Merit, no small potatoes, before the end of the war and posthumously awarded the DSM and Presidential Medal of Freedom as well as induction into the NSA’s [Central Security Service’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Security_Service) Hall of Fame. OP-20-G was understandably embarrassed by Rochefort’s intelligence coup. Not only did it insist the Japanese attack would take place much later in June, their bet was that it would be in the Aleutians or New Guinea or even the west coast of the US – anywhere but Midway. As an ex-navy spook (direction finding, not sigint) Rochefort is one of my heroes. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/45 "2017-09-18T15:06:02Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > Whatever it was that beached Halsey just before Midway, I consider it serendipitous in the extreme: unlike Spruance, who retired (temporarily) to the east after concluding air operations on the 4th, Halsey would most likely have driven full speed to the west — and perhaps into the big guns of Kondo and Yamamoto’s surface forces, just in time for a night gun battle. This is _exactly_ what I was going to say, only to be ninja’d by 8 years. > [@633squadron](#): > > Uh… > > It was _Spruance_ who, at Saipan, interpreted his orders to mean that his primary duty was to protect the landings. After this led to a missed opportunity, Halsey demanded and got orders that allowed him to go after and destroy the enemy fleet as his primary mission. Spruance didn’t ‘interpret’ his orders to mean that his primary duty was to protect the landings. Those **were** his orders and that **was** his primary duty. There was no missed opportunity, Japanese carrier-based naval aviation was irrevocably destroyed as any kind of meaningful force at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Three of their fleet carriers were sunk, and the loss of carrier trained pilots was so severe that they couldn’t even come up with enough (poorly) carrier trained pilots to fill the remaining 1 fleet and 3 light carriers in October 1944 at Leyte Gulf. Halsey also most certainly did not demand or get orders allowing him to vaingloriously abandon the landing force at Leyte Gulf without leaving so much as a picket destroyer guarding San Bernardino Strait, much less not bother to inform anyone that he was leaving San Bernardino Strait unguarded and unwatched. ---
**Author:** ![AZRob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/azrob/32/3003_2.png) [@AZRob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AZRob)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/46 "2017-10-27T00:59:10Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > He did, indeed, get screwed over medal-wise but partially at his request. When Nimitz put him up for a DSM, Rochefort demurred saying that it would only make trouble. He _was_ awarded the Legion of Merit, no small potatoes, before the end of the war and posthumously awarded the DSM and Presidential Medal of Freedom as well as induction into the NSA’s [Central Security Service’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Security_Service) Hall of Fame. > > OP-20-G was understandably embarrassed by Rochefort’s intelligence coup. Not only did it insist the Japanese attack would take place much later in June, their bet was that it would be in the Aleutians or New Guinea or even the west coast of the US – anywhere but Midway. As an ex-navy spook (direction finding, not sigint) Rochefort is one of my heroes. DesertDog, many thanks for this information. I was depressed at reading about Rochefort’s treatment but cheered by your follow up. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/47 "2017-10-27T02:09:56Z")
Shingles is most often a painful nuisance and usually affects the midsection–hence the name which is derived from some old word for belt. However, it can be dangerous in elderly people, especially if it strikes in an unexpected place. I had an outbreak on my face–the sores developed very quickly. My girlfriend at the time took one look at me and demanded I go to the ER. In the cab on the way, she blurted out, “my grandmother died of shingles.” Way to handle the crisis…her grandma had the sores in her throat and it essentially choked her. The outbreak on my face was serious and rare, though. For a little while the doctors were afraid I’d lose sight in one eye. And, as I went to a university hospital, they asked to take my picture to show med students what facial shingles look like. They said I wouldn’t be identifiable, but this was before digital cameras so I don’t know what the picture actually showed. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/48 "2017-10-27T12:03:01Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > In the cab on the way, she blurted out, “my grandmother died of shingles.” Way to handle the crisis. A minister I know visited people in the hospital, as Ministers do. He was in the hospital and was in turn visited by one of the little old church ladies. Upon finding out what Eddie had, she said, “My cousin had the same thing”, snapping her fingers, “Went like that!” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/49 "2017-10-27T12:45:53Z")
On a related note, there’s [a new, more effective shingles vaccine](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/25/health/cdc-shingles-vaccine.html). I’m getting on that bandwagon ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/50 "2017-10-27T18:53:49Z")
While Halsey shouldn’t have let himself be lured off at Leyte, the real fault lies wit the people in the Navy who expressed dissatisfaction with Spruance and those who put Halsey back in the saddle. There was considerable criticism of Spruance at the time by aggressive officers, and essentially Halsey being put in charge sent the message: next time go after them instead fighting defensively. I have a hard time blaming someone for doing what he was appointed to do. it was a mistake, but as much a mistake by his superiors (Nimitz?) as by Halsey. ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/51 "2018-04-11T05:57:19Z")
Halsey could have actually left the provisional TF34 battleships to guard San Bernardino Strait. He didn’t. He could have left one of his 3 carrier battle groups to guard San Bernardino Strait. He didn’t. He could have left a single destroyer to guard San Bernardino Strait. He didn’t. FAIL ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/52 "2018-04-11T23:13:51Z")
> [@\_xiao\_wenti](#): > > It was my psoriasis that prompted the search. Mine is severe, in terms of real estate, but no debilitating problems. I was wondering if he tripped over flakes and broke a leg or something. According to wikipedia he couldn’t sleep and lost 20 pounds, which sounds pretty serious. He may not have been at the top of his game. Wiki just says ‘skin condition’ and doesn’t specify. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/53 "2018-04-11T23:34:27Z")
I thought Halsey took over from an Admiral who had psoriasis. I’ll have to watch\* In Harm’s Way\* again. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/54 "2018-04-13T19:00:32Z")
> [@bigun6605](#): > > The ship surgeon had him taking Oatmeal Baths!!! > > Al Colloidal oatmeal is used as a soothing soak for skin conditions, nothing wrong with his doc using it. I have been prescribed it within the last few years [an inability to use topical cortisone] Please do keep in mind that on a ship at sea in the early 1940s not only did they not have access to evey drug imaginable, many of the drugs we use today did not exist. ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/55 "2018-04-13T19:04:28Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I thought Halsey took over from an Admiral who had psoriasis. > I’ll have to watch\* In Harm’s Way\* again. Admiral Ghormley was running the Guadalcanal operation and was seen as insufficiently aggressive. His health was poor, so that was used as an excuse for replacing him with Halsey. That’s probably what you’re thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/56 "2018-04-13T19:55:05Z")
> [@633squadron](#): > > If you want to call someone stupid, though, how about Admiral Kurita, head of the Central Force? You arrive in Leyte in what is obviously a complete surprise. Instead of a coordinated attack, you let everyone rush off willy-nilly. And then, when it’s obvious that you’re facing forces that are far inferior to yours, you _break off the attack!_ I can’t figure out what he thought he was saving his fleet _for_. > > … > > Also (as has been said here), let’s not forget the amazing story of Taffy 3, and how a bunch of second-tier ships _designed_ for little more than shore support successfully fought off a Japanese battle fleet. The excellent series [Battlefield studies the battle at Leyte Gulf](https://youtu.be/-lMdnA1RwCg?t=6005) (and many others…outstanding military TV series). The show claims that Kurita was so shocked at the high aggression and fury of the attacks by Taffy-3 so he assumed he had engaged a more powerful force than existed (you can hear them say that at 1:47:20 at the link above). Warning: If you like military documentaries the Battlefield series will occupy a lot of your time if you haven’t seen them already. ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/57 "2018-05-04T02:13:50Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The excellent series [Battlefield studies the battle at Leyte Gulf](https://youtu.be/-lMdnA1RwCg?t=6005) (and many others…outstanding military TV series). The show claims that Kurita was so shocked at the high aggression and fury of the attacks by Taffy-3 so he assumed he had engaged a more powerful force than existed (you can hear them say that at 1:47:20 at the link above). > > Warning: If you like military documentaries the Battlefield series will occupy a lot of your time if you haven’t seen them already. Kurita _had_ engaged a more powerful force; one with 400 aircraft. American naval historians, starting with Morison, have been too hard on Kurita, and exaggerated the odds against the Taffys. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/58 "2018-05-04T13:07:31Z")
I wasn’t aware that Taffy3 took out four cruisers. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2018, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/59 "2018-05-04T15:29:12Z")
[Eric Idle voice]Three, sir![/EIv] And three [damaged](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_off_Samar), all the CAs they had. The three CLs and four BBs were relatively unscathed. In Kurita’s defense, he wasn’t supposed to be facing much at all in opposition. Halsey’s main force was supposed to have left to chase down the Northern force’s bait of mostly planeless CVs (and it did) leaving Kurita’s Center force free to fall upon the amphibious fleet making the landing on Leyte. When you stick your hand in a hole expecting to pull out a rabbit and instead grab a yowling, spitting, clawing ball of aggression, you’re going to think bobcat, not house cat. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471/60 "2018-05-04T17:26:03Z")
There is a story that a pilot from my state of Arkansas ran out of ammo and fired a pistol at a ship. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-halsey-psoriasis-and-midway/503471.md?page=4)