Yates Stirling Jr.
On July 20, 1924, he became Captain of the Yard, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., with additional duty as Assistant Superintendent of the Naval Gun Factory. He was promoted to rear admiral on October 6, 1926 and in December that year Stirling was designated Chief of Staff to Admiral Charles F. Hughes, Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet, based at San Pedro, California. At the October 27, 1927 Navy Day Ceremonies at San Pedro harbor, despite an all-day downpour, thousands of Southern Californians gathered for the festivities, including ships' tours, band performances of patriotic music and the key-note address given by Stirling, "Merchant Marine, the Navy and the Nation".
USS Sterling (1898)
Pressed immediately into service during the Spanish–American War, "Sterling" was assigned to support the Flying Squadron from 1 through 24 May 1898. The Flying Squadron's commander, Commodore Winfield S. Schley, noted the "Sterling" lacked a hoisting engine, and deemed her insufficient for coaling his forces. She was then assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron where, on 27 May, Rear Admiral William T. Sampson sent her, under escort of the to join the blockade of Santiago de Cuba. Should it have been necessary to prevent the Spanish fleet from leaving, "Sterling" was to have been sunk at the narrowest part (determined to be 300 feet wide) of the channel leading into the harbor. That requirement never materialized, and the "Sterling" performed her primary mission of coaling warships.