King was a graduate of the Naval Academy, and saw action in the Spanish-American War.  He was both a submariner and a naval aviator.  King was a strong supporter of the growth of naval aviation. After the attack on Pearl Harbor,  Roosevelt appointed King Commander- in-Chief of the US fleet.  King was considered to be one of the greatest American commanders of World War II.  He successfully directed the US fleet to victory in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.