Paul John Early
Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy

Paul John Early was born on 18 July 1925 in Astoria, NY.

Early graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1948. In the early 1950s he worked with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in Idaho testing a prototype nuclear reactor for submarines. He was assigned to the submarine Nautilus in 1955 and in 1958 was assigned as Chief Engineer when the Nautilus completed the first Pacific to Atlantic Passage via the North Pole.

Early went on to command the submarines USS Sargo and USS John Adams. After the loss of the USS Thresher and its crew in 1963 Early, then a Rear Admiral, helped review operational procedures involving ship sea trials. In the early 1970s, Early commanded Submarine Squadron 14 and Submarine Flotilla Two.

His final assignment before retirement was as Director of Surveillance in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Early retired from the Navy in 1976 after thirty-three years of service and is considered one of the early pioneers in nuclear powered submarines.

In Retirement

Early joined the New York Power Authority as an Assistant Chief Engineer.

Death and Burial

Rear Admiral Paul John Early died on 24 October 2008 in Manhasset, NY. He is buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, MD.