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Capt Bethholf was the
skipper of the DD 792 in July 1945.
Retired Navy Captain Charles Bertholf, who later served
seven years as Chief of the Central Intelligence
agency's operational center, died January 14th 1991 at
the age of 78.
Captain Bertholf served 35 years in the Navy before he
retired in 1965. During World War ll, He was commanding
the USS Callaghan DD 792 when she was hit and sunk off
of Okinawa By a Japanese Kamikaze. He was awarded the
Navy Cross,The Navy's highest award after the Medal Of
Honor, for his actions during this engagement.
Later in his military career, Captain Bertholf
specialized in Naval Intelligence. He served as
assistant Naval Attache' in Stockholm and as Naval
Attache' in Brussels an The Hague. His last assignment
before retiring was in London on the staff of the
Commander in Chief of the U.S. Naval Forces in Europe.
After Graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy at
Annapolis in 1934 he served aboard light cruisers and
destroyers. He was posted at Pearl Harbor when the
Japanese attacked on December 7th 1941.
During the Korean War, he commanded an Amphibious Ship
off Wonsan. His other Decorations included two Bronze
Stars.
Captain Bertholf was born in San
Francisco. He settled in Alexandria Va
after his retirement from the Navy. He worked seven
years for the CIA before retiring permanently. He had
lived one month of each year on the Island Of Ibiza in
the Mediterranean. His first wife, the former Katie
Collins, died in 1953. Survivors include his wife, Terry Bertholf of Washington; their daughter Brenda Bertholf
of Washington: Three children from his first marriage,
Katherine Nichols of Concord, Mass.,
Charles M. Bertholf Jr. and Melissa Cafritz, both of
Washington; and seven Grand Children.
The night the USS Callaghan was sunk is discribed here
by the eyes of Bill Benton, aboard
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