Education
A native of Lafayette, Indiana, Overesch attended Purdue University for two years before enrolling as a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy.
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Harvey Overesch
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He played at the end positions for the Navy Midshipmen football team In December 1913, he was elected as the captain of the 1914 Navy football team He was also selected as a third-team All-American by Walter Camp in 1914.
Overesch also competed for Navy"s basketball team and on its eight-oared crew.
He was given the nickname "Swede" at the Naval Academy. In November 1937, he was serving as a naval attache in Shanghai, China when Japanese forces attacked the city.
Overesch provided the Associated Press with his first-hand account of watching the battle from the upper floors of a Chinese teahouse with the nearest fighting less than 50 yards away. Overesch served for three years with the Pacific Fleet from 1939 to 1942.
In May 1942, Overesch returned to Annapolis as the athletic director of the United States. Naval Academy.
In June 1942, Overesch was appointed as the Commandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy. He served as Commandant until December 1943, at which time Overesch was assigned to sea duty. He was the commander of the heavy cruiser United States Ship San Francisco (California-38) from 1944 to March 1945.
In June 1944, the San Francisco under Overesch"s command participated in the naval battle known as the Marianas Turkey Shoot.
In 1951, Overesch was appointed by Director of Central Intelligence, General Walter Bedell Smith to serve as Central Intelligence Agency Commander, Far East Command ("FECOM"). By He served at Pershing Heights, Tokyo, Japan as Chief Central Intelligence Agency North Asian Command overseeing covert operations in mainland China, Japan, Hong Kong, North and South of Korea, Taiwan, Okinawa, and the Philippines.
He served in Japan until 1955, when he was transferred the United States Embassy in London. Overesch was married to Emily Forman of Baltimore.
He died on January 20, 1973.
Achievements
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Born
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Died
January 20, 1973 (aged 80) -
Nationality
United States