Ships
- USS Edsall (DD-219) Captain, 23 February 1932 – 25 November 1932
Bruce Pepper Flood was born in Japan on 7 December 1894. Appointed to the United States Naval Academy from California, he graduated with the Class of 1916 and was commissioned an ensign on 3 June 1916.
In the First World War he served in the auxiliary cruiser Buffalo. He received the temporary rank of lieutenant on 1 January 1918. His permanent rank of lieutenant (junior grade) dated from 5 December 1918.
After the war he went into submarines. He served in L-8 from 1920 into 1921 and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 July 1921. By January 1922 he commanded the submarine H-2, and later that year he took command of R-1.
Flood was promoted to lieutenant commander on 2 June 1927. In 1930 he commanded the Yangtze river gunboat Monocacy. On 23 February 1932 he became captain of the Clemson-class destroyer Edsall and remained in command until 25 November 1932, while the ship served with the Asiatic Fleet in East Asian waters. Officers who had commanded her in earlier years included Halsey Powell, Jules James, and Byron Scott Dague.
Poor health ended the seagoing stretch of his career. On 1 November 1936 he was placed on the retired list for incapacity incident to the service, in the rank of lieutenant commander.
The Navy recalled him to active duty for the Second World War, and his duty lay mainly in the Twelfth Naval District. On 25 February 1942 he was advanced to the temporary rank of commander on the retired list. On 9 June 1943 he received the temporary rank of captain on the retired list.
Edsall remained with the Asiatic Fleet after he left her. On 1 March 1942, south of Java, the destroyer was sunk in action with Japanese battleships and cruisers and with aircraft from Japanese carriers. That fight was fought under a later commanding officer. Flood died on 9 February 1980.