Ships
- USS Hancock (CV-19) Commander in command from 12 September 1946 · Relieved on 9 May 1947
Joseph B. Tibbets was born in West Virginia around 1911 and lived in Pittsburgh and Winter Haven, Florida, before entering the U.S. Naval Academy, from which he graduated with the Class of 1934. As a naval aviator he flew carrier planes, observation planes and seaplanes before World War II. During the war he commanded an antisubmarine squadron in Brazil that was credited with sinking three German submarines. In 1945 he joined Hancock (CV-19) as navigator for the Okinawa and Japanese campaigns.
The site data lists him as commanding Hancock in 1946–47. His obituary describes him as navigator in 1945 and gives a later command of Hancock as an attack carrier. These accounts should be reconciled against NavSource before the bio is published.
After the war he attended the Naval War College, commanded the seaplane tender Orca, and served on the staffs of the Chief of Naval Operations, CINCPAC and CINCNELM. After a year commanding Hancock in the Atlantic, he was selected for rear admiral and commanded Carrier Division 15 aboard Bon Homme Richard. In 1963 he went to Lisbon as Chief, MAAG Portugal, and then to London as deputy to Commander Naval Forces Europe. His last command was Fleet Air Quonset, where as Commander Hunter-Killer Force Atlantic he led all Navy antisubmarine forces in the Atlantic. He retired on 5 November 1973 after 43 years, the last of his Academy class still on duty, having flown over 4,500 hours across 26 duty stations and six commands.
He outlived three wives: Margaret Roberts, DeSeay Barksdale, and Aberta Christie. He died on 1 October 2008 at age 97. Services were planned at Arlington National Cemetery.