Ranks above rear admiral were temporary appointments in the US Navy at this stage. Wilson Brown held vice-admiral rank while commanding Task Force 11 and the amphibious forces. He returned to rear-admiral rank when he moved to the First Naval District, then became a vice admiral again before retirement. A change in an officer's title therefore has to be read alongside the command he held and the rank attached to it.
Notable Point · 1:25:11-1:26:12
Why an admiral's rank could change with his command
Wilson Brown's changing rank illustrates the temporary appointments above rear admiral in the US Navy at this stage of the war.