Why Admiral Pratt's leadership record deserves a balanced reading

How should Admiral William V. Pratt's record as Chief of Naval Operations be judged?

As a mixed but respectable record: later needs make his shortcomings visible, yet he also made important decisions and is sometimes blamed to spare his successors.

William V. Pratt's record is complicated because his limits are often judged with knowledge he could not possess. Pratt is blamed for not doing enough partly because later commentators are less willing to fault Harold Stark or William Leahy. Against that criticism, Pratt made important contributions and helped prevent the Coast Guard from being permanently merged into the Navy. His record merits a favorable but qualified assessment without hero worship or scapegoating.