Upon commissioning, McNamara reported for active duty as a division officer aboard the attack transportUSSHenrico. Henrico operated in the vicinity of Qingdao until the city fell to the Chinese Communists in 1949 during the Chinese Civil War. Ensign McNamara was released from active duty in October 1949, and received a business degree from Lehigh University in 1951. He was recalled to active duty in 1952 as a lieutenant (junior grade)navigator aboard the attack transport USSMontrose supporting combat operations during the Korean War. After again being released from active duty in 1954, he received a regular navy commission as lieutenant in 1955.[2]
USS Robison on the left was McNamara's first combat command and is moored outboard of USS Columbus, a sister-ship of his second combat command USS Chicago.
Following promotion to captain in 1968, McNamara was commanding officer of the cruiserUSSChicago from 1971 to 1973. Under his command, Chicago completed its 5th PIRAZ deployment to the Gulf of Tonkin before being recalled in response to the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive into South Vietnam. Air intercept controllers aboard Chicago directed Navy and Air Force aircraft on 14 successful shoot-downs of North Vietnamese MiG fighters, including the second MiG downed by Navy acesDuke Cunningham and William P. Driscoll. On May 9, 1972, the cruiser's forward RIM-8 Talos missile launcher shot down a North Vietnamese MiG during Operation Pocket Money. Chicago came under fire from North Vietnamese shore batteries and received the Navy Unit Commendation.[2]
McNamara was promoted to rear admiral in 1975, and served as the last commandant of the Ninth Naval District from 1977 until his retirement when the district was disestablished in the 1979 reorganization.[3]
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