{{short description|American athlete and naval officer}} {{about||his son, the American Olympic rower|Roger W. Cutler Jr.}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox military person |name= Roger W. Cutler |birth_date= {{birth date|1889|11|3}} |death_date= {{Death date and age|1963|11|30|1889|11|3}} |birth_place= [[Brookline, Massachusetts]] |death_place= [[Greenville, South Carolina]] |burial_place= |image=New England aviators 1914-1918; their portraits and their records (1919) (14595575938).jpg |caption= |allegiance= {{flagicon|United States}}[[United States|United States of America]] |branch= [[File:United States Department of the Navy Seal.svg|20px|United States Navy seal]] [[United States Navy]] |service_years= |rank= [[Vice admiral (United States)|Vice admiral]] |commands= |battles= [[Guadalcanal Campaign|Guadalcanal]]<br>[[New Georgia Campaign|New Georgia]]<br>[[Bougainville Campaign|Bougainville]]<br>[[Battle of the Green Islands|Green Islands]]<br>[[Landing on Emirau|Emirau]]<br>[[Battle of Hollandia|Hollandia]]<br>[[Battle of Guam (1944)|Guam]]<br>[[Invasion of Lingayen Gulf|Lingayen Gulf]]<br>[[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa]] |awards= [[Silver Star]]<br/>[[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]] |relations= BG [[Elliott Cutler]], brother<br>BG [[Robert Cutler]], brother<br>MAJ [[Johnny Cutler]], brother<br/>LT [[Robert B. Cutler]], son<br>MAJ [[Roger W. Cutler Jr.]], son<br>[[Leslie Bradley Cutler]], wife<br>BG [[Elliott C. Cutler Jr.]], nephew |other_work= }} '''Roger Wilson Cutler''' (November 3, 1889 – November 30, 1963) was an American athlete and naval officer who served in [[World War I]] and [[World War II]].

==Early life== Cutler was born on November 3, 1889, in [[Brookline, Massachusetts]]. He was one of five sons born to George C. and Mary F. Wilson Cutler. His brothers were [[Elliott Carr Cutler]], a professor at the [[Harvard Medical School]] and a surgeon, [[Robert Cutler]], the first [[National Security Advisor (United States)|National Security Advisor]], [[Johnny Cutler]], noted Harvard quarterback, and George C. Cutler Jr.<ref name=Cutlers>{{cite news|last=Wayman|first=Dorothy G.|title=Boston's Famous Cutlers in News Again, Robert as City Counsel, Roger as Navy Aviation Officer|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=October 27, 1940}}</ref>

==Athletic career== Cutler attended [[Harvard College]], where he was a member of the crew and swim teams.<ref name="Submarine" /> During his sophomore year he became a member of the varsity crew, which was captained by his brother Elliott.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jones|first=Victor O.|title=Brothers Stroking Crews at Harvard|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=May 15, 1935}}</ref> He became captain of the Harvard crew in 1911.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cutler and Frost Chosen|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=July 1, 1910}}</ref> After graduating from Harvard, Cutler was a member of the [[Union Boat Club]] and competed in the 1914 [[Henley Royal Regatta]].<ref name=Submarine>{{cite news|title=Lieut Roger Cutler "Got" A Submarine|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=August 26, 1918}}</ref>

In 1925, Cutler made it to the finals of the U.S. Amateur Tennis Championship, but lost to [[Jay Gould II|Jay Gould]] in three sets. It was Gould's 18th straight title.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gould Wins Court Tennis Title 18th Time, Losing One Game in Three Sets to Cutler|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 5, 1925}}</ref> He was eliminated in the second round of the 1926 tournament by W. T. Adee.<ref>{{cite news|title=Adee Turns Back Cutler in Tourney|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 6, 1927}}</ref> He lost in the 1932 semifinals to G. R. Fearing III.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pell Enters Final in Title Racquets|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 22, 1932}}</ref> In 1933 he and Clarence C. Pell Jr. made it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Doubles Championship.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pearson-Wright Gain in Racquets|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 28, 1933}}</ref>

==Marriages== On December 14, 1912, Cutler married [[Leslie Bradley Cutler|Leslie Bradley]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Miss Bradley Bride of Roger W. Cutler|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=December 15, 1912}}</ref> The couple had four children, two of whom ([[Robert B. Cutler|Robert]] and [[Roger W. Cutler Jr.|Roger Jr.]]) competed in rowing in the [[1936 Summer Olympics]].<ref name="Divorce" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Gjerde|first=Arild|author2=Jeroen Heijmans|author3=Bill Mallon|author4=Hilary Evans|title=Bob Cutler Biography and Olympic Results|work=Olympics|publisher=Sports Reference.com|date=2009|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cu/bob-cutler-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418002746/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cu/bob-cutler-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-04-18|access-date=2009-11-03}}</ref> Leslie Bradley Cutler divorced her husband on December 17, 1928, in [[Reno, Nevada]], on the charge of desertion.<ref name=Divorce>{{cite news|title=Mrs Roger W. Cutler Gets Divorce in Reno|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=December 18, 1928}}</ref>

On May 1, 1931, Cutler married Edith Cryder, widow of [[Frederick Lothrop Ames Jr.]] and one of the famous "Cryder triplets".<ref>{{cite news|title=Mrs Ames Bride of Roger Cutler|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=May 2, 1931}}</ref> Edith Cutler died on January 10, 1954.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mrs. Roger Cutler Dies|newspaper=The Newport Daily News|date=January 11, 1954}}</ref>

==Military career== ===World War I=== In September 1916, Cutler served as a radio operator in a naval cruise attached to submarine chasers in [[Newport, Rhode Island]]. On March 21, 1917, he enlisted in the [[United States Navy Reserve|US Naval Reserve Force]] and served on Submarine Patrol No. 56. On September 15, 1917, he was transferred to the Naval Aviation Service. He trained at the [[Naval Air Station Squantum]] and was attached to the Naval Air Stations in [[Naval Station Norfolk|Norfolk]] and [[Naval Air Station Pensacola|Pensacola]] before he was commissioned as an ensign on March 15, 1918. On May 30, 1918, he was commissioned as a [[Lieutenant (junior grade)]] and stationed oversees at U.S. Naval Air Station [[North Killingholme|Killingholme]]. On July 19, 1918, Cutler dropped the bomb which destroyed [[SM UB-110|SM ''UB-110'']]. He was appointed senior squadron commander at Killingholme in October 1918 and promoted to [[Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant]] the following month. He was assigned to inactive duty on January 15, 1919.<ref>{{cite book |title=New England Aviators 1914–1918: Their Portraits and Their Records, Volume 1 |year=1919 |editor=Ticknor, Caroline | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y9sDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA398 }}</ref>

===World War II=== Cutler reentered the Navy in September 1940 as commander of the cadet regiment at the [[Naval Air Station Jacksonville]]. In December 1942 he was transferred to the amphibious forces.<ref name=Promoted>{{cite news|title=Roger Cutler Promoted to Commodore in U.S.N.R.|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=November 25, 1945}}</ref>

In January 1943, Cutler began duty in the [[Pacific War|Pacific Theatre]]. He was the commander of [[Landing Ship, Tank|LST]] Group 13 and was the commander of the first landing ship tank in the war. He served through eleven invasions; [[Guadalcanal Campaign|Guadalcanal]], [[Russell Islands]], [[Woodlark Island]], [[New Georgia Campaign|New Georgia]], [[Bougainville Campaign|Bougainville]], [[Battle of the Green Islands|Green Islands]], [[Landing on Emirau|Emirau]], [[Battle of Hollandia|Hollandia]], [[Battle of Guam (1944)|Guam]], [[Invasion of Lingayen Gulf|Lingayen Gulf]], and [[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa]]. During these campaigns, Cutler commanded 107 direct air, 10 submarine, and 4 artillery attacks.<ref name="Promoted" /> In 1945 he was awarded a [[Silver Star]] in lieu of a second [[Bronze Star Medal]] for meritorious service as commander of six echelons of tank landing ships during the [[Solomon Islands campaign]].<ref name=Hero>{{cite news|title=Capt Cutler, Boston, Hero of Two Wars, Is Awarded a Gold Star|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=August 31, 1945}}</ref> He was promoted to captain while on terminal leave and released to inactive duty in August 1945.<ref name="Promoted" /><ref name="Hero" />

In November 1945, Cutler was promoted to Commodore in the United States Naval Reserve.<ref name="Promoted" /> He retired from the reserve with the rank of [[Vice admiral (United States)|Vice admiral]].<ref name="Obituary" />

==Business career== Cutler began his professional career in the lumber business in Canada and Boston. He later enter the textile field in Boston and [[Greenville, South Carolina]]. Cutler died on November 30, 1963, in Greenville, South Carolina.<ref name=Obituary>{{cite news|title=Obituaries|newspaper=Harvard Alumni Bulletin|date=1963}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cutler, Roger W.}} [[Category:1889 births]] [[Category:1963 deaths]] [[Category:American male rowers]] [[Category:American real tennis players]] [[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War I]] [[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]] [[Category:Cutler family|Roger W.]] [[Category:Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey players]] [[Category:Harvard Crimson rowers]] [[Category:Harvard College alumni]] [[Category:Ice hockey people from Brookline, Massachusetts]] [[Category:People from Greenville, South Carolina]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Needham, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]] [[Category:United States Navy officers]] [[Category:United States Navy reservists]] [[Category:Spouses of Massachusetts politicians]]