Admiral Veth's naval career, almost from the outset, has been concentrated on mine warfare. After being graduated from the Naval Academy in 1935 and tours in the battleship USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) and light cruiser USS Phoenix (CL-46), he transferred to the minelayer USS Ramsay (DM-16), serving as mining officer. In 1941-1942, he served as assistant naval attaché in London. There he learned of the great British advances in mine warfare and reported them to U.S. authorities. Other events he relates were when he served on the staff of Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, RN, in Southeast Asia (1943-1945); when he concentrated on mine warfare in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (1945-1947); and again in 1967-1968 when he served as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Vietnam. The appendices contain a number of his reports on aircraft minelaying and mining operations.
