James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892 – May 22, 1949)

 ^{James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892 – May 22, 1949) was the last cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense.[1]}

Forrestal came from a rigorous middle-class Irish Catholic family. He was a successful financier on Wall Street before becoming Under Secretary of the Navy in 1940, shortly before the United States entered World War II. He became Secretary of the Navy in May 1944 upon the death of his superior, Col. Frank Knox. President Franklin D. Roosevelt requested that Forrestal take the lead in building up the Navy. In 1947, after the end of the war, President Harry S. Truman appointed him the first secretary of the newly created Department of Defense. Forrestal was intensely hostile to the Soviet Union, fearing Communist expansion in Europe and the Middle East. Along with Secretary of State George C. Marshall, he strongly opposed the United States' support for the establishment of the State of Israel, fearing that this would alienate Arab nations, which were needed as allies, and whose petroleum reserves were vital for both military and civilian industrial expansion.

Forrestal was a supporter of naval battle groups centered on aircraft carriers. He tried to weaken the proposed Department of Defense for the Navy's benefit, but was hard-pressed to run it from 1947 to 1949 after Truman named him Secretary of Defense. The two men were often at odds, and Truman forced Forrestal's resignation.

Thereafter, Forrestal's mental health rapidly deteriorated, declining to the point at which he underwent medical care for depression. While a patient at Bethesda Naval Hospital, Forrestal died by an alleged suicide from fatal injuries sustained after falling out of a sixteenth-floor window.

In 1954, the USN's new supercarrier was named USS Forrestal in his honor, as is the James V. Forrestal Building, which houses the headquarters of the United States Department of Energy. He is the namesake of the Forrestal Lecture Series at the United States Naval Academy and of the James Forrestal Campus of his alma mater, Princeton University.          Information regarding a person's suicide can vary widely based on the circumstances surrounding their death. Often, details may include the individual's mental health history, personal struggles, or events leading up to the incident. If you are referring to a specific individual, please provide their name for a more focused response. It's essential to approach this topic with sensitivity and to consider the impact of discussing such events on those affected.

James Vincent Forrestal

James Vincent Forrestal, the first U.S. Secretary of Defense, died by suicide on May 22, 1949, at the age of 48. He fell from the 16th floor of the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland, where he was hospitalized for depression and other mental health issues. Forrestal had been under significant stress due to the pressures of his position during the early Cold War and had reportedly struggled with bouts of severe anxiety and paranoia. His death raised concerns about the mental health of high-ranking officials and prompted discussions about the support systems available for those in such positions.