Frank Dechant Wagner (August 22, 1893 – January 9, 1966) was a highly decorated Naval aviator in the United States Navy with the rank of vice admiral.

A Naval Academy graduate, Wagner distinguished himself as commander of Patrol Wing Ten during operations against the enemy in the early weeks of the Japanese Invasion of the Philippines.

Young Frank graduated from Pottstown Senior High School in summer 1911 and received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.

He participated in another tour of patrol cruises in the Mediterranean and South Atlantic, before he was ordered to the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, for flight training in December 1920.

[7][8] He completed the training, being designated Naval aviator in December 1921 and was assigned to the Air Squadrons, Battle Fleet, operating in the Pacific Ocean.

[13][14] In July 1929, Wagner was transferred to the Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, D.C., and served under Rear admiral William A. Moffett until June 1933, when he joined seaplane tender Langley under Captain Kenneth Whiting.

[15][16][17] Wagner was later transferred to the staff of Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet under his former superior officer, Admiral Joseph M. Reeves and was promoted to commander on January 1, 1936.

He served as Aviation officer aboard battleship Pennsylvania, the flagship of Admiral Reeves, and participated in the Fleet Problem XIV, off the coast of California.

The PatWing 10 was located at Naval Station Cavite and consisted of seaplanes tender Langley (Wagner's previous command); destroyers Childs and William B. Preston; minesweeper Heron; and patrol squadrons VP-101 and VP-102.

[2] Few hours after midnight on December 8, 1941, Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zeros attacked the PatWing10 planes stationed in Davao Gulf and sunk two PBY Catalinas on the water.

After ten days of fighting, with its operating area rendered untenable by Japanese control of the air, Wagner received orders from Admiral Thomas C. Hart, Commander-in-Chief, Asiatic Fleet, to move his wing from the Philippines to Ambon Island, Dutch East Indies.

Wagner remained in that assignment until the end of February, when the Asiatic Fleet practically ceased to exist due to loss of half of its vessels.

The remaining ships were assigned to the South West Pacific Area Command under General Douglas MacArthur and retreated to Perth, Australia during March 1942.

His division belonged to the Fast Carrier Task Force under Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher, who felt that Wagner did not measure up to his formula for leadership and considered him boastful and irritating.

He was also responsible for the entire Naval Aviation program and also was host to Advertising Commission aboard the aircraft carrier Saipan at its regular meeting September 11–12, 1946.

[26][27] Wagner was subsequently ordered to the headquarters of Twelfth Naval district at Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo, California, awaiting retirement.