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Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command recognizes Walter Munk for his pioneering achievements in oceanography. Walter Munk, a physical oceanographer employed by the U.S. Navy, was an instrumental player in development of oceanographic data analysis. His work considerably advanced our understanding of ocean wave, tides, and currents and their relationship to geophysics. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1932, Walter started his career in oceanography after convincing Harald Sverdrup, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, to take him onboard for a summer job. With tensions rising in Europe and the occupation of Austria by Germany in 1938, Munk, a citizen of Austria, applied for U.S. citizenship and enlisted in the U.S. Army. After only 18 months of service, Munk was excused of any remaining military service to undertake defense related research at Scripps where he, accompanied by several colleagues, started research in oceanographic data analysis at the U.S. Navy Radio and Sound Laboratory.