John Henry Newton (December 13, 1881 – May 2, 1948) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral. He distinguished himself as Commanding officer of destroyer USS Patterson during World War I and received the Navy Cross, the United States Navy second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat.
Following the War, Newton remained in the Navy and reached the flag rank during World War II, serving as Commander, South Pacific Area and Inspector General of the Pacific Fleet under his Naval Academy classmate, Fleet admiral Chester W. Nimitz.
Early career
John H. Newton was born on December 13, 1881, in Pittston, Pennsylvania, the son of blacksmith John H. and Elizabeth Newton, who were both of English descent. He graduated from the high school in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, and was appointed to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, from the Eleventh District of Pennsylvania in summer 1901. While at the Academy, he was active in baseball and reached the rank of Cadet Petty officer 1st Class.
Among his classmates were many future great naval leaders including Fleet admiral Chester Nimitz; four star admiral Royal E. Ingersoll; vice admirals Harold G. Bowen Sr., Arthur B. Cook and Herbert F. Leary; and rear admirals Wilhelm L. Friedell, William R. Furlong, Stanford C. Hooper, Byron McCandless, John W. Wilcox Jr. and Walter B. Woodson.
Newton graduated as Passed Midshipman with Bachelor of Science degree in January 1905 and joined newly commissioned gunboat USS Ranger and departed for the Asiatic Station. Due to recurring maintenance problems of the ship, Ranger was decommissioned at Cavite in June 1905 and Newton was transferred to the battleship USS Oregon. He served aboard until November that year, when he was transferred to the monitor USS Monadnock. Newton served as ship's chief engineer until August 1906 and took part in the patrols along the coast of China.
He was subsequently transferred to the gunboat USS Helena and served again as Chief engineer within the South China patrol until March 1908. Newton was meanwhile commissioned Ensign in January 1907, after serving two years at sea required then by law. He served in Chinese waters until February 1909, when he rejoined gunboat Ranger and returned to the United States via Suez Canal for new assignment. Newton was subsequently assigned to the armored cruiser USS Montana stationed at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba within Cuban Pacification, but embarked shortly thereafter for the Turkish waters, where she operated during the protection of American interests during Young Turk Revolution.
The Montana returned to the United States in September 1909 and Newton witnessed Hudson–Fulton Celebration in New York City. The Montana subsequently spent several months with patrols in the Atlantic and Newton was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) on January 31, 1910. In April that year, he Montana sailed for Argentina in connection with the celebration of Argentina Centennial. Newton was detached in August and assumed duty as an executive officer aboard newly commissioned destroyer USS Roe under Lieutenant commander Clark H. Woodward.
Newton then took part in the exercises in the Norfolk, Virginia area and was promoted to Lieutenant on December 23, 1910. He then took part in the winter exercises in the Gulf of Mexico and then returned to Norfolk, where Newton remained until August 1911. Newton was subsequently ordered to the Naval Torpedo Station at Newport, Rhode Island, where he was in command of the torpedo boats in the reserve there.
In November 1912, Newton was ordered to the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, where he served as Aide to the Commandant of the Yard, Lewis Sayre Van Duzer. He remained in this capacity until May 1914, when he was assigned to the newly commissioned battleship USS New York under Captain Thomas S. Rodgers. Newton participated in her shakedown cruise along the East Coast of the United States, but when nine American sailors were arrested by the Mexican government in Veracuz, President Woodrow Wilson demanded apology and ordered the naval blockade of Veracruz, when New York took part in the blockade from July to November 1914.
World War I
Newton then assumed command of destroyer USS Patterson. He led his vessel during the patrol cruises in the Atlantic and the Caribbean and took part in protecting life and property during a revolution in Haiti in late 1915. Under his command, Patterson won the battle efficiency pennant for destroyer class in 1915 and 1916 for battle effectiveness.