Captain John Victor Smith, USN, reported for duty as Commanding Officer of the USS NEWPORT NEWS from the United States Naval Academy, where he served as the Academic Aide to the Superintendent.

Born is Seattle, Washington in 1912, Captain Smith graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1934. He served his initial tour of duty as an ensign aboard the USS OKLAHOMA.

After a year in that ship, he was assigned to the USS PERRY (DD-340) where he served for three years until being ordered to the cruiser USS HONOLULU which was then being commissioned. Reporting aboard the recommissioned USS CROSBY (DD-164) in 1939, Captain Smith became that ship’s Engineering Officer.

In June of 1940 he was ordered to the Post-Graduate School at Annapolis, Maryland, for instruction in Ordnance Engineering. Upon completion of this instruction in 1942, Captain Smith was assigned to the Staff of Vice Admiral Alex Sharp, Commander Service Force, Atlantic.

In December of 1942 he reported as Executive Officer to the USS SHUBRICK (DD-639). He served in this capacity in Atlantic operations and in the Sicilian Campaign, becoming that ship’s Commanding Officer late in 1943.

Early in 1944 he became Aide to Admiral W. D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to the President. Captain Smith served in this capacity in the East Wing of the White House until February 1945, when, after accompanying Admiral Leahy to the Yalta Conference, he departed to assume command of the USS BRUSH (DD-745) operating with the fast carrier task forces in the Pacific. He remained aboard the BRUSH, operating in China and Korea, until late 1946 when he reported for duty as head of the Armement Dept. at the Naval Proving Ground and so served until August of 1949. He was then ordered to instruction at the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, VA.

From 1950 until 1951 he served on the Staff of the Commander of the FIRST Fleet. He was then transferred to the Staff of the Commander of the SEVENTH Fleet, during which tour he served one year in Korean-Japanese waters. In March of 1952 Captain Smith returned to the FIRST Fleet staff and served there until August of that year. He then assumed command of Destroyer Division 112 in Korean waters and served in WESTPAC and the West Coast of the U.S. until detached in July 1953.

He was a student at the National War College in Washington, D.C. from 1953 until 1954 when he graduated. He was then ordered to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for duty in the Strategic Plans Division. After two years there, Captain Smith took command of the USS ROCKBRIDGE (APA-228) and so served from August 1956 until October 1958. He then reported to the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy for nine months duty as head of the Department of Ordnance and Gunnery, followed by ten months as Academy Aide to the Superintendent. He was detached from the Naval Academy in June of this year with orders to report as Commanding Officer of the USS NEWPORT NEWS.

Captain Smith is authorized to wear the following decorations: Bronze Star with a combat V; Commendation Ribbon with a combat V; American Defense Service Medal; American Area Campaign Medal; European-African Campaign Medal; Victory Medal World War II; China Service Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal; Korean Service Medal; United States Service Medal; Philippine Independence Ribbon.