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Dalton was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 13, 1941, was raised in Shreveport and graduated from C. E. Byrd High School.

Dalton attended Louisiana State University for one year before attending the U.S. Naval Academy. Serving in the Navy from 1964 to 1969. He graduated with distinction from Annapolis in 1964, having served as Deputy Brigade Commander, the Academy's No. 2 ranking position. He was a finalist in the Rhodes Scholarship competition.

He received naval nuclear power training and served aboard the submarines U.S.S. BLUEBACK (as Supply and Commissary Officer) and the JOHN C. CALHOUN (as Main Propulsion Assistant, Communications Officer and Weapons Officer). He attained the rank of Lieutenant while serving on active duty. Subsequently, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

In 1971, Dalton received a Master of Business Administration Degree from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce of the University of Pennsylvania.

Deputy Texas Campaign Director for the Carter/Mondale Campaign in 1976.

President Carter nominated Dalton to the Federal Home Loan Bank Board in December 1979, where he served as a member and chairman until July 1981. He was National Treasurer of the 1980 Carter/Mondale National Presidential Campaign. Dalton was president of the Government National Mortgage Association of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development before being appointed to the Bank Board. He began his public service career after serving with the investment banking firm of Goldman, Sachs & Company in Dallas, Texas.

From 1984 to 1988 he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Capital Corporation in San Antonio and President of the Seguin Savings Association. Prior to this position, he was President of the Real Estate Division of the Gill Companies of San Antonio.

Dalton was Bexar County Finance Chairman for the Clinton/Gore Campaign in 1992.

Previously, Dalton ran the San Antonio, Texas office of Stephens Inc., a Little Rock Arkansas based investment banking firm. Prior to Stephens, Dalton was Managing Director of Best Associates and Mason Best Company, merchant banking firms headquartered in Houston and Dallas respectively.

On July 1, 1993, President Clinton nominated John H. Dalton to become the Secretary of the Navy. The Senate confirmed the appointment on July 21. Secretary Dalton was sworn in as the 70th Secretary of the Navy on July 22, 1993.

He and his wife Margaret reside in Washington, D.C. They have two sons, John Jr. and Chris.

As the post Cold-War has begun to take shape, I think a couple of things have become very clear. The first is that no matter what the new-world-order ends up looking like, the international community will depend for its security, stability, and confidence on America's determination to stay engaged, to fulfill its role as the underwriter of the democratic principles that this country has struggled for so long to defend. But just as clearly, peace, safety and freedom in the world are not sure things. In fact, they are unlikely to ever to be sure things. Four or five thousand years of recorded history, argue strongly that as long as human beings populate the Earth, some of them somewhere will find themselves making armed conflict against another. It was true before anyone heard of Marks or Lenin or Kadoffe, or Sadam Hosain, and will remain true long after everyone has forgotten those names.

The point is that if democracy's breathtaking new possibilities are going to be realized in the world, peoples and nations must be confident that they can deal with one another in an economic and political marketplace that is stable, governed by civil rules and free from the fear of armed aggression.

Keeping that global marketplace secure is the job of responsible, moral nations acting in concert, and leading that concert of nations is the job of the strongest and most credible among them. That leader, of course, is us, the United States. The responsibility is simply not one in which we can walk away from.

We have challenges at home to be sure, including education, drugs, health care and the national infra-structure. But nothing like the problems we will have if we abandon our global commitment to the ideas of peaceful commerce, human rights and the sovereignty of nations. We abandoned that commitment once on the years before 1914, we did it again before 1939. It makes no sense to ever do it again.

That is why President Clinton, Secretary of Defense Perry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff determined that our national security strategy in the coming century must be one that preserves international stability and confidence. Frankly as I see it, that is something that Naval Forces have always done best. We have done it by offering visible proof of Americas will and ability to project sustained presence and power anywhere in the world, anytime, as long as we are needed.

The special capabilities of our Naval Forces enables the nation to transition quickly and efficiently, when and where required, from Peace to War. They can do much of that without setting foot on anybody else's soil and without violating third party airspace. From International waters and even from over the horizon, they can influence the problem without being part of the problem. They have been doing it for decades. Naval Officers leading American Sailors and Marines will be doing for many more decades to come.

My responsibility is to ensure that our Sailors and Marines have the tools to remain a force for peace or war, wherever and whenever our nation calls. This period in our history has been termed the inter-war years and is particularly challenging. Our resources are dwendling even as our commitments are expanding. Most of us have ridden this roller-coaster before, but that doesn't life any easier for the Navy and the Marine Corps. As you might imagine, the Department is somewhat anxious over the final form of the Appropriation Bill.

As our Representatives wrestle with our future on Capitol Hill, I have found some conciliation in the words of Winston Churchill, who said "I have great confidence in the American people and their leaders. They invariably do the right thing, after they have examined every other alternative."

One specific announcement that I can make this morning which I think is a significant importance in our history. It shows the kind of relationship that we have with the United Kingdom, and Winston Churchill in particular. This morning President Clinton spoke to Parliament in London and he announced that we are naming one of our guided missile destroyers The U.S.S. Winston Churchill, one of our AEGIS class, the newest and highest quality warships to be built today. I now that was well received be the Parliament and the people of our great and long ally, the United Kingdom.

Americas long-term success depends on the strength and endurance of our economy. That means positive returns on our investments at home and abroad. You know that sound investment opportunities are created in stable secure environments. You also know that opportunities for profit abroad are possible because of the Political stability which has characterized Europe since WW II, and in Asia and in other markets more recently. This political and economic stability has been the result of our significant U.S. Military forward presents around the globe over the last fifty years or so. Initially, of course, the reason for our forward presents was to deter Communism in the Cold War. And now because the Soviet Union threat is a distant memory, there are forces in government and business calling for severe reduction of our forward deployed capability. We have already drastically reduced our military presents in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, in the process cut our fighting forces from nearly 600 ships in the start of this decade, to 370 today. It was a necessary but painful reduction. It was the right thing to do.

My challenge is to ensure that the American Public understand why our forward deployed forces, particularly those of the Navy and Marine Corps, are still vital to the America. After all, Americans, including you and your businesses, invest a great deal in our Armed Forces. I am here today to tell you that you are getting your moneys-worth for your investment in the Navy-Marine Corps Team and it forward presents around the world. Right now we have more than 50% of our forces underway. That is more than 190 ships, including 6 Aircraft Carriers and 4 Amphibious Ready Groups with Marine Assault Forces embarked. These units are operating in every region where U.S. interests are at stake; South America to the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean; from the Suez Canal to the Arabian Gulf; and from the Straits Singapore to Korea; including a Marine Corps Squadron assigned to Avian Italy, flying Missions over Bosnia, and I know that Lenard Selber have a close watch on at least one of those brave pilots.

Why does this formidable force position itself at such a distance from our shores? It is because almost every bit of America's trade with Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa is transported by Sea. The British proved centuries ago, the importance of a powerful Navy, able to protect the flow of commerce throughout our global empire. There should no doubt in your minds that Americas most important trade relies on the sea and that our forward deployed Naval forces is the best, most cost effective, guarantor of economic stability abroad. It our readiness, flexibility and power that has led those familiar situations in Washington. Whenever a crisis occurs in the world, the first questions the Presidents asks are "Where is the nearest Aircraft Battle Group and where is the nearest Amphibious Ready Group?" These were the questions asked and effectively answered during a routed attempt to threaten Kuwait earlier this year and then again in September during our Air and Tomahawk strikes into Bosnia. Those Air and Tomahawk strikes into Bosnia is what brought the forces to the peace table and afforded us the opportunity to have the peace agreement that we have today.

This confidence in our Navy, not only by our President, but also by the American People, makes me proud of what the Navy and the Marine Corps Team is doing. It makes me believe that neither the Navy Role nor Mission will change drastically in the near future. That is because we are already providing the service that you, America's business, academic and political leaders, of today and tomorrow, need. That service is stability around the world. The bottom line is that the U.S. Military, in particular the Navy's forward deployed forces, remain prime contributors to political stability and an agreeable business climate abroad which in turn provide a generally healthy economy at home. As we evaluate our readiness to defend Americas interests in the future, nothing strikes me as important as our people. You have all read about the Department of Defense making sizable force reductions, what I like to refer to as "Right Sizing," because it is so important, as we get smaller, we do it right, and treat our right in the process. Although we have shrunk we still need to retain and recruit, top-notch, dedicated young men and women to the Naval Service in order to be able to meet tomorrow's missions. This is one of the most critical issues facing the department of the Navy. I want to emphasize that the Navy-Marine Corps Team is still hiring, the Air force is still hiring, the Army is hiring. As leaders across Shreveport and its professional spectrum, I need your help to get the word out, that we are still looking for quality people to come into the ranks of our Armed Services. In the Navy and Marine Corps, we continue to need 100,000 people, this year, next year, and the year after that. It is a great way to for young men and women to start their careers. It is a great way for men and women to have the opportunity for additional education, travel, early opportunities for responsibility and leadership and I would encourage any high school graduate to consider going into the Naval Service or one of the other Services. For those of you in college consider the opportunities for getting a commission in one of our Services. It is a tremendous challenge and I am proud that my own son was commissioned as a Naval Officer and my younger son is participating in the Platoon leaders program in the Marine Corps.

I see tremendous challenges facing our nation ahead but I see them as well as opportunities that our talented young men and women must seize to ensure America's preeminence in economic, scientific, military and social affairs. I think that our greatest days are ahead of us. I would encourage young people starting your careers as 6 of our last 8 Presidents starting their carriers, as Naval Officers.

Questions from the Audience and Answers from the Secretary...

Are the 2 Carriers under construction now Nuclear Powered or Conventional?

They are Nuclear. The CVN 76, named for Ronald Regan and the CVN 75, named for Harry Truman both under construction. On December 9, Commissioned in Newport News, U.S.S. John Stinis will also be Nuclear. The Carrier CVN 77 will also be Nuclear Powered and will be considered CVX because it will be experimental.

How will the Carriers be used in Bosnia?

They will be used just like we used them in the Gulf to support the Battle Group if needed but I do not anticipate that they will be need for engagement.

Is the Military planning a defensive missile program to start up again?

We have a missile program we call "Theatre ballistic missile defense." It is not global and is not like SDI. It is underway. Once we complete it, it could be expanded to something like SDI but it is very costly and do not anticipate getting the funding.

(The Author asked) Sir, What is your E-Mail address?

I will have to get LT Commander .... to give it to you. I just do not have a computer on my desk so someone from my office will give it to you.

END

Secretary of the Navy's E-Mail address is

connor-charles@hq.secnav.navy.mil