John Phillips Lawton

Army Colonel

John P. Lawton, a retired Army colonel and highly decorated Vietnam veteran who later served as Deputy Director of the Office of Memorial Affairs in the Department of Veteran Affairs, died September 3rd at his home in Vienna, VA at the age of 78.

Colonel Lawton, a resident of Northern Virginia since 1987, was born at the Presidio of San Francisco, CA, and was the son of an Army Lieutenant General. He served 37 years in the Army before retiring in 1990. His career included service in Germany and Vietnam where as a commander of a rifle company in the 101st Airborne Brigade he was severely wounded while earning the Distinguished Service Cross. On a subsequent tour in Vietnam, he commanded a Long Range Reconnaissance Company and later a battalion at Fort Dix, NJ. In addition to the Distinguished Service Cross, he is the holder of two Silver Stars, one Bronze Star for Valor and four Purple Hearts and is a member of the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, GA.

He is survived by his wife Barbara and his children Andrew, Matthew, Kathleen, Michael, Mary and his grandchildren Brady and Sienna.