Editing Jonathan Howe

{{Short description|United States Navy admiral}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Jonathan T. Howe
| image               = Jonathan howe.jpg
| image_size          = 
| alt                 = 
| caption             = 
| office              = 18th [[Deputy National Security Advisor (United States)|United States Deputy National Security Advisor]]
| termstart           = November 7, 1991
| termend             = January 19, 1993
| predecessor         = [[Robert Gates]]
| successor           = [[Anthony Lake]]
| president           = [[George H. W. Bush]]
| office2             = 7th [[Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs|Director of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs]]
| termstart2          = May 10, 1982
| termend2            = July 1, 1984
| president2          = [[Ronald Reagan]]
| predecessor2        = [[Richard Burt]]
| successor2          = [[John T. Chain Jr.]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1935|8|24}}
| birth_place         = [[San Diego County, California]]
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| education           = [[United States Naval Academy]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br/>[[Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]], [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])
| nickname            = 
| allegiance          = United States
| branch              = [[United States Navy]]
| serviceyears        = 1957–1992
| rank                = [[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]]
| servicenumber       = 
| unit                = 
| commands            = [[Allied Forces Southern Europe]]<br/>[[United States Naval Forces Europe]]<br/>[[Carrier Strike Group Nine|Cruiser-Destroyer Group Three]]<br/>Destroyer Squadron 31<br/>{{USS|Berkeley|DDG-15}}
| battles             = 
| mawards             = {{nowrap|[[Defense Distinguished Service Medal]] (6)}}<br/>[[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]] (2)<br/>[[Defense Superior Service Medal]]<br/>[[Legion of Merit]] (3)
}}
'''Jonathan Trumbull Howe''' (born August 24, 1935) is a retired [[4-star rank|four-star]] [[United States Navy]] [[Admiral (United States)|admiral]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.nixonfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Nixon-Legacy-Forum-The-Opening-to-China.pdf |title=Nixon Legacy Forum Transcript: The Opening to China |date=November 14, 2014 |website=Nixon Foundation}}</ref> He was the Special Representative for [[Somalia]] to [[United Nations Secretary-General]] [[Boutros Boutros-Ghali]] from March 9, 1993, succeeding [[Ismat Kittani]] from Iraq, until his resignation in February 1994.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/Depts/DPKO/Missions/unosom2b.htm |title=United Nations Operation in Somalia II – (UNISOM II) |accessdate=2006-11-15 |author=Department of Public Information, United Nations |date=1997-03-21}}</ref> During his time in Somalia he oversaw [[UNOSOM II]] operations including the [[Abdi House raid|'Bloody Monday']] raid which killed dozens and was a decisive turning point in the UNSOM II mission.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" />

Howe was also the former [[Deputy National Security Advisor]] in the first [[George H. W. Bush|Bush]] Administration. He was also President of [[The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.avdfdn.org/trustees.htm |title=Board of Trustees and Staff |accessdate=2006-11-15 |publisher=The Arthur Vining David Foundations |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004043702/http://www.avdfdn.org/trustees.htm |archivedate=2006-10-04 }}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Howe is a 1957 graduate of the [[United States Naval Academy]] at [[Annapolis, Maryland]], and earned [[Master of Arts]], Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy, and [[Doctor of Philosophy]] degrees from the [[Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy]] at [[Tufts University]] from 1968 to 1969.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/papers/1991/91111906.html |title=Nomination of Jonathan T. Howe to be Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs |accessdate=2006-11-15 |date=1991-11-19 |publisher=George Bush Presidential Library and Museum |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040825123625/http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/papers/1991/91111906.html |archivedate=August 25, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Jonathan Howe|website=Hall of Valor: Medal of Honor, Silver Star, U.S. Military Awards|date=2024-11-09|url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-315370/|access-date=2025-04-02}}</ref>

==Naval and government service==
Howe's naval career spanned nearly 36 years and included sea assignments and commands on nuclear submarines and surface warships.<ref>{{cite web |last=Marbut |first=Max |title=Workspace: Jonathan Howe, executive director, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations |website=Jax Daily Record |date=2012-01-12 |url=https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2012/jan/12/workspace-jonathan-howe-executive-director-arthur-vining-davis-foundations/ |access-date=2025-04-11}}</ref>

He began his career with the U.S. Navy in 1958 assigned to the [[USS Bremerton (CA-130)|USS ''Bremerton'']].<ref>[https://aei.pitt.edu/75325/1/BIO_-_EN_-_Howe.pdf Department of State Office of Press Relations].</ref>

Howe's early years in the Navy were spent in submarines.<ref name="ucsb">{{cite web |title=Nomination of Jonathan T. Howe To Be Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs |website=The American Presidency Project |date=1991-11-19 |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/nomination-jonathan-t-howe-be-deputy-assistant-the-president-for-national-security-affairs |access-date=2025-04-11}}</ref>

He served from 1962–1964 as a nuclear engineer on the [[USS George Washington (SSBN-598)|''USS George Washington'' (SSBN-598)]], the first U.S. operational ballistic missile submarine. Following that assignment, he served as Engineering Officer on the [[USS Patrick Henry|USS ''Patrick Henry'']] (SSBN-599) from 1965–1967.<ref>{{cite web | last=Howe | first=Lieutenant Commander Jonathan T. | last2=Navy | first2=U.S. | title=Polaris Duty: Pinnacle Or Predicament? | website=U.S. Naval Institute | date=1967-08-01 | url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1967/august/polaris-duty-pinnacle-or-predicament | access-date=2025-05-14}}</ref>

Howe's naval surface ship commands included the {{USS|Berkeley|DDG-15}} (1974–1975), Destroyer Squadron 31 (1977–1978), and [[Carrier Strike Group Nine|Cruiser-Destroyer Group Three]] (1984–1986) and aircraft carrier Battle Group Foxtrot.<ref name="ucsb" />

Howe was Military Assistant to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs from 1969–1974.<ref name="opening" /> His contributions centered on military intelligence sharing and reinforcing the U.S.-China relationship during the Cold War.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kissinger Party Flying to Peking; Is Due W ednesday |website=The New York Times |date=1971-10-17 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/17/archives/kissinger-party-flying-to-peking-is-due-wednesday.html |access-date=2025-05-14}}</ref> Howe accompanied [[Henry A. Kissinger]] on one of the [[Nixon administration]]'s initial trips to China in October 1971.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kissinger to Begin Trip To Peking on Saturday |website=The New York Times |date=1971-10-15 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/15/archives/kissinger-to-begin-trip-to-peking-on-saturday.html |access-date=2025-05-14}}</ref> He also accompanied President [[Richard M. Nixon]] on the [[1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China|historic presidential visit to China]] in February 1972.<ref name="opening">{{cite web |title=Nixon Legacy Forum Transcript: The Opening to China |date=November 14, 2014 |url=https://www.nixonfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Nixon-Legacy-Forum-The-Opening-to-China.pdf |website=Nixon Foundation |access-date=2025-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Richard Nixon Presidential Library Document Withdrawal Record |url=https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/virtuallibrary/documents/PDD/1972/070%20February%2016-29%201972.pdf |date=February 29, 1972 |website=Nixon Foundation |access-date=2025-05-14}}</ref>

His other assignments include Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs (1975–1977), Chief of Staff of the [[United States Seventh Fleet|Seventh Fleet]] in [[Yokosuka]], Japan (1978–1980), Senior Military Assistant to the [[Deputy Secretary of Defense]] from 1981 to 1982, Director of the State Department's [[Bureau of Political-Military Affairs]] from 1982 to 1984, deputy chairman, NATO Military Committee, Brussels, Belgium (1986–1987), and Assistant to the [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] (1987–1989). He served simultaneously as Commander in Chief, [[Allied Forces Southern Europe]] in [[Naples]], Italy, and Commander, [[United States Naval Forces Europe]] starting in May 1989. Following that assignment, he was named [[Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs]] by President George H. W. Bush in 1991, succeeding [[Robert M. Gates]] when he moved on to become CIA director.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEFDF1E3EF933A15752C1A967958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fN%2fNational%20Security%20Council |title=Bush Names Security Deputy |accessdate=2006-11-15|date=1991-11-20 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> He retired from the United States Navy in 1992.

During his time as Deputy Assistant he was directly involved in the pursuit of President [[Manuel Noriega]] of [[Panama]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/briefcase-admiral-blamed-in-somalia-crisis-american-un-envoy-lambasted-for-personal-vendetta-against-1509327.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220614/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/briefcase-admiral-blamed-in-somalia-crisis-american-un-envoy-lambasted-for-personal-vendetta-against-1509327.html |archive-date=2022-06-14 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title='Briefcase admiral' blamed in Somalia crisis: American UN envoy|date=1993-10-08|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2019-03-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Divorcing the dictator : America's bungled affair with Noriega|first=Frederick|last=Kempe|date=1990|publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons|isbn=0399135170|location=New York|oclc=20933992|url=https://archive.org/details/divorcingdictato00kemp}}</ref>

==Service in Somalia==
{{main|Abdi House raid}}
In 1992, Howe was selected by the [[Clinton Administration]] to head [[UNOSOM II]] - the UN operation in [[Somalia]] that took over from the US in May.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Me against my brother : at war in Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda : a journalist reports from the battlefields of Africa|last=Peterson|first=Scott|date=2000|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0415921988|location=New York|oclc=43287853}}</ref> In this capacity he came under criticism for remaining physically distant from field operations<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> and for his pursuit of Somali military leader [[Mohamed Farrah Aidid]], which was called a "personal vendetta."<ref name=":0" /> The State Department and the NSC staff supported the strategy that removing Aideed would mprove stability in the region.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/History/Monographs/Somalia.pdf  |last=Poole |first=Walter S. |title=The Effort to Save Somalia, August 1992-March 1994 |publisher=Joint History Office, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff |publication-place=Washington, DC |date=2005 |isbn=0-16-075594-8}}</ref>

On July 12, 1993, Howe oversaw the event Somalis call Bloody Monday.<ref name=":1" /> According to American war correspondent [[Scott Peterson (writer)|Scott Peterson]] a group of Somali elders had gathered at a house to discuss a way to make peace to end the violence between Somali militias and the UN forces.<ref name=":1" /> The gathering had been publicized as a peace gathering in Somali newspapers the day before the attack.<ref name=":1" /> After being tipped off by an undercover operative, American [[Cobra attack helicopter]]s launched [[TOW missile]]s and [[20 mm caliber]] cannon fire at the structure.<ref name=":1" /> According to a Somali survivor, American ground troops killed 15 survivors at close range with pistols, a charge American commanders deny.<ref name=":1" /> According to the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]] there were over 200 Somali casualties.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/did-the-us-cover-up-a-civilian-massacre-before-black-hawk-down|title=Did the U.S. Cover Up a Civilian Massacre Before Black Hawk Down?|last=Megas|first=Natalia|date=2019-01-06|access-date=2019-03-17|language=en}}</ref> Four Western journalists were killed at the scene by Somalis following the attacks.<ref name=":1" />

Howe claimed that the mission took out a "very key terrorist planning cell" and that no civilians were killed. He stated, "We knew what we were hitting. It was well planned."<ref name=":1" /> The event is considered a turning point in the war as Somalis turned from wanting peace to wanting revenge, ultimately leading to the [[Battle of Mogadishu (1993)|Black Hawk Down Incident]].<ref name=":2" /> [[Human Rights Watch]] declared that the attack "looked like mass murder."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/1995/somalia/|title=SOMALIA|website=www.hrw.org|access-date=2019-03-17}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Howe is the author of the 1971 book ''Multicrises: Seapower and Global Politics in the Missile Age''<ref>{{cite book|first=Jonathan T.|last=Howe|title=Multicrises: Seapower and Global Politics in the Missile Age|year=1971|publisher=MIT Press|location=Cambridge, MA|isbn=0-262-08043-5|oclc=159041|url=https://archive.org/details/Multicrise_00_Howe}}</ref>  and the 2025 book ''Opportunity Lost or Mission Impossible?''<ref>{{cite web |title=Opportunity Lost or Mission Impossible?: My Year in Somalia as Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, 1993–1994: Howe, USN (Ret.), ADM Jonathan T.: 9798338340370: Amazon.com: Books |website=Amazon.com. Spend less. Smile more. |date=2025-05-14 |url=https://www.amazon.com/Opportunity-Lost-Mission-Impossible-Secretary-General/dp/B0DWGLFW42 |access-date=2025-05-14}}</ref>

Howe was chairman of the board of the [[World Affairs Councils of America|World Affairs Council]] of [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]] from 2006–2012.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mathis|first=Karen Brune|title=Howe retires as World Affairs Council chairman, Cook is successor|website=Jax Daily Record|date=2012-06-22|url=https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2012/jun/22/howe-retires-world-affairs-council-chairman-cook-successor/|access-date=2025-04-02}}</ref> The World Affairs Council of Jacksonville began its own Academic WorldQuest program in 2005, the Admiral Jonathan T. Howe Academic WorldQuest, which features a trivia-style six-round, ten-question competition.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hester |first=Britt |title=Creekside High School Triumphs at the 2024 Admiral Jonathan T. Howe Academic WorldQuest |website=The World Affairs Council of Jacksonville |date=2024-05-14 |url=https://worldaffairscounciljax.org/meet-the-2024-admiral-jonathan-t-howe-academic-worldquest-winning-team/ |access-date=2025-04-11}}</ref>

He also served as chairman of the board of Fleet Landing, and was a past president of the [[Rotary International|Rotary Club]] of Jacksonville.<ref>{{cite web|last=Marbut|first=Max|title=Workspace: Jonathan Howe, executive director, Arthur Vining Davis Foundations|website=Jax Daily Record|date=2012-01-12|url=https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2012/jan/12/workspace-jonathan-howe-executive-director-arthur-vining-davis-foundations/|access-date=2025-04-02}}</ref>

Admiral Howe was married to Dr. Harriet Mangrum Howe, whom he met in high school; her father, [[Richard C. Mangrum]], was a U.S. Marine Corps general and served as [[Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps]].<ref name=FloridaTimesUnion_Patton_20060612>{{cite news |work=Florida Times-Union |title=City will meet the world through his steering |date=June 12, 2006 |page=B-1 |first=Charlie |last=Patton |url=http://www.swarthmore.edu/x4775.xml |publisher=Swarthmore College – Swarthmore in the News, June 29, 2006 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070719084942/http://www.swarthmore.edu//x4775.xml |archivedate=July 19, 2007 }}</ref> Howe's father, Hamilton W. Howe, was a US Navy Admiral awarded the [[Navy Cross]] for sinking a German [[U-boat]] in the Atlantic during World War II.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hamilton Howe |website=Hall of Valor: Medal of Honor, Silver Star, U.S. Military Awards |date=2024-11-05 |url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-20534/ |access-date=2025-04-11}}</ref> Harriet was an assistant professor of sociology at the [[University of North Florida]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unf.edu/coas/soc-anth/faculty.htm |title=Sociology Department faculty |accessdate=2006-11-15 |publisher=University of North Florida |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923223538/http://www.unf.edu/coas/soc-anth/faculty.htm |archivedate=2006-09-23 }}</ref>

Admiral Howe has six grown children and currently resides in Florida.

==Awards and decorations==
On January 13, 1993, after retirement, he received the [[National Security Medal]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=20453 |title=Remarks on Presenting the National Security Medal to Admiral Jonathan T. Howe and an Exchange With Reporters |accessdate=2006-11-15 |publisher=The American Presidency Project}}</ref>

*[[File:Surface Warfare Officer Insignia.png|200px]]&nbsp;&nbsp;Navy [[Surface Warfare Officer]] insignia
*[[File:Silver Deterrent Patrol badge.jpg|180px]]<span style="position:relative; top: 25px; left: -102px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|12px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 24px; left: -87px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|12px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 24px; left: -116px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|12px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 23px; left: -72px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|12px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 16px; left: -138px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|12px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 16px; left: -53px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|12px]]</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;Silver [[SSBN Deterrent Patrol insignia]] with six gold stars {{citation needed|date=May 2021}}
*{{Ribbon devices|number=5|type=oak|ribbon=Defense Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Defense Distinguished Service Medal]] with one silver [[oak leaf cluster]]
*{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|width=106}}&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]] with one gold [[award star]]
*[[File:US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg|106px]]&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Defense Superior Service Medal]]
*{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -74px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|22px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -52px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|22px]]</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Legion of Merit]] with two award stars
*[[File:USA - National Security Medal Ribbon.svg|106px]]&nbsp;&nbsp;[[National Security Medal]]
*{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -73px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -55px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;[[National Defense Service Medal]] with two bronze [[service star]]s
*{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg|width=106}}&nbsp;&nbsp;[[Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon]] with service star
*{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon.svg|width=106}}&nbsp;&nbsp;Navy and Marine Corps [[Overseas Service Ribbon]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ambush/interviews/howe.html Interview with Admiral Howe about Somalia]

{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{succession box|
 before=[[Richard Burt]]|
 title=[[Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs|Director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs]]|
 after=[[John T. Chain Jr.]]|
 years=1982–1984
}}
{{s-legal}}
{{succession box|
 before=[[Robert Gates]]|
 title=[[Deputy National Security Advisor]]|
 after=[[Sandy Berger]]|
 years=1991–1993
}}
{{end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howe, Jonathan}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:United States Navy admirals]]
[[Category:United States Naval Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:The Fletcher School at Tufts University alumni]]
[[Category:Battle of Mogadishu (1993)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal]]
[[Category:United States Deputy National Security Advisors]]