Happy Birthdayto John Lehman, 65th Secretary of the Navy

Cleveland, Ohio, September 14, 2023 

While Secretary of the Navy John Lehman steered the fleet toward 600 ships in the 1980s, the submarine industrial base delivered five new submarines into service each year at the same time maintaining more than 100 submarines. Today, as Bartlett Maritime Corporation wishes the 65th Secretary of the Navy John Lehman a very happy 82nd birthday, we celebrate his lifelong commitment to national service and to national sea power.

Born in Philadelphia in 1942 as the son of a Navy industrial engineer, Lehman went on to earn a commission as an officer in the Navy Reserve. He served as a member of the National Security Council and as deputy director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency before President Ronald Reagan chose him to be Secretary of the Navy in 1981.

“Secretary Lehman showed that building a strong Navy makes a strong nation,” said Bartlett Maritime CEO and Founder Edward L. Bartlett. “At a time when our victory in the Cold War was anything but assured, Secretary Lehman’s vision and tireless leadership guided the Navy and Marine Corps to win peace through sea power.”

Lehman continued to serve as an officer in the Navy Reserve while Secretary. His push for a 600-ship Navy and implementation of the Maritime Strategy successfully countered Soviet military ambitions around the world. He left the office in 1987, but his service to the nation has continued in many ways, including as a member of the 9/11 Commission in 2002.

The Navy has announced that the guided missile destroyer, USS John F. Lehman (DDG 137), will be named in his honor.