Walton R. Sexton

Walton Roswell Sexton (13 September 1876 – 9 September 1943) was a United States Navy officer. He temporarily served as a vice admiral in command of Battleships, Battle Force from July 1933 to June 1934. Sexton retired as a rear admiral on 1 October 1940, but remained on active duty because of World War II until his death in 1943. He entered the United States Naval Academy in 1893 and graduated on 4 June 1897. Sexton later attended the Naval War College in 1915.

Career After graduation from the Naval Academy, Sexton served in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War. In 1906, Sexton was given command of the cruiser . In July 1909, he was promoted to lieutenant commander.

In 1913, he served as flag secretary on the staff of Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger aboard the battleship . In August 1916, he was promoted to commander. During World War I, Sexton received a temporary promotion to captain and served on the staff of the commander-in-chief of U.S. naval forces in European waters, earning the Navy Cross.

After the war in October 1919, Sexton replaced Rear Admiral Harry S. Knapp as the U.S. naval attaché in London. He was then given command of the armored cruiser Frederick from November 1920 to February 1922. In June 1921, his promotion to captain was made permanent. Sexton served as the commanding officer of the battleship from April to October 1925.

Sexton was given command of Destroyers, Scouting Fleet in 1929 In 1931, he became an Assistant Chief of Naval Operations. He retired after reaching the age of sixty-four in September 1940, he was then originally slated to be replaced by Rear Admiral John W. Greenslade but was then personally asked to stay on by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

As a Philippine–American War veteran, Sexton served as Grand Paramount Carabao of the Military Order of the Carabao from December 1941 to December 1942. He died at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on 9 September 1943 and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery two days later.

Personal Sexton was the son of William Harvey Sexton and Marian (Burlingim) Sexton.