Surface Warfare Officer with over 30 years of active duty, including 11 years in command and executive officer positions at sea and ashore. 

First year of active duty was as a volunteer for Southeast Asia with a year ashore at the US Naval Communications Station, Cam Ranh Bay, Republic of South Viet Nam. 

Fourteen plus years of sea duty with 10 six months or longer deployments around the world on eight warships as well as the year in Viet Nam in the first 21 years of Naval Service, including Commanding Officer, USS Harlan County (LST-1196) for 30 months with a deployment to South America and the west coast of Africa and a six- month deployment to the Sixth Fleet in the MED. 

Sea duty assignments:

USS Harry E.  Yarnell (DLG-17) Newport, RI.

USS Eversole (DD-789) Long Beach, CA.

USS Lynde McCormick (DDG-8) San Diego, CA.

USS Saipan (LHA-2) Norfolk, VA.

USS Detroit (AOE-4) Executive Officer Norfolk, VA.

USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) Norfolk, VA.

USS Harlan County (LST-1196) Commanding Officer, Little Creek, VA.

USS Nassau (LHA-4) Executive Officer Norfolk, VA deployed to Desert Shield

Shore Duty Assignments at the

Bureau of Naval Personnel Washington, DC; Naval Amphibious School, Little Creek, VA.

Chief of Naval Operations, Staff; Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, DC and 

Commanding Officer, three years at Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, VA

Commander, Training Command, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk, VA.

Education:

– Bishop Kenny High School, Jacksonville, FL.

– BS History, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama.

– M.S.A – Personnel Management, The George Washington University, Washington DC.

– Advanced Strategic Policy Studies, National Defense University, National Resources Management, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington DC.

– Published author of 26 articles in the U.S. Naval Institute PROCEEDINGS magazine,  

the professional journal of the US Naval Sea Services and the Naval History magazine. 

Married for 50 years to Carol Ann Whitlock O’Neil with a son John III and daughter Kelly.

Post Navy career:

Senior Marine Assessor for a national Environmental Consulting firm for four years inspecting 61 Carnival Corporation Cruise ships worldwide for environmental compliance for the Southern District, U.S. Federal Court, Miami, FL.

Non-profit work for the Naval Order of the United States and as Executive Director for the Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association (JHNSA) working for the return of the USS Charles F. Adams (DDG-2) and USS Orleck (DD-886) to downtown Jacksonville, FL.