▁Hat ton , ▁Sir ▁Michael ▁Howard ▁and ▁P iers ▁Mack es y . ▁ ▁Naval ▁career ▁After ▁gradu ation ▁from ▁Ken y on ▁College , ▁he ▁served ▁his ▁country ▁in ▁uniform ▁for ▁eight ▁years ▁during ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁period , ▁as ▁a ▁naval ▁officer . ▁He ▁served ▁on ▁board ▁USS ▁O ' B rien ▁( DD - 7 2 5 ), ▁ear ning ▁a ▁comm end ation ▁from ▁the ▁Commander , ▁United ▁States ▁Se vent h ▁Fle et , ▁for ▁out standing ▁performance ▁of ▁duty ▁during ▁combat ▁operations ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁Later , ▁he ▁served ▁at ▁sea ▁in ▁USS ▁Pur dy ▁( DD - 7 3 4 ) ▁and ▁USS ▁F iske ▁( DD - 8 4 2 ). ▁While ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Navy , ▁H att endorf ▁also ▁served ▁ash ore ▁at ▁the ▁Naval ▁History ▁Division , ▁Office ▁of ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁Naval ▁Oper ations ▁( Op - 0 9 B 9 ), ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 – 6 9 , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁first ▁trained ▁in ▁naval ▁history ▁under ▁R ear ▁Admir al ▁Ernest ▁M . ▁Ell er ▁and ▁Dr . ▁William ▁J . ▁Morgan , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁Naval ▁War ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 – 7 3 , ▁where ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁speech ▁writer ▁and ▁research ▁assistant ▁to ▁Vice ▁Admir al ▁St ans field ▁Turner ▁and ▁also ▁taught ▁in ▁the ▁college ' s ▁strategy ▁and ▁policy ▁department . ▁ ▁Civil