Hoover Area Chamber
By Jim St. John, Hoover Veterans Committee & Vestavia Hills Fire Chief
“Duty then is the sublimest word in the English language. You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more; you should never wish to do less.” --- General Robert E. Lee
HOOVER 2012 FREEDOM AWARD WINNER To be considered for Hoover’s Freedom Award, a nominee must be a role model in the community exhibiting good character, be of good repute, have shown support for local, state, and federal government, promoted the ideals of freedom through this support, given long-term service to the ideals, and supported our military as a citizen of Hoover. Rear Admiral John T. Natter, U.S. Navy (Retired) demonstrates each one of those requirements daily. Born in New York on August 14, 1939, Admiral Natter was reared in Trussville, Alabama, one of seven brothers. He graduated from John Carroll Catholic High School, then from the U.S. Naval Academy, and was commissioned an Ensign in 1962. Later he would attend the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the Naval War College, the Armed Forces Staff College and receive a Juris Doctor degree from Samford University. Admiral Natter served aboard destroyers, amphibious ships and special warfare craft, mainly in the Western Pacific and off the coast of Vietnam. His major shore assignments included Commander, Naval Reserve Readiness Command, Commander, Naval Inshore Undersea Warfare Group Two, Deputy Director, Naval Reserve, Washington, D.C., and prior to retiring after 40 years of service to the day, served as Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel and as Deputy for Resources and Readiness for the Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe. In Europe he represented the Commander in Chief at Department of the Navy annual budget conferences and at numerous national and international forums. During his Navy career, Admiral Natter was awarded the Legion of Merit four times, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Vietnam Service Medal four times, and numerous other unit and campaign awards. He served on the Board of Directors, U.S. Naval Institute from 1994 to 1998 and was Chairman of the Editorial Board during the period 1995-1998. Admiral Natter has written articles, appeared on various panels, made many presentations to “think tanks,” and has debated widely on the subject of retaining junior officers in the military. Admiral Natter currently is the senior partner in the law firm of Natter & Fulmer, P.C., in Birmingham, Alabama, specializing in business law, real estate, probate, and litigation and has been admitted to practice law in state and federal courts and in the United States Supreme Court. Apart from the military, he has served the community as Chairman of Opera Birmingham, President of the John Carroll Catholic High School PTO, as an attorney for Indo-China Refugee Resettlement, as president of the Regional Catholic School-
Rear Admiral John T. (Jack) Natter, (Ret.), left, was presented the 2012 Freedom Award by Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey and the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce at the July Chamber Luncheon.
76 I 2013 - Hoover Magazine h������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������h o o v e r c h a m b e r. o r g