Henry Kent Hewitt was born in Hackensack

Hackensack, New Jersey

Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 on February 11, 1887 and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1906. Hewitt served on USS Missouri

USS Missouri (BB-11)

USS Missouri , a Maine-class battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 24th state....

 in the Great White Fleet

Great White Fleet

The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the United States Navy battle fleet that completed a circumnavigation of the globe from 16 December 1907 to 22 February 1909 by order of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with...

's circumnavigation of the globe from 1907-1909. He later taught mathematics at the Naval Academy before commanding the yacht Eagle

USS Eagle (1898)

The fifth USS Eagle served in the United States Navy from 1898-1919, and saw action in the Spanish-American War and service during World War I....

. During World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, Hewitt commanded the destroyer USS Cummings

USS Cummings (DD-44)

The first USS Cummings was a used by the United States Navy during World War I. She was later transferred to the United States Coast Guard, where she was designated CG-3. She was named for Lieutenant Commander Andrew Boyd Cummings....

 and, years later, the cruiser USS Indianapolis

USS Indianapolis (CA-35)

USS Indianapolis was a of the United States Navy. She holds a place in history due to the circumstances of her sinking, which led to the greatest single loss of life at sea in the history of the U.S. Navy...

.

Beginning in 1941, he commanded Atlantic Fleet Task Groups in neutrality patrols and convoys until becoming Commander, Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet

United States Fleet Forces Command

The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...

, in April 1942. This force, also called Task Force 34, became the U.S. component of the Operation Torch

Operation Torch

Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....

 landings in November 1942. Hewitt was then assigned as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Northwest Africa Waters

United States Eighth Fleet

The United States Eighth Fleet was a fleet of the U.S. Navy established 15 March 1943 from Northwest African Force. It operated in the Mediterranean Sea during World War II with a main mission of amphibious warfare, and then was active in 1946-47 as the heavy striking arm of the United States...

 or COMNAVNAW. His flagship was USS Augusta

USS Augusta (CA-31)

USS Augusta was a Northampton-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy, notable for service in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during World War II, and for her occasional use as a presidential flagship carrying both Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman under wartime conditions...

, when he commanded American naval forces at the Battle of Casablanca

Naval Battle of Casablanca

The Naval Battle of Casablanca was a series of naval engagements fought between American ships covering the invasion of North Africa and Vichy French ships defending the neutrality of French Morocco in accordance with the Second Armistice at Compiègne during World War II...

. (Sean Maloney, To Secure Command of the Sea, thesis, 1991, p. 25) Hewitt remained in this post until 1945, when he chaired a Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

 investigation.

Following World War II, he commanded U.S. Naval Forces Europe, advised the Naval War College

Naval War College

The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...

, and served as a Navy representative to the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

. Hewitt retired from active duty in 1949.

USS Hewitt

USS Hewitt (DD-966)

USS Hewitt , named for Admiral H. Kent Hewitt USN , was a built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi and launched on 14 September 1974 by Mrs. Leroy Hewitt Taylor and Mrs. Gerald Hewitt Norton, daughters of Admiral Hewitt.-History:Hewitt was the...

was named in his honor.