John Thomas Phelps

Army

U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) John Thomas Phelps II of Newport, Rhode Island, a military legal scholar and ethicist who dedicated his life selflessly to public service, passed away on April 21, 2025. He was 74.

Born in Zanesville, Ohio, he was the son of the late John and Wilma Phelps. He was the loving partner of Elaine Cascio for more than 20 years.

During his 30-year military career as a Judge Advocate for the U.S. Army, John served as a prosecutor, defense counsel, a Professor of Law at the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, and as Deputy Chairman of the International Law Department of the U.S. Naval War College. He was highly regarded as “a soldier’s soldier and a lawyer’s lawyer” by his colleagues and was well-known for his unflappable leadership style.

He served as Chief Legal Advisor for Allied Forces Southern Europe (NATO) from 1999-2002, focused on NATO operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Afghanistan. Following the Abu Ghraib scandal in Iraq, John was assigned as the Legal Advisor for Detainee Operations, where he worked with the Central Criminal Court of Iraq and the Combined Review and Release Board. He met frequently with the Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq and the Ministers of Justice, Interior, and State. Throughout these assignments John also had extensive experience interacting with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), United Nations, Human Rights Watch and other International and Non-Governmental Organizations, where he was respected for his candor and fairness.

His career of dedicated and distinguished service included numerous decorations and awards: Legion of Merit (3), Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2), National Defense Service Medal, and Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star.

After retiring from active-duty in 2008, John joined the Defense Institute for International Legal Studies in Newport. He lectured and consulted on Human Rights, Peace Operations and the Law of Armed Conflict in South America, Europe, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

John retired from civil service in 2018, That same year, John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, which he faced with the same dignity and courage that he lived his life.

John’s time overseas sparked a keen interest in travel, history and collecting. He leaves behind a vast store of military weapons and uniforms from all over the world, antiquities and Civil War artifacts. John’s favorite thing to do was dig for relics, and most weekends would find him in the woods with his metal detector. He shared his encyclopedic knowledge of the U.S Civil War during Army staff rides to Civil War battlefields. John loved westerns and war movies and lima beans.

He held a Bachelor of Science from Ohio State University, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. 

In addition to his partner, John is survived by a son, Brian of Toyota, Japan and a daughter, Erin (Christopher Powers) of Memphis, Tennessee. He relished his role of grandfather to Erin’s five girls, Natalie, Emma, Hannah, Alanna and Hallie. John is survived by two sisters, Joyce Gibson and Vicki Phelps Moore, both of Newark, Ohio. He will be missed by the many colleagues, friends, and former students who benefitted from his calm and caring leadership.

John will be interred at Arlington Cemetery with full military honors. A celebration of life will be planned for the coming summer, where we will continue John’s tradition of gifting Civil War bullets to his dear friends. Instead of flowers, please consider a gift to The American Battlefield Trust.