During
World War II, Sutton served in the
United States Navy from 1942 to 1946. He was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross, the
Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, and the
Purple Heart with two oak leaf clusters. On 3 February 1945, during a World War II battle to re-take the Philippines from the Japanese, elements of the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division pushed into the northern outskirts of Manila, with only the steep-sided Tuliahan River separating them from the city proper. A squadron of the 8th Cavalry Regiment reached the bridge just moments after Japanese soldiers had finished preparing it for demolition. As the two sides opened fire on one another, the Japanese lit the fuse leading to the carefully placed explosives. Without hesitation, Lt. Sutton, a Navy demolitions expert attached to the division, dashed through the enemy fire and cut the burning fuse. This heroic act allowed the soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division to cross the bridge and seize Manila. Sutton was elected as a
Democrat to the
Eighty-first and to the two succeeding Congresses. He served from January 3, 1949 until January 3, 1955. In 1954, he was an unsuccessful candidate for
United States Senator. Subsequently, Sutton served as the county sheriff for
Lawrence County, Tennessee. In 1963, he and his brother were indicted by a federal grand jury for
counterfeiting. He pleaded guilty in 1964 and was sentenced to one year in prison, and two years probation. He served an additional 10 months in federal prison in 1965 after violating his probation. He later worked as an investment broker, and spent time restoring antiques. ==Death==