THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 31, 1996 TAG: 9605310024
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 39 lines
Adm. Mike Boorda was an intelligent man who knew what he was doing at all times. He was an affable and agreeable individual, a ``can do'' officer, and an extremely polished politician as well as an experienced Washington insider. He knew he had to agree to the politically correct policies of the Clintons to get the job.
Admiral Boorda proudly displayed his enlisted background and used it to increase his popularity among the enlisted people in the Navy. But the enlisted Navy is only part of the entire service, which also includes the officer corps.
The chief of naval operations' real-world mission is to keep the Navy ready to project national power. He must get the necessary funding from Congress, maintain full manning levels of qualified combat-ready crews, and acquire and maintain the ships, planes and weapons to fight and win at any time. Political correctness is usually at odds with that reality.
The CNO must keep the morale of the entire Navy. This is where most of us older Navy hands (I am a contemporary of Mike Boorda) feel he failed.
The combat ``V'' device on a ribbon indicates participation in combat action - getting shot at. It means much to us military people who fought in Vietnam and came home to the scorn of people such as the Clintons.
For an unqualified person to wear it and include himself in that ``club'' is a serious affront to honor. For a senior officer to do so, then fail to support other highly professional genuine combat veterans against unjust vilification in that feminist feeding frenzy called ``Tailhook'' is even more serious.
That, and similar issues, is what it is all about. Mike Boorda truly was an honorable man whose vanity put him in an untenable situation. He could not face what he saw as disgrace and the disdain of his peers.
T. P. McGUIRE
Captain, U.S. Navy (ret.)
Virginia Beach, May 21, 1996 by CNB