"Introducing Your Minority Affairs Specialists at Major Commands."
All Hands. no. 651. Washington, D.C. GPO, April 1971. P. 16-18.
SuDoc No.: D208.3
Further information on Minority Affairs Specialists. It includes a partial listing of Special
Assistants for Minority Affairs at major commands.
FULL TEXT
"Every base, station and aircraft squadron commander and ship commanding officer shall
appoint an aware minority group officer or senior petty officer as his special assistant for
minority affairs," directed Admiral Zumwalt's NAVOP Z-66.
He felt this was necessary in order to "open up new avenues of communication with not only
our black personnel, but also with all minority groups in the Navy so that we may learn what and
where the areas of friction are. Second, all of us in the Navy must develop far greater
sensitivity to the problems of all our minority groups so that we may more effectively go about
solving them... Much remains to be done."
Since that message was received in February, commands have appointed and begun consulting their
special assistants. Much of the work accomplished by LCDR William Norman, special assistant to
the CNO, is done with the help of local minority affairs assistants.
"My primary purpose can be summed up as trying to make the black sailor more of an integral
part of the Navy," one appointed assistant explained. "That can only be done through
an exchange of ideas between black and white Navy men."
Minority affairs advisors to local COs, it is hoped, will be able to pinpoint areas in which
minority groups feel discrimination exists. They will also assist local commands in matters
involving minority Navymen, with an emphasis upon improving morale, performance and career
retention.
Another advisor to a Pacific Force commander explained that "in many cases a grievance may
simply be the result of a misunderstanding. And, sometimes, operational requirements or manpower
shortages may preclude a remedy. In any event, however, the why is answered."
"Another important fact to consider," he continued, "is that if a man believes he
has a grievance, even though it might be illogical, it's still a valid grievance to him. Until
you can communicate to him the facts surrounding the situation, his grievance is a real as the
frustration and hostility that accompany it."
Rear Admiral J. N. Shaffer, Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Force, Atlantic, knew whom he wanted
when Z-66 came out directing each major commander to appoint a minority affairs assistant. He
appointed Lieutenant (jg) Don M. Johnson.
"In order to solve some of the problems, the blacks had to get involved. This is one area
where we can't wait for the whites to solve the problem," said LTJG Johnson.
LTJG Johnson sees his primary purpose with COMCRUDESLANT as getting "ideas on what is needed
for individuals to advance in the Navy and to get a better education."
The 29-year-old officer came to his present assignment from the USS Forrest Sherman. He
has not always been an officer. In 1961, he enlisted from his Detroit, Mich., home and was sent
to Radarman "A" School after boot camp. Graduating first in his class, with his
"push button" third class crow, LTJG Johnson was assigned duty aboard the destroyer,
USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
During the next year and a half, he was advanced to RD2 and then sent to Radarman "B"
School. While attending the school, he was notified that his application for the NESEP program
was accepted. Naval Prep School at San Diego followed, and then the young officer candidate
studied at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque.
During his two years at school, Mr. Johnson made RD1, and then graduated in June, 1969, with a
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. On 4 Jun 1969, he was commissioned an ensign by
his commanding officer on board the Kennedy.
Proceeding through the first 10-week NESEP OCS course, Electronic Warfare School, and Air
Interceptor Control School, LTJG Johnson was finally assigned "R" Division Officer on
the USS Willis A. Lee for the last three months before she was decommissioned.
He was transferred to the destroyer Sherman as CIC officer, and served there a year before
his present position in Newport, R.I.
Many things concern the officer, one of them being the rating system. "There are some
ratings in the Navy that appear to be closed to blacks," he said. "It isn't because of
racial discrimination by BuPers," he said, "but rather you have to know somebody in the
rating to tell you the tricks in making rate or switching to it."
On discrimination, LTJG Johnson states that "not everybody is equal – each individual
has a different background, environment, etc., but everybody in the Navy should be given fair
treatment. That is what Z-66 is all about."
LTJG Johnson will be traveling to COMCRUDESLANT units and ports in the future to talk to the
black and white personnel and their COs. "I want to get ideas on what is needed for
individuals to advance in the Navy and get a better education."
NOTE: A major portion of the articles appearing in this special report have been prepared
by J03 J.R. Kimmins, USN, following extensive interviews with the Navy officials involved in
this program. Kimmins, formerly a writer in the Minority Affairs Branch of CHINFO, is now a
staff journalist in BuPers Career Information and Publications Division and has written
extensively for ALL HANDS Magazine.
Assistants at Major Commands – A Partial Listing
Here is a partial listing of Special Assistants for Minority Affairs at major commands.
CINCLANTFLT (Norfolk, Va.) |
CDR Reeves R. Taylor |
CINCPACFLT (Pearl Harbor) |
YN1 Henry E. Coley |
PHIBLANT (Little Creek, Va.) |
ENS Henry Nixon, Jr. |
PHIBPAC (Coronado, Calif.) |
RDC Otis Williams |
CINCUSNAVEUR (London, England) |
PNCS Walter A. Smith |
MINELANT (Charleston, S.C.) |
ENCS Arthur Hurd |
MINEPAC (Long Beach, Calif.) |
DM2 Benny A. Howard |
COMCRUDESLANT (Newport, R.I.) |
LTJG Don Johnson |
COMCRUDESPAC (San Diego, Calif.) |
YNCS Willie J. Coleman |
COMFAIR, QUONSET |
AMSC Henry B. Green |
COMFAIR, JACKSONVILLE, FLA. |
LCDR Jas. M. Jacquet, Jr. |
COMFAIR, SAN DIEGO, CALIF. |
AC1 Jerome Scott |
COMFAIR, NORFOLK, VA. |
CDR Elias J. Stetz |
COMFAIR, LEMOORE (Calif.) |
YNC Domingo J. Pina |
NAS ALBANY (Ga.) |
LTJG Everett R. Johnson |
NAS CUBI POINT |
YN1 Clyde L. Corley |
SUBASE, NEW LONDON, CONN. |
LT Jesse Collins |
NAVSTA, WASH., D.C. |
HMC Thomas Short |
NAVSTA, SAN FRANCISCO |
PNCS William V. Clarke |
NAVSTA, NORFOLK |
SKCM Orvis T. Wade |
NAVSTA, MAYPORT |
BMC Harold Frazier |
NAVSTA, PHILADELPHIA |
YN1 Joseph Brundage |
NAVSTA, SAN DIEGO |
SDCS Charlie M. Gore |
NAVSTA, CHARLESTON |
SK1 Harold Fooster |
NAVSTA, KEY WEST |
SKCS R.C. Tolbert |
NAVSTA, ROTA |
AT1 Martin L. Rewin |
NAVSTA, ADAK |
ABFC Joseph L. Williams |
NAVSTA, SUBIC BAY |
LTJG Mitchell C. Hilton |
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