1994 Seattle P-I Editorial: Naval probe needed in officer's discipline
A10 Seattle Post - Intelligencer, Wednesday, April 27 1994 OPINION page
J.D. Alexander Editor and Publisher
John Currie Business Manager
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Kenneth F. Bunting Managing Editor
Charles J. Dunsire Editorial Page Editor
Thomas A. Reed Associate Editor
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The voice of the Northwest since 1863
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The Navy should reverse course and grant a new trial to Lt. Cmdr. Walter Fitzpatrick, who appears to have been the subject of a vendetta by his superiors.
The case has an odious smell about it and needs an impartial airing.
Fitzpatrick received a court-martial conviction on one count of financial negligence in 1990. As a result, a career-destroying letter of reprimand was placed in his file.
Fitzpatrick's defenders include Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash. and Lt. Matthew Bogoshian, the former Navy officer who prosecuted the 40-charge case against him but now says there was little to support any of it.
Nevertheless, Fitzpatrick, a 20-year Navy officer who has two steel pins in his shoulder from a helicopter crash in the Persian Gulf in 1987, has been exiled to shore staff jobs and twice passed over for promotion. He is due for mandatory retirement in July.
Fitzpatrick's troubles surfaced after the brother of his commanding officer aboard USS Mars, [Captain] Nordeen, was murdered by terrorists in Greece. Fitzpatrick was executive officer aboard the ship at the time and his subordinates voted to use $10,400 in non-government money to send a delegation of sailors and their wives to attend the funeral. [Captain] Nordeen also defends the expenditure as proper.
But Fitzpatrick's troubles may have been triggered by a critical debriefing he gave his superiors in Oakland on his return from the Persian Gulf regarding inadequate support to his ship. The same staffers who heard his complaints initiated the investigation against him shortly thereafter.
Fitzpatrick has charged the Navy with obstruction of justice, intentional falsification of investigative reports, intentional withholding of evidence supporting his innocence, and attempted cover-up of criminal misconduct and perjury by Navy staff.
Dicks has asked for a new trial, but the Navy has refused. We think Fitzpatrick, rated as an excellent officer throughout his career, deserves another hearing.
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
A Hearst Newspaper
__________
J.D. Alexander Editor and Publisher
John Currie Business Manager
__________
Kenneth F. Bunting Managing Editor
Charles J. Dunsire Editorial Page Editor
Thomas A. Reed Associate Editor
__________
The voice of the Northwest since 1863
===================================================
Naval probe needed in officers discipline
The Navy should reverse course and grant a new trial to Lt. Cmdr. Walter Fitzpatrick, who appears to have been the subject of a vendetta by his superiors.
The case has an odious smell about it and needs an impartial airing.
Fitzpatrick received a court-martial conviction on one count of financial negligence in 1990. As a result, a career-destroying letter of reprimand was placed in his file.
Fitzpatrick's defenders include Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash. and Lt. Matthew Bogoshian, the former Navy officer who prosecuted the 40-charge case against him but now says there was little to support any of it.
Nevertheless, Fitzpatrick, a 20-year Navy officer who has two steel pins in his shoulder from a helicopter crash in the Persian Gulf in 1987, has been exiled to shore staff jobs and twice passed over for promotion. He is due for mandatory retirement in July.
Fitzpatrick's troubles surfaced after the brother of his commanding officer aboard USS Mars, [Captain] Nordeen, was murdered by terrorists in Greece. Fitzpatrick was executive officer aboard the ship at the time and his subordinates voted to use $10,400 in non-government money to send a delegation of sailors and their wives to attend the funeral. [Captain] Nordeen also defends the expenditure as proper.
But Fitzpatrick's troubles may have been triggered by a critical debriefing he gave his superiors in Oakland on his return from the Persian Gulf regarding inadequate support to his ship. The same staffers who heard his complaints initiated the investigation against him shortly thereafter.
Fitzpatrick has charged the Navy with obstruction of justice, intentional falsification of investigative reports, intentional withholding of evidence supporting his innocence, and attempted cover-up of criminal misconduct and perjury by Navy staff.
Dicks has asked for a new trial, but the Navy has refused. We think Fitzpatrick, rated as an excellent officer throughout his career, deserves another hearing.
Labels: Attainder courts-martial, Capture of Terrorist Group November 17, Ed Offley, Navy Captain Michael B. Nordeen, Navy Captain William Edward Nordeen, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
posted by The JAG Hunter at 12:13 PM
1 Comments:
Look at what happened to Battle of Midway hero, LCDR Joseph J. Rochefort.
I would like to communicate directly with LCDR Fitzpatrick about his Navy ordeals. I have had ordeals of my own. I have a case set for U.S. supreme Court Conference next week. We may be able to learn from each other.
-- James Renwick Manship, LCDR, USNR
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