
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 3, 1993                   TAG: 9311030222
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

GENERAL APOLOGIZES TO MINORITIES

The Marine Corps' top general apologized Tuesday for "any offense that may have been taken" from his remarks that minority Marine officers do not shoot, swim or use compasses as well as whites.

Gen. Carl Mundy made the remarks on the Sunday CBS-TV program "60 Minutes," during a segment that aired allegations by various minority Marines of racism and a lack of promotions for minority officers in the Marine Corps. Mundy's comments drew demands for an apology and retraction from several black leaders.

Pentagon spokesman Capt. Michael Doubleday read a statement saying Mundy "regrets any offense that may have been taken by his statements."

Doubleday said Navy Secretary John Dalton, the civilian chief of the Marine Corps, has no plans to discipline Mundy for the remarks, but Dalton has ordered "a complete review on the recruitment, retention and promotion of minorities, both officer and enlisted, in the naval service."

Dalton "would like to see more minorities in positions of leadership" in the Navy and Marine Corps and wanted the study "to examine the process and to determine how we can achieve that objective," Doubleday said.

The Pentagon "is totally committed to equal opportunity for all individuals to compete and advance through the ranks. The secretary has complete confidence in the leadership of the Marine Corps' dedication to carrying . . . this goal to reality," Doubleday said.

This year, Mundy stirred protests when he attempted to bar married recruits from the corps. He was forced by Defense Secretary Les Aspin to rescind that order.

At Tuesday's briefing, Doubleday said Mundy believes the program did not accurately reflect his statements, because "unfortunately, only 30 seconds of a two-hour interview were aired on that program."

According to fiscal 1991 data, there were 34,200 black enlisted men and women in the Marine Corps, 19.7 percent of the total number, and 980 black officers, or 5.1 percent of the total.

by CNB