THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 22, 1996 TAG: 9605220160
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JACK DORSEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 77 lines
Around the world Tuesday - 11:30 a.m. here, 5:30 p.m. in the Mediterranean, dawn in Hawaii, 8:30 a.m. in San Diego - the Navy said its farewells to Adm. Jeremy ``Mike'' Boorda.
The simultaneous memorial services, coinciding with one in the nation's capital and others in Mayport, Yorktown, Charleston and every Navy port, gave sailors a chance to remember their chief of naval operations who took his life Thursday.
More than 2,500 sailors sat at Pier 12 of the Norfolk Naval Station in front of the carrier Theodore Roosevelt to hear 2nd Fleet commander Vice Adm. Vernon E. Clark eulogize Boorda.
Absent from the stark gray ship were the usual red, white and blue bunting, pennants or ribbons used with more festive gatherings. Its national ensign was at half mast as the sailors sweated under a 90-degree sun.
Eight bells - the traditional signal when an admiral leaves a ship - preceded the playing of taps by a pair of echoing buglers and the singing of the Navy Hymn.
Low keyed and somber, the sailors in Hampton Roads bowed heads in silent tribute to the admiral who rose from among nearly all their ranks.
``My heart goes out to his family most of all,'' said Petty Officer 2nd Class Vivian Ball of the oiler Kanawha.
``I never met him, but I heard a lot about him . . . . He was a hard charging, dedicated man.''
Petty Officer 1st Class Pat Harden, who works at Oceana Naval Air Station and had met Boorda, hopes Boorda's successor is found soon.
``I would hope it would be somebody who would try to follow some of the program he started; stay with the direction he was headed,'' said Harden.
It is important that the future CNO remembers the enlisted ranks, he said.
``That man was the best CNO I served under,'' said Petty Officer 1st Class Eddie Thomas, assigned to Port Services in Norfolk.
``I don't know what caused him to do what he did, but I haven't lost any respect for him. I believe in God myself and know God doesn't forgive people who take their own lives. But I hope he makes an exception in this case.''
Boorda, a boy when he ran away from home and joined the Navy at 17, seemed to have affected every sailor's life in the two short years he served as CNO.
``Before we leave today,'' said Clark as he recalled the praises others have given Boorda, ``I ask you to remember how he held us up. Now it is time we hold his family up, his natural family and his Navy family. Support one another.''
Clark, who was at sea last week when he heard of Boorda's death, said he reacted like everyone else - ``shocked beyond belief.'' The days since have produced reactions of ``hurt and confusion,'' he said.
``It is important to realize one straightforward fact and that is we will never know why. Some things we just have to accept,'' he said.
``This is such a time.''
Clark, who was the most senior naval officer remaining in Norfolk Tuesday while others attended Boorda's memorial service in Washington, said Boorda would have wanted to be with his sailors today.
Boorda made it possible, through his ``Seaman to Admiral'' program, to allow young enlisted members to start out just like him, to grow, prosper and rise to greatness, Clark said.
``I will remember him through the thousands of sailors and young officers who idolized him and his vision. I will remember him for the way they saw his energy. I will remember the way they caught his excitement and his love for our Navy. . . .
``I will remember him because he was dedicated to righting our course and he was hurt by the criticism our Navy has received. He wanted rather, our Navy to be known by the thousands of very good and very honorable and dedicated sailors.
``He wanted the spotlight to be you. He wanted everyone to see the incredibly young sailors who made our Navy the best in the world.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot
More than 2,500 sailors gathered on Pier 12 next to the carrier
Theodore Roosevelt for Tuesday's memorial for Adm. Jeremy ``Mike''
Boorda.
KEYWORDS: U.S. NAVY SUICIDE CHIEF OF NAVAL
OPERATIONS by CNB