Bullet - I am puzzled by your resistance to follow up. If you want the truth then you must accept all information from all sources.
This is America and we don't generally try folks in the Court of Public Opinion. When we do it usually turns out badly.
If Capt Honor's claims are to be found to be true - so far there is no evidence he is a liar and a cheat - then it will be interesting to see how many heads roll.
Conceivably every officer and NCO who saw the video's and laughed or ignored any complaints from sailors they supervise are guilty. Capt Honor's could not have covered this up by himself all these years.
If the Navy Times chooses to publish Capt Honor's 15 page report, I would be willing to peruse it. Hopefully, those named in it will be afforded their own opportunity to explain.
If we truly want to see this situation corrected - so that it does not repeat itself; then we need to look at all aspects of this case.
Stay tuned..............
Why does that scene from Godfather III keep playing in my noggin?
"Just when I thought I was out, they PULL ME BACK IN!"
Jam, what's the need to follow-up here? I was one of the first to mention that this investigation wouldn't stop with just Capt Honors. We all knew it would eventually lead to a much deeper scandal than just one XO.
As to wanting the truth? Well, it seems some here really can't handle some of the truths being presented. THAT is what frustrates me -- this being a place where future military leaders might get their first introduction to concepts we hold dear like honor, integrity, and leadership. To see these concepts dumped down a toilet in the name of "nothing my service ever does is ever wrong"... Well, that kind of irks me.
But what really irked me is that someone here saw this latest mud slinging as vindication of their posts on this thread. Vindication? Seriously? It makes it sound like this poster was focusing on the fact that the leadership did nothing, and that perhaps excused this behaviour (and, NO, it doesn't). No, what this poster argued vehemently for was that these actions were excusable, simply a lark to improve crew morale, a "tradition" that endures because it IS tradition, nothing done wrong here. Besides the obvious that this logic is false (doing something wrong for perhaps the right reasons), this new twist to the story doesn't vindicate anything. It only adds another black eye. Few here argued that the investigation wouldn't deepen to include higher leadership. No, the argument was whether these actions were acceptable behavior. To claim "vindication" is simply twisting the facts to make it seem like the original argument is valid. It remains not so.
As to "trying people in the court of public opinion?" Well, just HOW did official court transcripts from an ongoing investigation and hearing GET into the media's hands? Doesn't serve the purpose of the prosecution, doesn't serve the purpose of the Navy. The ONLY one it serves a purpose for is Capt Honors. Old saying that I know of: "if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and smells like a dck, it probably is a duck". I was questioned on whether I thought Capt Honors would lower himself to doing something like releasing his official statements to the media. I'll flat out say it: "Heck yeah he did it!" We've seen what type of individual he was when he refused to tone down his potty humor when asked, I'm sure he has no remorse for this new low tactic tha was played. HE is the one attempting to try this issue in the court of public opinion, and it stinks to high heaven that he is trying to take so much of the navy down with him. Yes there is no evidence that he is a liar and a cheat, but there sure is tons of evidence of his character.
I lived through a unit where the commander was fired, and he tried to take everyone down with him during his trial. Not fun to literally have to say "No comment" to the 60 Minutes cameras. If Capt Honors wants to go that path, well let him. He already gave the Navy a black eye, he might as well add another...
And there is no need to shout on these forums. We all get that above him probably condoned his theatrics. Doesn't excuse the situation for him, it just makes it worse for the Navy. And it HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH "VINDICATION".