Evening star., 1963-05-18

noises he could not identify,
but which his navigating Of
ficer said sounded like +" a ship
breaking up-like a compart-
ment collapsing." Yet the Sky
lark skipper waited nearly two
hours before sending any mes
sage at all to shore-and when
the message was finally sent
1t made no mention of the 9:12
transmission or the mysterious
sounds at GIT.
The following Monday, April
is. Rear Admiral Lawson p.
Ramage appeared. The 54-year-
old Congressional Medal Of
Honor winner had commanded
the search force for so hours
beginning shortly after the
hunt began. In that time, he
told the court, he had discussed
the situation at sea with
Hecker.
Didn't Mention Message
Never once, Ramage swore,
did Hecker mention the 9:l2
message. The first Ramage
learned about 1t, he informed
the court, was while scanning
Skylark's log aboard his flag
ship en- route back to shore on
Saturday, April l3, so hours
after he had joined the search
flotilla.
On April 16, the courts
president, Admiral Austin, re-
cessed court and issued this ex-
planatory statement:
"The court has reached a
point in its deliberations be-
yond which 1t cannot continue
without the presence of a per-
son not now in Portsmouth
The court will reconvene as
soon as possible. -"
Later that day, the court
opened again and Hecker reap.
peared-not, this time, as 9
witness. Reviewing the fac
that you failed to inform
higher authority Of all the In
formation available to you
as 1t was your duty to do, for
an unreasonable length o.
time" Austin told the Skylark
skipper:
THE court has concluded
that your conduct as command.
ing officer F. appears to bt
subject to inquiry You art
accordingly designated as 9
party before this court"
May CrOss-Examine
In Navy legal jargon, "a
party before the court" is any.
one with an intimate interest
In the proceedings, not neces.
sarily In trouble. But one whose
conduct is Subject to inquiry
is regarded as being involved
''in such a way that discipli.
nary action may follow" or
that he may have his right,
and privileges, or personal rep.
utation or professional stand.
ing adversely affected.
AS q party, Hecker was en-.
titled to sit In on all sessions
open or closed; to hear, cross
examine and summon witnesses
to introduce evidence; to testi.
fly, and to be represented BY
counsel. For his lawyer. Heckel
got Louis P. Gray, a retired
Navy captain and former sub
mariner, former Pentagon lega
expert, one time military ad.
wiser to Presidential Candidate
Richard M. Nixon. Mr.. Gray Il
now In corporation law at New
London.
Hecker Cleared
Almost q month later. how
ever, the court Of inquiry
cleared Hecker as a possible
"scapegoat" in the tragedy. On
May 13, the court withdrew his
name as a party to the inquiry
after Attorney Gray told the
court that subsequent testi-
mony had shown that Hecker
carried out his responsibilities
fully.
Hecker testified he gave the
information about Thresher':
last message to the officer who
followed him as commanding
officer in charge Of the search,
Gray told the court that
while Hecker doesn't for one
minute hold that the court
has branded him as scapegoat.
a substantial" segment OF the
public does hold that opinion.
His career is in your hands, >
the attorney said.
After Al minutes OF closed