NOMINATIONS NOMINATION OF EUGENE M. BECKER, OF NEW YORK, TO BE AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1967 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, Washington, D.C. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:30a.m., in room 212, Old Senate Office Building. Present: Senators Russell (chairman), Stennis, Symington, Jackson, McIntyre, Brewster, Byrd, Jr., of Virginia, Smith, Thurmond, and Dominick. Also present: William H. Darden, chief of staff; T. Edward Braswell. Jr., professional staff member; Gordon A. Neese, professional staff member; Charles N. Kirbow, chief clerk; and Herbert S. Atkinson, assistant chief clerk. Chairman RUSSELL. The committee will come to order. We will first consider the nomination of Mr. Eugene M. Becker, of New York, who has been nominated by the President to be an Assistant Secretary of the Navy to succeed W. Brewster Kopp. (The nomination reference and report, together with a biographical sketch of Mr. Becker, follow:) NOMINATION REFERENCE AND REPORT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, May 8, 1967. Ordered, That the following nomination be referred to the Committee on Armed Services: Eugene M. Becker, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army, vice W. Brewster Kopp. Profession: Banker. EUGENE M. BECKER Present position: Fiscal consultant. Home address: 165 East 83d Street, New York, N.Y. Born: 1 September 1930, St. Paul, Minn. Marital status: Bachelor. Education: B.A., 1952. Colgate University; M.A., 1958, Princeton University; Ph. D., 1959, Princeton University. Positions held: 1954-56, U.S. Army foreign press analyst; 1960-61, director of information, municipal securities, Investment Bankers Association of America; 1962-65, Assistant Vice President, First National City Bank, New York City; 1966, director of the budget, and fiscal consultant to the mayor, City of New York. Chairman RUSSELL. We have with us this morning the distinguished senior Senator from New York, Senator Javits, who knows Mr. Becker and we will be glad to have him present Mr. Becker to the committee. STATEMENT OF HON. JACOB K. JAVITS, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK Senator JAVITS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have the honor to present to the committee Eugene M. Becker, of New York. Mr. Becker is not only my constituent, Mr. Chairman, but I am here because I recruited him for his job, which was with the mayor of the city of New York as director of the budget. I asked the First National City Bank of New York, the officials of which are very good friends of mine indeed, my law firm does a little of their real estate business for the best man they could give the mayor-and the chairman may remember that I was rather active in connection with the election of the new mayor-to handle his finances. That was prior to his election, when he was still campaigning. And they assigned Mr. Becker as the best man that they had on this subject. I have had considerable occasion to watch his work and become acquainted with him. And I can testify personally, certainly, to his skill. And that isn't only my judgment, it is the judgment of one of the leading banks in the country and its top officials. The mayor was very satisfied with him, and was very sorry to lose him. I can certainly testify also personally to his diligence, the character that he has displayed to all of us in New York City, and to his patriotism. And so, Mr. Chairman, based upon this personal experience, I commend him to the committee. I thank the committee very much. Chairman RuSSELL. Thank you, Senator. We are glad to have your opinion of Mr. Becker. Mr. Becker, we would appreciate it if you would give us a brief sketch of your background and experience. STATEMENT OF EUGENE M. BECKER, NOMINEE TO BE AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY Mr. BECKER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a great pleasure and honor for me to be here before you today. I might say that the comments of Senator Javits are undeserved, and I thank him, too. Mr. Chairman, I was born in St. Paul, Minn., on September 1, 1930. I received a bachelor of arts degree from Colgate University in 1952, an M.A. degree from Princeton University in 1958, and a Ph. D. in 1959. From 1954 to 1956 I was in the U.S. Army, and acted as a foreign press analyst at the U.S. European Command Depot near Paris, France. From 1960 to 1961 I was director of information on municipal securities, Investment Bankers Association of America, which is located here in Washington. Between 1962 and 1965 I was an assistant vice president at the First National City in New York. Then, in 1966, I served as a director of the budget for the city of New York. That brings me up to date. And I am here now. That is it. Chairman RUSSELL. I understand that you have filed a letter with the committee advising us that you did not hold any securities that could possibly involve a conflict of interest in the pursuit of your duties in this position. Mr. BECKER. That is correct, sir. Senator STENNIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't have any questions. Chairman RUSSELL. Senator Thurmond? Senator THURMOND. No questions. Chairman RuSSELL. We are glad to have you here, Mr. Becker. When we go into executive session we will pass on your nomination. I don't think you need to have any qualms or fears in the interim. Mr. BECKER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (The nomination of Mr. Becker to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army was subsequently approved by the committee in executive session and confirmed by the Senate on June 12, 1967.) NOMINATION OF ADM. THOMAS H. MOORER, U.S. NAVY, FOR ΑΡΡΟΙΝΤMENT AS CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY Chairman RUSSELL. The next nomination is that of Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, who has been designated to succeed Adm. David L. McDonald as Chief of Naval Operations for a term of 2 years. Admiral McDonald will retire on August 1, 1967. Admiral Moorer's nomination was received in the Senate on June 5. It will not be eligible for approval until June 12. Because early meetings of the Senate next week will prevent committee meetings and because Admiral Moorer plans an official trip to the Western Pacific later this month, he was able to appear this morning. In executive session the committee can decide the timing of any action on his nomination. A matter has arisen which prevents the Secretary of the Navy from being with us this morning. He advised the committee that he intended to be here with Admiral Moorer, but unsuspected circumstances have prevented his attendance. (The nomination reference and report, together with a biographical sketch of Admiral Moorer, follow:) NOMINATION REFERENCE AND REPORT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, June 5, 1967. Ordered, That the following nomination be referred to the Committee on Armed Services: Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, United States Navy, for appointment as Chief of Naval Operations in the Department of the Navy for a term of two years, pursuant to title 10, United States Code, section 5081. BIOGRAPHY ADM. THOMAS H. MOORER, U.S. NAVY Thomas Hinman Moorer was born in Mount Willing, Alabama, February 9, 1912, son of the late Dr. R. R. Moorer and the late Mrs. (Hulda Hill Hinson) Moorer. He was graduated from Cloverdale High School in Montgomery, Alabama, Valedictorian of the Class of 1927, and on June 10, 1929, entered the U.S. Naval Academy. As a midshipman, he played football for three years. He was graduated and commissioned ensign on June 1, 1933, and through subsequent promotions attained the rank of rear admiral to date from August 1, 1958; vice admiral, to date from October 5, 1962; and admiral, to date from June 26, 1964. After graduation in June 1933 he served six months on board the U.S.S. Salt Lake City as a junior officer in the gunnery department. He assisted in fitting out the U.S.S. New Orleans at the Navy Yard, New York, and served in that cruiser's gunnery and engineering departments from her commissioning, February 5, 1934, until detached in June 1935. During the next year he was a student at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida. After completing flight training in July 1936 he was designated a naval aviator. In August 1936 he was assigned to Fighting Squadron ONE-B, based briefly on the U.S.S. Langley and later on the U.S.S. Lexington. He was transferred in July 1937 to Fighting Squadron 6, based on the U.S.S. Enterprise, and continued duty with that squadron until August 1939. He then joined Patrol Squadron 22, a unit of Fleet Air Wing 2, and later Fleet Air Wing 10, and was with that squadron at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, when the Japanese attacked the Fleet there on December 7, 1941. His squadron was sent to the Southwest Pacific and during the Dutch East Indies Campaign, he was shot down in a PBY on February 1942, north of Darwin, Australia. He was rescued by a ship which was sunk by enemy action the same day. He was also awarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds received on February 19, 1942, and the Silver Star for "extremely gallant and intrepid conduct as pilot of a patrol plane during and following the attack by enemy Japanese aircraft in the vicinity of Cape Diemen, February 19, 1942. ." The citation continues: Although he and his co-pilot were wounded in the attack, (he) succeeded in landing his badly damaged and blazing plane. His courage and leadership during a subsequent attack upon the rescue ship and while undergoing hardships and dangers of returning the survivors to the Australian mainland were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." He is entitled to the ribbon for, and a facsimile of the Presidential Unit Citation to Patrol Squadron 22. The citation follows: "For extraordinary heroism in action as a unit of Patrol Wing 10 attached to aircraft, U.S. Asiatic Fleet, operating against enemy Japanese forces in the Philippine and Netherlands East Indies areas from January 1942 to March 3, 1942. Holding fast to their courage as the Japanese ruthlessly hunted them down the pilots of (that squadron) doggedly maintained their patrols in defiance of hostile air and naval supremacy, scouting the enemy and fighting him boldly regardless of overwh. Iming odds and in spite of the crushing operational inadequacies existing during the first months of war " Between March and June 1942, he served with Patrol Squadron 101, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. The citation follows: "For extraordinary achievement and heroic conduct as commander of a patrol plane on a hazardous round-trip flight from Darwin, Australia, to Veco, Island of Timor, on the afternoon and night of May 24, 1942. In an undefended, comparatively slow flying boat, Lieutenant Moorer braved an area dominated by enemy air superiority, effected a precarious landing in the open sea at dusk and took off at night in the midst of threatening swells, with a heavily loaded airplane. His superb skill and courageous determination in organizing nizing and executing this perilous mission resulted in the delivery of urgently needed supplies to a beleaguered garrison and the evacuation of eight seriously wounded men who otherwise might have perished." After his return to the United States in July 1942, he had temporary duty from August of that year to March of the next in the United Kingdom, as a mining observer for the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet. He then fitted out and assumed command of Bombing Squadron 132 operating in Cuba and Africa from its base at Key West, Florida, Boco Chica Air Base. Detached from that command, he served as gunnery and tactical officer on the staff of Commander Air Force, Atlantic, from March 1944 to July 1945. He was awarded the Legion of Merit: "For meritorious conduct... as force gunnery and tactical officer on the staff of Commander Air Force, Atlantic Fleet..." The citation states that he "planned and supervised the development and practical application of tactics, doctrines and training methods relating to antisubmarine warfare and gunnery; supervised many experimental and developmental projects; and coordinated information on enemy tactics and counter |