the logical outcome of its investigations, in
the absence of a strong federal civil rights law even a sympathetic
secretary of defense could not accept such radical changes in the
services' community relations programs without reservations. Nor, as
Gesell later admitted, could a secretary of defense chance the serious
compromise to the administration's effort to win passage of such a law
that could be caused by some "too gung-ho" commander left to impose
sanctions on his own.[21-62] The secretary agreed with the committee
that much could be done by individual commanders in a voluntary way to
change the customs of the local community, and he wanted the emphasis
to be kept there.

[Footnote 21-62: Interv, author with Gesell, 13 May
72.]

Unlike Gesell, who doubted the effectiveness of directives and
executive edicts ("trouble-making" he called them), McNamara
considered equal opportunity matters "an executive job that should be
handled by the Departments, using directives."[21-63] Armed with the
committee's call for action and the services' agreement in principle,
McNamara turned to the preparation of a directive, the main outline of
which he transmitted to the President on 24 July after review by Burke
Marshall in the Department of Justice. As McNamara explained to
Marshall, "I would like to be able to tell him [the President] that
you have read same and offer no objection."[21-64]

[Footnote 21-63: Ibid., and with McNamara, 11 May 72.]

[Footnote 21-64: Memo, McNamara for Burke Marshall
(ca. 20 Jul 63), Marshall Papers, J. F. Kennedy
Library.]

The Secretary of Defense promised the President to "eliminate the
exceptions and guard the continuing reality" of racial equality in the
services. In the light of the committee's conclusion that off-base
discrimination reduced military effectiveness, he pledged that "the
military departments will take a leadership role in combating
discrimination wherever it affects the military effectiveness" of
servicemen. McNamara admitted having reservations about some of (p. 548)
the committee's recommendations, especially the closing of bases
near communities that constantly practiced discrimination; such
closings, he declared, were not feasible "at this time." Nevertheless
he agreed with the committee that off-limits sanctions should be
available to the services, for