discussed new ways to increase job opportunities for Negroes nor
mentioned making equal opportunity performance a part of the military
efficiency rating system.[22-22] His elaborate provisions for
monitoring and reporting notwithstanding, his efforts appeared
primarily cosmetic.

[Footnote 22-22: Memo, Under SecNav for SecNav, 7 Feb
63, sub: Equal Opportunity in the Navy and Marine
Corps, SecNav file 5420, GenRecsNav.]

[Illustration: DIGGING IN. _Men of M Company, 7th Marines, construct a
defense bunker during "Operation Desoto," Vietnam._]

Undoubtedly, the Navy's image in the black community needed some
refurbishing. Despite substantial changes in the racial composition of
the Steward's Branch in recent years, Negroes continued to avoid naval
service, as a special Navy investigation later found, because "they
have little desire to become stewards or cooks."[22-23] Fay believed
that the shortage of Negroes was part of a general problem shared by
all the services. His public relations proposals were designed (p. 563)
to overcome the difficulty of attracting volunteers. His recommendations
were approved by Secretary Korth in February 1963 and disseminated
throughout the Navy and Marine Corps for execution.[22-24] With only
minor modification they were also later submitted to the Secretary of
Defense as the Navy's outline plan.

[Footnote 22-23: Memo, David M. Clinard, Spec Asst,
for SecNav, 11 Oct 63, sub: Interviews With Negro
Personnel at Andrews Air Force Base, copy in CMH.]

[Footnote 22-24: SecNav Instruction 5350.2A, 6 Mar 63;
Personal Ltr, SecNav to All Flag and General
Officers et al., 26 Mar 63, copy in CMH; SecNav
Notice 5350, 3 Apr 63; AlNav 28, 6 Sep 63. See also
Cmdt, USMC, Report of Progress--Equal Opportunity
in the United States Marine Corps (ca. 30 Jun 63),
Hist Div HQMC; Memo, Chief, NavPers, for Under
SecNav, 20 May 63, sub: Interim Progress Report on
Navy Measures..., SecNav file 5420, GenRecsNav.]

Even as Fay settled on these modest changes, signs pointed to the
possibility that the department's military leaders would be amenable
to more substantial reform. The Chief of Naval Personnel admitted that
the Gesel