ersisted that Secretary
McNamara was trying to use military commanders as instruments for
forcing the desegregation of civilian communities. Actually, the (p. 582)
Gesell Committee and the McNamara directive had demanded no such
thing, as the secretary's civil rights deputy was repeatedly forced to
point out. Military commanders, Fitt explained, were obligated to
protect their men from harm and to secure their just treatment.
Therefore, when "harmful civilian discrimination" was directed against
men in uniform, "the wise commander seeks to do something about it."
Commanders, he observed, did not issue threats or demand social
reforms; they merely sought better conditions for servicemen and their
families through cooperation and understanding. As for the general
problem of racial discrimination in the United States, that was a
responsibility of the civilian community, not the services.[23-2]

[Footnote 23-2: See Memo, DASD (CR) for ASD (M), 2 Jul
64; Fitt, "Remarks Before the Civilian Aides
Conference of the Secretary of the Army," 6 Mar 64;
copies of both in CMH. The quoted passage is from
the latter document.]

Exhibiting a similar concern for the sensibilities of congressional
critics, Secretary McNamara assured the Senate Armed Services
Committee that he had no plans "to utilize military personnel as a
method of social reform." At the same time he reiterated his belief
that troop efficiency was affected by segregation, and added that when
such a connection was found to exist "we should work with the
community involved." He would base such involvement, he emphasized, on
the commander's responsibility to maintain combat readiness and
effectiveness.[23-3] Similar reassurances had to be given the military
commanders, some of whom saw in the Gesell recommendations a demand
for preferential treatment for Negroes and a level of involvement in
community affairs that would interfere with their basic military
mission.[23-4] To counter this belief, Fitt and his successor hammered
away at the Gesell Committee's basic theme: discrimination affects
morale; morale affects military efficiency. The commander's activities
in behalf of equal opportunity for his men in the community is at
least as important as his interest in problems of gambling, vice, and
public health, and is in furtherance of his military mission.[23-5]