Admiral’s Hero Status Tarnished by Soviet Guns

When Adm. Joseph Metcalf III returned victorious from the Grenada invasion in 1983, he carried with him the colors of a genuine Navy folk hero. Now, just 15 months later, disclosures that he carried not only the flags of triumph--but also the spoils of war--have made him the target of congressional inquiries and have blemished his reputation.

Packed in his gear aboard the airplane that carried him back to Norfolk, Va., on Nov. 3, 1983, nine days after the invasion, were 24 captured Soviet AK-47 automatic rifles he was sharing with his staff.

Despite regulations that prohibit the importation of such weapons, more than 300 sailors and Marines brought back similar rifles and pistols but turned them over to U.S. authorities and were given a blanket amnesty, the Navy said.

Eight Court-Martialed

Three Marines who attempted to smuggle in AK-47s--as well as stolen anti-tank rockets and grenades they tried to sell--were court-martialed, as were five soldiers in a separate Army case. Most of those court-martialed were sentenced to jail, fined and dismissed from the service.

Metcalf, now deputy chief of naval operations for surface warfare, was given a “letter of caution” from the Navy. He admitted that he carried the weapons and took responsibility for their shipment when confronted by customs agents.

“He was wrong, and he should have known better,” Navy Secretary John F. Lehman Jr. declared in an interview Wednesday.

In the corridors of the Pentagon, few think the admiral’s case parallels that of the court-martialed Marines and soldiers. Rather, there is concern that in closing ranks around Metcalf--who has been publicly silent on the matter--the Navy brass paid little heed to the perception of favoritism they risked creating among lower-ranking officers, sailors and the public.

‘Public Relations Problem’

“It is more of a public relations problem than anything else, and it should have been recognized as that. The Navy tried to dismiss it too lightly,” said one well-placed Pentagon official.

Lehman, who has struggled for a week to close the matter, said he considers the Metcalf case “over as far as the Navy Department is concerned. We’ve reviewed and re-reviewed all of the facts, and are quite confident appropriate and consistent action was taken in the hundreds of cases that were dealt with.”

He noted: “Admiral Metcalf didn’t try to hide or smuggle any weapons--he requisitioned them. His forces captured them. I’ve never seen so much bounce from so little substance.”

But Lehman acknowledged that an impression of favoritism could pose a problem. “The main concern I have now has nothing to do with Admiral Metcalf--who is perfectly able to withstand criticism--but with the impression given in enlisted ranks that enlisted men have gotten hammered when an officer got off,” the Navy secretary said.

‘Protective Society’

And one Pentagon source, remarking that “the admirals’ protective society” was closing ranks around Metcalf, observed: “The Navy likes to steam in its own direction.”

In Congress, the Senate and House Armed Services committees each have begun inquiries into the way the Navy handled the Metcalf case, as well as the cases of those who were court-martialed.

The House committee wants to know “how the guns were obtained by Metcalf,” according to one congressional source, who asked: “Did Metcalf’s people take them from the same locked and guarded cache as the Army guys, and what were the circumstances? We don’t know yet.”

“There’s a fundamental equity issue here that raises questions about the admiral’s leadership,” said a Senate staff member who is a former Navy officer. “There’s such a thing as leadership by example, and this isn’t a real good example. People with three or four stars are held to a higher standard than lance corporals--or ought to be.”

Not Clear Cut

Even so, some on Capitol Hill admit that the issue is not clear cut, and they have found merit in the Navy’s argument that Metcalf was carrying the weapons as souvenirs and was unaware they were prohibited. In contrast, some of the court-martialed men stole grenades and anti-tank weapons as well as Soviet guns from the U.S. arsenal, then tried to sell them to a Naval Investigative Service agent who said he wanted to blow up a fraternity house.

“It does appear to me there are substantial differences in the facts and circumstances in the Metcalf case from all the others,” a Senate source familiar with the inquiry said. “The real question is whether the Navy reacted appropriately in the Metcalf situation.”

Lehman has not spoken to Metcalf about the matter since he first learned of the “letter of caution” sometime after the invasion. At that time, the Navy secretary said, “he promised not to do it again.”