The State - News from July 31, 1988

Rear Adm. Benjamin Hacker, the Navy’s highest ranking black officer, is retiring next month from his job as commander of the San Diego Naval Base to return to civilian life. Hacker, a 30-year Navy veteran, cited personal reasons for the retirement, which takes effect Aug. 26, said Navy spokesman Cmdr. Ron Wildermuth. Hacker joined the Navy in 1958 and first served as an anti-submarine patrol plane aviator. He also served as the commander of Fleet Air Mediterranean, a key Navy command in Naples, Italy.