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Admiral William J. Crowe Jr, 1925-2007

Former Chairman of the Joint Cheifs of Staff, Navy Admiral William J. Crowe Jr., passed away yesterday at Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland. Admiral Crowe was 82. Nominated in 1985 to the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) by President Ronald Reagan; Crowe served through the Bush administration until he retired from the Navy in 1989. In 1994, Adm. Crowe was appointed Ambassador to Britain by President Bill Clinton, a job he held for three years. In 2000, President Clinton awarded Admiral Crowe the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Unlike many of his predesessors, Crowe used his retirement to speak out publicly on a variety of issues -- including weighing in on the issue of gays in the military. Calling upon his 47 years of experience in the Navy, Adm. Crowe became one of the highest ranking officials to ever publically criticize the Congressional "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law. -Victor Maldonado -----

10-19-07