The U.S. Naval Institute and Proceedings have featured special coverage of Naval Aviation in the September issue for a long time. This tradition supported our presence at the annual Tailhook Symposium, where we successfully recruit new members each year.
Two stalwart naval aviators and longtime Naval Institute members are contributors to this issue—Admiral Stan Arthur and Vice Admiral Bob Dunn.
Admiral Arthur, an Institute member since 1983, just completed his oral history with the Naval Institute Press. In this month’s “Lest We Forget” column (page 94) senior staff member Denis Clift captures two pivotal chapters in Admiral Arthur’s career. Over the years Admiral Arthur has participated in many Naval Institute-sponsored conferences. One of the most memorable was in Chicago, where we brought together the Operation Desert Storm commanders—Admiral Arthur, Air Force General Chuck Horner, Army General John Yeosock, and Marine Corps General Walt Boomer.
Admiral Arthur also served as the Chairman of the Naval Institute’s Foundation. Under his leadership, the Foundation helped the Naval Institute to deliver in mission areas where outside funding made special projects such as oral histories possible. Today, he personally sponsors Naval Institute memberships for NROTC students attending Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Vice Admiral Dunn, a Naval Institute member since 1951, has defined in action and deed what it means to be a naval professional. Then-Rear Admiral Dunn popped onto the Proceedings radar screen when as the head of the Naval Reserve he called to propose that Proceedings do a special issue on this topic. He had just taken command. The Proceedings staff explained to him how it had cooled on special issues, its experience having been that many well-meaning leaders had made such suggestions in the past. These individuals were all in for the launches, but for many reasons few were around to bring the issues home. Admiral Dunn explained that would not be the case with him. He gave Proceedings his word.
Proceedings embarked on the issue. Not much later, Rear Admiral Dunn was promoted to Vice Admiral and became Commander Naval Air Forces Atlantic. When the Proceedings team was about to put his special issue to bed it realized the issue needed a contribution from a serving Navy officer explaining how the Naval Reserve would contribute to the fight. Admiral Dunn answered the call for such an article that he wrote himself on a very tight deadline—see the October 1984 issue.
Admiral Dunn later became the Chairman of the Naval Institute’s Editorial Board. He read every article and always got his votes in for the monthly meeting ahead of the assigned deadline—except for one. That time, Admiral Dunn was serving as the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Air Warfare (OP-05). An author of one submission proposed “deep-sixing deep strike.” When called about the missing vote, Admiral Dunn’s staff reported that the admiral was hand-carrying that particular vote.
At this time, eight voting members were on the Editorial Board. When the staff tallied the votes, the results were: five strong accepts; two “discuss”; one missing. When this submission came up for discussion Admiral Dunn asked the two members who had voted to discuss “to discuss.” Both officers explained they wanted to hear from Admiral Dunn because of his position and experience. He pushed these members for up or down votes. Both voted for publication of the article. Admiral Dunn then explained all the problems he had with the article. At the time, two negative votes killed a submission. The two members who had just voted in favor were ready to change their votes. Admiral Dunn declared the voting over. He had lost seven to one.
Admiral Dunn in this single demonstration of integrity and leadership proved the strength of the Naval Institute’s open forum.
In retirement Admiral Dunn continued serving the Naval Institute as the acting Naval Institute Press Director, Senior Advisor to Conferences, and author of Proceedings and Naval History articles. Early this year he was awarded the Naval History Author of the Year. Next year, the Naval Institute Press will publish his book on Naval Aviation safety.
Admiral Dunn has two contributions in this issue—a pictorial tribute to the 100-year Navy partnership with Boeing and a comment on an ongoing professional discussion.
Fred H. Rainbow
Editor-in-Chief
Life Member since 1976