In the June Proceedings, Captain Eyer in his “Charting a Course” column introduced retired Navy Admiral William H. McRaven’s warnings about the possible compromise of the foundation of civil-military relationship that has served this nation since its creation.
Well before San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided not to stand for the National Anthem, on 6 January 2016, Admiral McRaven, as Chancellor of The University of Texas, sent a memorandum to presidents and athletics directors of The University of Texas System asking them to “encourage your coaching staff and your players to stand up straight when the national anthem is played.” (See 6 January memorandum.)
On 29 August, Admiral McRaven signed a second memo addressing what the American flag represents and asking University System leaders “to convey my message to your teams.” He emphasized that “honoring the flag does not imply that the republic for which it stands is perfect.” Yet, “Those that believe the flag represents oppression should remember all the Americans who fought to eliminate bigotry, racism, sexism, imperialism, communism, and terrorism.” (See 29 August memorandum.)
(Caption) U.S. NAVY (James Ginther): Admiral William McRaven, then-Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, presents a flag to a family member of a deceased U.S. Navy SEAL during a ceremony hosted by the National UDT-SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce, Fla.