Search for a Skipper

By refusing to authorize a court-martial or official letters of admonition for the principal officers of U.S.S. Pueblo, Navy Secretary John Chafee indicated that they could live happily ever after in the service. But Lieutenant Edward R. Murphy Jr., the spy ship's executive officer, figured that his future had fizzled when the Navy refused his request to be assigned to the service's postgraduate school in Monterey, Calif. Last week he resigned his commission.

Nor are Pueblo's personnel problems over. Although the U.S. does not physically possess the vessel or have any hope of getting it back soon, regulations require that every ship in commission have a commanding officer of record. The Navy is now looking for someone on whom to bestow the responsibility. The change of command promises to be awkward and piping the new captain aboard will be a problem, but Navy regs will be served.

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