Bush Nominee for Navy Secretary Commits Suicide

Reuters via Yahoo! ^ | Friday, July 25, 2003 | Reuters

[Momaw Nadon]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush's nominee to be secretary of the Navy, oil executive Colin McMillan, died on Thursday of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, the New Mexico medical examiners offices said.

McMillan, 67, died at his ranch in southern New Mexico.

"The manner of death was suicide," said Tim Stepetic, associate director of New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator. "Mr. McMillan died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head." Scot Key, a state district attorney in Alamogordo, New Mexico, said his office was looking into reports that McMillan may have had a recurrence of cancer. A spokesman for McMillan's family said the nominee had been treated for cancer of the jaw.

Bush sent "condolences and prayers" to McMillan's family and friends. "Colin was a public servant and patriot who served his country and state," the president said in a statement.

New Mexico's senior senator, Republican Pete Domenici, a longtime friend of McMillan, paid tribute to him in remarks on the floor of the Senate and in a subsequent statement.

"This is one that you would never believe, even when you are told it's true," Domenici said of McMillan's death.

"He will be missed by so many people. He leaves us at a relatively young age; his successes are many," Domenici said.

Bush nominated McMillan on May 7 to replace Gordon England, who stepped down as Navy secretary in January to become deputy secretary of the new Department of Homeland Security.

McMillan was chairman of Permian Exploration Corp., which specializes in oil and gas exploration. In 1990, he was appointed by Bush's father, then-President George Bush, to serve as assistant secretary of defense, a position he held until 1992.

A funeral is set for Monday in Roswell, said Roswell Mayor Bill Owen, who is also a spokesman for the McMillan family.

"It is a difficult time and the family will have many difficult days and weeks and months ahead," Owen said. (With additional reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Dallas)

[Betty Jo]

James Forrestall,Sec of Navy,during the 40's did the same thing.

[Irene Adler]

You are correct. Didn't he jump out a window?

[Betty Jo]

I'm not sure, but maybe. I had just gone to read one article to make sure I wasnt wrong about him.I'm going back to read some more.I think I remember some scnadal about mentally ill and hospitalized ,maybe gay,but I'll know better in about a half hour.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

In my opinion, I have found the glib and "attempted" humorous comments on this thread to be offensive, ignorant, and of extremely poor taste. The man was obviously troubled, and he may have been overwhelmed by a recent diagnosis of cancer, which he had fought not long ago. Get a grip FReepers.

[Betty Jo]

Uh oh!

There is a ROSWELL connection!

Go google and read it all!

1947 security Act, etc!

I cant take this along with the Niger-uranium-SARS-9/11 report,yada,yada.

So much to google, so little time!

[Polybius]

I read the poor man had cancer and it came back that could explain the suicide.

That's what the article said in the third paragraph. Cancer in the jaw.

Cancer in the jaw is a horrible way to die.

In medicine, we recognize that there are "easy ways to go" (renal failure, for example) and "very nasty ways to go" (bowel obstructions, for example).

For the latter, the morphine drip is an easy way down a very nasty road.

[lelio]

[ James Forrestal ] I think I remember some scandal about mentally ill and hospitalized

Do a google for "james forrestal lsd" and you'll find out more. My guess is that he was a little unstable, was fed some LSD, and then ran out the window for whatever reason (thought he could fly, running away from demons, etc).

[Betty Jo]

Thanks

[Momaw Nadon]

Why didn't Reuters just say (With additional reporting by Jon Herskovitz) instead of (With additional reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Dallas)?

[TiaS]

Yea,there is a Fort Marcy Park in Santa Fe. Maybe Sadaam hi-jilled a space ship (on another planet), landed in Roswell and comitted this terrible act of violence.

[King Prout]

why? Hitlery isn't president any more

[King Prout]

you don't even need to go that far - just invert your hand and it works just fine.

[snopercod]

Let the conspiracy theories begin!

OK. He knew what really happened to TW-800 and was afraid to take the polygraph required for the Navy Secretary job.

Probably knew what really happened at Roswell, too.

[CedarDave]

Fort Marcy Park is located in Santa Fe:

[isom35]

I have never seen or heard of Mcmillan, so I am not convinced he was ever alive or existed.

[Betty Jo]

Cedar Dave, thanks for your map!

How about two maps now,one that show McMillans "Three Rivers Ranch" soo close to "White Sands Missle Range" and "Sandia National Lab"?

And a second map that shows a "Three Rivers Ranch" in Idaho soo close to the Argonne National Lab?

Such a co-inky-dinky?

I think not!

Throw in the "Teapot Dome Scandal" and Roswell, wellll, you know whats up!

blam, are you the one who is into rocks and such?There are picto whatever at Three Rivers.

[Texas Mom]

Boorda was accused of wearing medals he shouldn't have. That's a pretty high charge in the service.

And after he killed himself it was proven to be a false rumor. He was accused by the press. No charges were ever brought against him.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Glenn, you're back!! How the heck are you?

[CedarDave]

You mean like the map at this link?

Three Rivers map

(p.s. map won't show in Netscape 4.7 browser)

[DPB101]

Oh, cancer in the jaw, a potentially miserable treatment of radical surgery.

Radical and miserable is right. I knew a surgeon who treated it and developed it himself. He chose suicide over surgery.