The author, a lawyer by
profession, entered the U. S. Navy in 1942 as a junior grade
Lieutenant and by 1945 had attained the rank of Captain. During
the Korean War he returned to active duty as Assistant Director and
Director of Contracts in the Bureau of Ships.
During his brief Navy
career he personally negotiated and signed contracts involving more
than two billion dollars of American taxpayers money. Among
these contracts were those for the building of the first nuclear
submarine Nautillus and the first super carrier Forrestal.
He negotiated on a
government-to-government level the first contracts with foreign
countries on behalf of the United States for the building of ships,
for which he received a Navy award.
In 1952 he was sent
abroad as chief negotiator for the Department of Defense, to "plan,
develop, coordinate and conduct negotiations for U. S. Military
operating rights and facilities in NATO and Western European countries
for the purpose of providing facilities for peacetime training and
maneuvers and military operations in time of war. In doing this
he will see that American aid and diplomacy are utilized to achieve
the facilities which we require." These were our base rights
negotiations.
The author has been
honored to be guest lecturer at the Naval War College on
"Negotiations", has written on this subject, and has negotiated abroad
on behalf of private clients.
