Court-Martial : Ex-Skipper Praised for Dedication

SUBIC BAY NAVAL BASE, Philippines —  A rear admiral gave a glowing account Friday of the Navy career of Capt. Alexander G. Balian, who is being court-martialed here for failing to take Vietnamese refugees aboard his ship last June in the South China Sea.

Rear Adm. Vernon C. Smith, who was commander of Amphibious Group 1 at the time Balian’s ship, the amphibious transport dock Dubuque, encountered the refugees, was the first witness to appear for the defense. He described Balian as a “dedicated” and “aggressive” ship captain who went to extraordinary lengths to accomplish his mission.

He said Balian had earned consistently high evaluations as an officer and was scheduled for promotion.

“Personal integrity is his watchword in life, and I don’t think he’d compromise it for anything,” Smith said. Smith is now vice chairman of naval education and training in Pensacola, Fla.

Didn’t Take Refugees on Ship

Balian is charged with disobeying orders and dereliction of duty for failing to rescue the refugees. He gave the refugees food, water and directions to the nearest land, but decided not to take them aboard his ship. The refugees, who drifted for 19 days before being rescued by Philippine fishermen, say they resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. Of about 110 who had boarded the refugee vessel in Vietnam, 52 survived.

Balian has said that members of his crew gave him inadequate and inaccurate information about the condition of the refugees and their vessel. His lawyers, retired Navy Capt. Dan Donato and Lt. Cmdr. Ronald Petronio, both of San Diego, said they plan to present more witnesses to testify about Balian’s 26-year Navy career.

Balian is expected to be called to testify next week.

The six Navy captains who will decide the case have been given a number of documents, among them dozens of fitness reports that describe Balian’s performance as outstanding, and commendations and letters of support from more than a dozen high-ranking Navy officers.

One of the letters was written about two months after the refugee incident by Secretary of the Navy William L. Ball III. In it, Ball praised Balian for the Dubuque’s performance last summer in the Persian Gulf, the region to which the Dubuque was en route when it encountered the refugees.

‘Dedication and Skill’

“From all that I saw, you are meeting the challenge with dedication and consummate skill,” Ball said.

Ball also sent a letter to Balian’s wife, Ann, thanking her for “pulling the families together and keeping spirits high” while the Dubuque was away from its base at Sasebo, Japan.

Ann Balian, who has been attending the court-martial sessions, told reporters she was not happy with the way she and her family have been treated by the Navy since the refugee incident.

Just before the court-martial was convened, she said, Balian was transferred to Washington, and his wife and two daughters were ordered to vacate their Navy housing in Sasebo. They have not yet done so, though she has been under pressure from the Navy to move out as soon as possible, she said.

“I’ve spent a lot of time telling young wives that the Navy takes care of its own,” she said.