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Article: Race and a Ruined Army Career
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- June 16, 1989
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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The career of Army Staff Sgt. William Murphy is ruined, all
because he wouldn't turn his back when he saw what he thought was
racism. Murphy's mistake was that he stood up for two soldiers, one
black and one white, who wanted to marry.
The captain who supervised Murphy and the young couple called the
bride's family to discuss the implications of her planned marriage to
a black man and then refused to give the woman leave for the wedding.
Murphy sided with the couple. Now he is doing menial work and the
captain, Sheila O'Connor, is on the fast track to the top.
Before Murphy tangled with O'Connor he was regarded as one of the
Army's brightest Russian linguists, translating Soviet military ...