On May 16, 1996, Admiral Jeremy Michael Boorda, the nation's top naval officer, ended his own life at his home in the Washington Navy Yard. The 56-year-old man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. His death occurred just before he was scheduled for an interview with Newsweek magazine concerning the legitimacy of two combat decorations he had worn.
On the day of his death, Boorda left his Pentagon office and returned to his residence for lunch, driving himself.
Sometime after arriving home, he went into his yard and shot himself with a. 38-caliber pistol. Personnel at the Navy Yard heard the shot and rushed to his aid, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital. Investigators found two notes in his study; one was addressed to his wife and the other to his sailors. In the note to his sailors, he acknowledged that wearing the 'V' pins for valor may have been a mistake, expressing concern that some would not see it as an honest error.
The investigation into Boorda's death, conducted by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, confirmed the cause of death as suicide. The report noted that Boorda had been made aware of the Newsweek inquiry shortly before he went home for lunch. Those who interacted with him that morning stated that he seemed to be in good spirits and did not show any unusual signs of stress or pressure. There were no arrests made, nor any suspects identified, as the evidence pointed to a suicide. His passing sent shockwaves through the military and the nation, leaving many to wonder what led the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the Navy to take his own life.
