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]

Thanks. 55,000 acres is the size of the ranch.So close to White Sands.

[Betty Jo]

http://www.currentargus.com/artman/publish/article_539.shtml

"Defense officials had said in May they were working on terms under which McMillan would dispose of stock holdings that could conflict with official duties.Owen said McMillan was involved with up to nine companies when he died."

[rubbertramp]

Permian Exploration Corp. is the name of his company....sounds a little like Permindex.

[Betty Jo]

Yeah, I hve looked up Permian.McMillan was a geophysicist.

As in looking underground for oil.

Or maybe as in looking underground for bunkers and tunnels of your enimies.

He was head of the First Federal Savings Bank of new Mexico.

Bush made him I think chair of Fannie Mae.

I am still trying to find the other 6 or 7 or 8 companies, depending on how you count.