Teddy Roosevelt’s great-grandson weighs in on dismissal of Navy captain: ‘Crozier is a hero’

Tweed Roosevelt, the great grandson of former President Theodore Roosevelt, said the captain of an aircraft carrier who was relieved from command following the ship’s struggle with a coronavirus outbreak is “a hero.”

Capt. Brett Crozier, who led the USS Theodore Roosevelt in Guam, sent a letter that was leaked to the media pleading for permission to relieve his crew, dozens of whom tested positive for COVID-19. 

“In this era when so many seem to place expediency over honor, it is heartening that so many others are showing great courage, some even risking their lives. Theodore Roosevelt, in his time, chose the honorable course,” Tweed Roosevelt said in an op-ed in The New York Times. “Captain Crozier has done the same.”

Navy Secretary Thomas Modly announced Crozier’s removal Thursday at a Pentagon briefing, noting, “It is not an indictment of character, but rather of judgment.” Defense Secretary Mark Esper backed his firing, according to Reuters.

After Crozier’s letter leaked, Navy officials announced they would offload 2,700 sailors by Friday. 

“Perhaps this was not the best approach for his career, but it got results,” Tweed Roosevelt said.

Tweed Roosevelt said Crozier showed judgement similar to that of Theodore Roosevelt when he was a commander during the Spanish-American War, which resulted in hundreds of deaths from diseases such as yellow fever and malaria.

After Crozier’s firing, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and three subcommittee chairmen said Saturday they were “concerned about the lack of guidance from Department of Defense leadership” and that Esper is “forcing” commanders “to make decisions on matters outside of their expertise while under immense pressure.”