MALLORY-CLEVELAND

WAS  HE  CULPRIT  OR  VICTIM?

October 1972 was not a good time for the carrier USS Kitty Hawk.  It had been deployed supporting flight operations off Vietnam for eight months and was scheduled to spend additional days before returning home.  Racial tensions were high, in part stemming from the civil rights movement at home.  There were nearly 4500 sailors aboard, only 302 were black, and race relations were uniquely troubled as black sailors were typically assigned to the ship’s most miserable jobs.  On October 12 the situation exploded when racial unrest triggered the worst shipboard riot in U.S. Navy history.  What caused the explosion is not fully known as accounts differ as to what initiated the “Kitty Hawk Riots.”  Historical records reveal the ship erupted into chaos as gangs of white and black sailors commenced roaming the ship beating unsuspecting sailors.  By the next day about 50 sailors, nearly all white, were injured, some severe enough to be evacuated to onshore hospitals. 

The fallout would see a number of black sailors being disciplined for their role in the incident as initial investigation indicated that black sailors were primarily responsible .  When Kitty Hawk returned to San Diego six weeks after the incident, twenty-seven black sailors were arrested and charged.  No white sailors were arrested, and twenty-one black sailors were taken to trial.

Seaman Cleveland Mallory was one of the black sailors who was court-martialed in January 1973.  According to Mallory he was closing up the ship’s store, where he worked, when he was attacked by a group of white sailors, was struck with a wrench, and sustained several broken ribs.  Several witnesses at his court-martial described assaults by black sailors but only one white sailor testified that he recognized Mallory as one of the black sailor attackers.  Although evidence was presented putting some of this white sailor’s testimony in doubt, Mallory was convicted and given a bad conduct discharge and reduction in rank to Seaman Recruit. 

Following Mallory’s trial, additional investigation resulted in the white sailor acknowledging that he had lied at the court-martial.  Accordingly, the Navy conducted a review that resulted in Mallory’s conviction being overturned.  His record was expunged, his discharge was changed to “honorable” and his Seaman rank was restored.  Cleveland Mallory lived in Pittsburgh following his military service and he died September 2, 2017, when struck by a vehicle while riding a bicycle.  He is buried at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. 

The picture above of Mallory in his Navy uniform was published with his obituary.

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)