▁spect er ▁of ▁the ▁draft , ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁un pre ced ented ▁opportunity ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Coast ▁Guard . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁the ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁Officer ▁Corps ▁was ▁ 9 9 . 4 4 ▁percent ▁white . ▁Less ▁than ▁one - half ▁of ▁one ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁officer ▁corps ▁compr ised ▁black ▁en list ed ▁men ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁promoted ▁to ▁chief ▁war rant ▁officers . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁the ▁percentage ▁of ▁black ▁officers ▁was ▁still ▁below ▁one ▁percent , ▁but ▁progress ▁had ▁been ▁made . ▁Also , ▁President ▁Kennedy ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁Commander - in - Ch ief . ▁With ▁the ▁large ▁infl ux ▁of ▁black ▁cad ets ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁it ▁appears ▁that ▁the ▁upper - class ▁cad ets ▁were ▁given ▁the ▁green ▁light ▁to ▁we ed ▁out ▁and ▁to ▁eliminate ▁the ▁less ▁qualified ▁black ▁entering ▁cad ets . ▁The ▁alternative ▁hypothesis ▁is ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁other ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁young , ▁tal ented ▁and ▁gift ed ▁young sters . ▁ ▁The ▁attr ition ▁rate ▁for ▁black ▁cad ets ▁reached ▁astronom ical ▁levels . ▁Up ▁to ▁ 7 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁black ▁cad ets ▁entering ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁res ign ▁before ▁gradu ation . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁Academy ▁they ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁prepared ▁for ▁what ▁await ed ▁them ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁field . ▁The ▁all ▁white ▁officer ▁corps ▁was ▁not ▁prepared ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁black ▁officers ▁into