BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, FEBRUARY 15, 1994) GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: The chief of naval operations, Admiral Frank Kelso today said he was retiring early and declared the Tailhook scandal at an end. Kelso was due to leave his post in two months. CNN military affair correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports, Tailhook may survive Kelso's departure.</s>JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kelso was nearly fired in the wake of the scandal, but his job was saved by then-Defense Secretary Les Aspen.</s>MCINTYRE: I remember the day we were all in Kelso's office, the chief of naval operations. It was very crowded. It wasn't the usual location for a press conference. And Admiral Kelso said that he had decided to retire. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, FEBRUARY 15, 1994) ADM. FRANK KELSO: I made this decision because I clearly have become the lightening rod for Tailhook, and I believe that it is in the best interest of the Navy.</s>MCINTYRE (voice-over): The decision was Kelso's, but sources say, had he not stepped aside, a court of inquiry would have been appointed to look into allegations by a Navy judge. The judge charged Kelso lied and manipulated the investigation of the Tailhook scandal in which dozens of woman were assaulted by drunken aviators at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1991.</s>MCINTYRE: But he was also accused of not handling the investigation well, not being vigorous enough in pursuing the charges, and he decided to step down, but only after he got a promise from the defense secretary that he would not be charged with any wrongdoing.
CNN 20: Admiral Frank Kelso Resigns, February 15, 1994