IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 257 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Pasqualine J. 

Lawson of Denver, Colorado, an African American woman who valiantly 

served her country in the Army Air Corps during World War II and 

serving as a hospital neuropsychiatric team member, was unfairly passed 

over for promotion and should have held the grade of technical sergeant, 

rather than private first class, upon her discharge from the service 

on January 2, 1946. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 4, 2005 

Ms. DEGETTE (for herself, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. CUMMINGS, and Mr. 

WATT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

Pasqualine J. Lawson of Denver, Colorado, an African 

American woman who valiantly served her country in 

the Army Air Corps during World War II and serving 

as a hospital neuropsychiatric team member, was unfairly 

passed over for promotion and should have held the 

grade of technical sergeant, rather than private first 

class, upon her discharge from the service on January 

2, 1946. 
2 

•HRES 257 IH 

Whereas Pasqualine J. Lawson, of Denver, Colorado, honorably served in the Army Air Corps from July 29, 1944, 

to January 2, 1946; 

Whereas Ms. Lawson, while in the Army Air Corps, served 

as a psychiatric social worker following basic training; 

Whereas despite the efforts of and directives from the military to incorporate African Americans into the Army Air 

Corps during World War II, many commanders nevertheless demonstrated an unwillingness to treat African 

Americans with full equality; 

Whereas the policy of ‘‘separate but equal’’ in the Army Air 

Corps during World War II oftentimes led to second-class 

citizenship for African Americans, resulting in fewer opportunities for advancement for African Americans and 

an unwillingness to promote African Americans to a higher military rank when such a promotion was due; 

Whereas Ms. Lawson was passed over and denied promotion 

several times, notwithstanding her receipt of a total of 

eight letters of commendation by the time of her discharge from military service; 

Whereas in a letter of commendation, dated December 7, 

1945, Captain Ian N. J. Fogeling, stated that Ms. 

Lawson performed her work in a superior manner and 

that she had been ‘‘repeatedly recommended for well-deserved promotions . . . and despite our having repeatedly 

recommended her, these were not forthcoming due to administrative difficulties and technicalities entirely outside 

of our control.’’; 

Whereas Ms. Lawson was discharged from military service in 

the grade of private first class, rather than in a higher 
3 

•HRES 257 IH 

grade that she would have held but for having been 

passed over and denied promotion; 

Whereas Ms. Lawson has not been able to sufficiently reconstruct her military record due to the destruction of military records in the fire at the National Personnel 

Records Center in 1973; 

Whereas Ms. Lawson has requested a correction of her military records from the Air Force Board for Correction of 

Military Records 1997, but was denied on the grounds 

that her military record was incomplete and Ms. 

Lawson’s appeal of this ruling to the Assistant Secretary 

of the Air Force for Manpower, Reserve Affairs, Installations and Environment was denied on similar grounds; 

and 

Whereas Ms. Lawson is a 97-year old veteran who deserves 

to receive the recognition for her service during World 

War II due to her: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that Pasqualine J. Lawson of Denver, Colo3 rado, while in the Army Air Corps during World War II 

4 and serving as a hospital neuropsychiatric team member, 

5 was unfairly passed over for promotion and should have 

6 held the grade of technical sergeant, rather than private 

7 first class, upon her discharge from the service on January 

8 2, 1946. 

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