New-York tribune., 1921-06-09
Red-Blooded Naval Reserves
Their Fighting Spirit Attestcd by
Executive Officer, u. S. N. r.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In your Sunday issue is letter
from Lester D. Cohn asking whether
his enlistment in the British army
after rejection by our forces because
Of defective sight should not entitle
him to the New York State bonus.
In his letter he complains that while
his service in the common catse was
overseas, there are thousands who en-
listed in the Naval Reserve and other
branches situated in and around large
cities" and other thousands who "saw
action over hat-top desk" who will
receive the bonus.
The implications in such q statement
are painfully unfair.
During the first year Of our partici-
PATTON in the war was executive Of
ficer of naval department in the
Sd Naval District, and had under me
hundreds of volunteer men and officers
who served ashore. They were needed
for highly technical duties, calling for
exceptional qualities, unusual discre-
ton and great devotion.
Week after week our commanding Of
ficer, Captain A. B. Hoff, u. S. N,
called these men together in efforts to
sustain their morale by Iecturing on
the vital Importance of their par
ticular service. Yet by written petition
and personal appeal, almost to a man,
these hundreds Of fellows pleaded and
argued their right to be sent to sea.
Many of them had succeeded in being
enrolled or commissioned only after
representations by the commanding Of
ficer that, while because Of physical
disabilities they could not pass ex-
aminations, they were technically fitted
for just such work as had to be done
ashore and that their admission to the
service would release abIe-bodied men
for active duty.
But, once in the service, were they
content with their positions? Not on
your red-blooded Americanisml They
played every imaginable trick to get
themselves transferred overseas. I re-
member one who managed to undergo
one capital operation and one minor
operation by which eventually he was
able to get to sea and to die there in
the performance of duty.
Another sat outside our doors day in
and day out for more than two weeks,
until finally, after having had his exit
accelerated by guard, he came back
for more and was brought to an Of
fcer with the request that he be shown
once for all that he was physically un-
fit. He begged SO hard for a promise
of enrolment if he could come back
from the hospital in good condition
after an operation that the opportunity
was given. In this case also there was
sufficient improvement to get him
through.
| These instances, while striking, are
typical. On one occasion a service
paper spoke slightingly Of shore duty
men and created almost riot in our
| command. There was concerted de-
mand for the right to go cover there, ,
coupled with the statement that their
places should be filled by men who had
already had some sea duty. When it was
replied that most of them could moi
pass examinations in navigation they
wanted to know whose fault that was
So we were in decency obliged to es.
tablish classes.
These classes were difficult to sched.
ule because our duty continued twenty.
four hours every day, with the watches
calling for rapid rotation of day ane
night duty. Yet the overworked fellow:
did study, did pass and did get sea
duty as rapidly as the good of ths
service could be strained to permit
/ The result of the examination alway,
caused days of nervous tension, ane
even to-day we find ambitious youns
men bitter over results that could no
be explained to them, which they ca,