Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-08-19
95th Division Men
Protest Being Sent
For Occupation Duty
By the Associated Press.

A group of war-weary troops OF
the 95th Division protested to mem.
bers Of Congress and newspaper
editors yesterday against redeploy-
ment to the Pacific for occupation
duty.
why should we serve on two
fronts when there are many who
never served on one?" they asked
in petition brought to the Hatties-
burg Miss American by four SOL
diers. They said it had been signed
by more than 200 members of the
Division.
There was no comment from Off
GERS of the division, which had
started training at Camp Shelby for
the Pacific warfare before Japan
surrendered.
The War Department announced
that men of the 95th were being
screened to eliminate from addi-
tioRal overseas duty those who are
over SO and those who had seen
excessive combat service.
Average IS Years Old.
Men screened out. the depart
ment said, will be replaced by men
who have served only in the CONT
mental United States. 1t said per-
sonnet of the division now average
Is years of age, have had an aver
age OF two years in the Army and
have an average of approximately
SIS points man.
On the point of the 95th's combat
record. the department said it orig
inally sailed for Europe in the lat
ter part of July, 1914, with the
last elements leaving Boston on
August 9, 1914, and the bulk of the
division arrived back in the United
States last July 2-3. In all. the
division was in combat approxima te-
ly $50 days, it added.
Newspapers also received tele-
grams purporting to come from men
OF the 86th BLACK Hawk Division,
which is at West Coast port. COM
planning about their assignment to
the Pacific.
Ross Says No Protest Heard,
Charles G. Ross, presidential sec
rotary, told newsmen he knew of no
complaints to President Truman
about some Army divisions being
"shanghaied' for Pacific duty when
they were not needed out there.
Some OF the kilograms received
by newspapers about the 86th Divi-
sion were dated Fort Bragg, N. C..
But the Army said the division had
never been stationed there.
The War Department said the
86th was twice screened" to leave
it only men under 80 and with con
fewer points than the IS
required for discharge.
The four soldiers who brought the
petition to the Hattiesburg paper
identified themselves as Cords.
Stanley W. johnson of Shelburne
Falls, Mass, Richmond Mayo
Smith, jr., of Dedham, Mass. and
George C. Gamer, jr, of Boston, and
PFC. Robert M. Humziker of Strait
ford. Conn.
Z Division Record Cited.
The petition said the document
was drawn up to bring to the at
tention of the American public a
gross injustice on veterans of the
European theater of operations by
the War Department.
1t cited the record of the 95th Di-
vision, which helped capture Metz
and saw action in the Saar. the
Ruhr and against the Siegfried Line.
Now" the petition continued.
We are being sent to the Japanese
theater as occupation troops along
with men who just have been in
Quoted"
The petition signers said they felt
that they were being "railroaded.
while soldiers who never had seen
action were being held in this coun-
try and would be discharged first.
They said they had no complaint
against being sent to the Pacific
while the fighting still was in prog
ress and seasoned combat troops
were needed. But the Surrender has
changed the cjf,,of;o,, &L~ 4