Evening star., 1945-10-24
Letters to The Star
Two Other Women Tell How
Slowly Help Comes
o The Editor Of TIE star:

oAOVAy twp N<OASo
To the Editor Of The Star:
Reading about the case of Mrs. Deg
ges, am moved to write you about my
self and some other widows who seem
to be forgotten women, as far as the
Government is concerned. am not
doing this to get publicity for myself,
as I would rather remain unknown, but
only in the hope that maybe. through
public opinion, relief can be speeded up
for us.
When my husband was killed as q re-
suit of the bombing of the Cavite Navy
Yard, Cavite, Philippine Islands, on De-
cember TO-, 1941, he was regular en-
ploye of the United States Navy and
had been since 1884. He was killed at
work, and my daughter and I are en-
titled to pension from the Employees
Compensation Commission. However,
through no fault Of my own, was un-
able to apply for that pension until this
year, more than three years after his
death. The fault lay with the Japanese,
who imprisoned my daughter and my
self for 81 months at Santo Tomas. The
Navy reported that the notice Of my
husbands death had been filed with the
department on March 1, 1912, by Admiral
Rockwell, former commandant of the
Cavite Navy Yard. Yet, when I applied
for the pension, I was informed that
because the claim was not filed one year
after the death a law would have to be
passed before anything could be done.
That law, according to the Congressman
from my husbands district Il was born
In Washington and don't have one) was
passed in July, yet three months later
have heard nothing from the ECC.
1t seems to me that in almost four
years it should have been definitely
established that my husband was killed,
especially since the admiral reported it
in 1912. My case Is no different from
many other women whom know about
and who likewise were interned.
Fortunately have not had to depend
on this pension, as my relatives and
friends have been most kind to me and
now have job, but some of the others
In similar situation do need the pen
sion badly. Furthermore, feel that our
husbands gave their lives for their coun-
try, even though they were civilians,
and that we are entitled to that pen
sion. know that the Government has
many cases to look over, but I also
know that there are plenty Of employees
to do the work, and it seems to me
progress could be speeded up.
MPC yXTYr
To the Editor of The Star:
You recently have published the story
OF widow of Marine who did not re-
ceive her gratuity payment for two
months after husbands death, and your
stories about her sad plight brought
immediate attention and help. But
there are thousands of similar cases all
over the country going unheeded while
the widows and orphans suffer in
silence.
May add another case history-taat
OF my own daughter and her two
babies? Her husband, a Navy neuten-
ant, was killed in the South Pacific on
June 81 and the death notice received
on June ~. My daughters regular al
Iotment check was due July !, and
though the Navy was able to stop pay
ment on that Immediately, it took them
two months to get around to sending
the gratuity check-which meant a lapse
OF three months from June to August
~ without any money. My daugh-
ter has not yet, in four months time,
received the allotment check that was
due July l, nor received the back pay
that her husband had not drawn so
that he would have "nest egg" to take
home some day. This is handled by the
Navy, but the Veterans Bureau is even
slower in the matter of handling PEN
sion and insurance payments. It was
three months before my daughter even
received any papers from the Veterans
Bureau to sign. She has not yet, after
four months, received a penny of in
surance or pension and was told by the
Red Cross representative in her COM
munity that it would probably be two
or three months more, after signing
the papers, before she would actually
begin getting the pension and insur-
ance payments.
Her pension, plus her insurance in
the form Of 2o-year monthly annuity,
will give her sll5 per month for three
to live on. She lives very quietly in a
very small bungalow in a small town,
where living costs are not as high as
in the city, but, even so, the Sis is not
enough for decent living for three
persons. AS result, my daughter is
going to have to 60 to work. which ne
cessitates leaving her children with an
unsatisfactory baby tender" Her two
babies who will never know a father,
nor even the memory of father, must
also give up their mothers conscien-
tious and loving care. because the rich
est country in the world will not pro-
vide a decent subsistence for its war
widows and orphans. Would the hus-
band and father have volunteered to
fight and die for his country had he
known how shabbily his country would
treat his family after he was gone?