The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-03-22
By DrezC Pearson

Bronze Star oak Leaf Cluster for Frost for my ape proval. Try aide plan first (signed) Crittenberger
 In other words, General Crittenberger wanted to get his friend Captain Henry Frost returned to the USA and had the nerve to ask for special Bronze Star plus Oak Leaf Cluster for him. thus giving him 10 additional discharge points This award IS sup, posed to go to for valor in action or special service to his country If any enlisted man had asked for such special favor, he would have promptly been put in his place But not GenerHl CrV0enDerger Ihe caste system protected him.
 Here are some other products of the caste sys- tenn which make CT blood boil and which Secretary Patterson's committee might well IT inyesugase: ,
 1, At Christmas, Colonel Rollen Anthis com- mander of the Cages Air Base at Casablanca hopped across the Atlantic to spend the holidays at home, then hopped back across the Atlantic atterward, leaving hundreds of CHS smarting over this special privilege All they could do write letters homo about it--which they did, and this coumnist got e The sergeant who helped beat up American soldiers at the Litchfield prison camp in England was sentenced to jail while the colonel in command. Colonel James A. Killian, regular Army officer was recommended for promotion
 3 On October 2S 1045, Lieutenant Colonel Ernest G. Brunger was court martialed on charge of trans porting in a government plane from San Francisco to Hawaii A cases of pin-ba and coin games, and receiving S1 900 diamond as gift from the owner of the gambling machines. He was merely lined S25O and reprimanded On about the same date at the same base Private Milford K. Isaacs was court martialed for deserton and given three years at hard labor.
 war when every plane was needed brand new B-29, costing the taxpayer $900000 was received by the 2Oth Bomber Command at Karaghpur, India, Tur- rets, armor-plate guns and other armaments were stripped and the bomber was equipped with loungng chairs sound-proofng refrigerator and electric stove ali for the private use. of General Curtis LeMay. LeMay was transferred to the Marianas before the job was completed This new B-29 was needed for the assault on Japan and transport plane could have been used by LeMay at fraction of the cost.
 5. In May, 1945, at the height of the attacks on Japan a brand P-3s was fitted up at Bangalore' India with a special forward compartment, leather upholstered, sound-proofed built-in thermos jug and especially made plastic cups-al for the use of Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer, com- mander of the Burma-India theater Cost of the plane was Sl00OOO Cost of modifying it-$1o,000. Yet Sratemeyer who had several other planes, used 1t only three times The modification of these private planes was given priority over bombers and trans ports badly needed in the Burma campaign
 G. In February, 1S45, Q complete shop for the overhaul of instruments torn out Of 2S-toot o- ton instrument trailer which was then equipped With veneer walls, lounge chairs, sleeping compartment stenographer's desk, rug and air-condltlonng to- Rether with an engraved plaque costing SEQ and ln- scribed: Presented to Leut.-Gen AIoert c. Weoe- meyer by the India Burma Air Service Commano
 This huge vehicle was then hauled over the Burma Road to Chungking, difficult lop. However. General Wedemeyer wrote back to Major-General Thomas Hanley thanking him for the gift, but say ing there were roads out Of Chungking capaole of handling it. Instead, he wanted three similar vehicles on smaller chassis for his subordinates
 Work was started immediately on three ordnance maintenance ducks. Guns were removed, and, oy working night and day and giving the protect an over-ridng priority at the Bengal Air Depot in Cal- cutta the job was finished in 10 days. Meanwhile combat planes held up for repair, and the 2Oth Bomber Command refused to use them because of that fact.
 GI's who worked on these luxuries for the brass hats, and saw how personal privilege was placed ahead of vining the war, came home boiling mad, determined never to serve in the Army again
 (NOTE-AnOther column the Navy caste
 system will follow sOOn