Evening star., 1946-02-15
District Draft Aides,
Honored by Services,
Promise 10 Garry On

Secretary of War Patterson ant
Secretary Of Navy Forrestal las
night thanked the men who hav,
operated the Selective Service Sys
tenn successfully in the Nations Cap
ital for more than five years.
The draft aides, who had to vol.
unteer for their work, received ths
medal of the Selective Service Sys.
tep and promptly offered to see the
assignment through, III 1t take.
five more years"
! Commissioner John Russell Young
presented the medals, awarded by
Congress, to 500 District men who
have served on draft boards for more
than two years in ceremonies at the
Departmental Auditorium.
In the five years since the drafl
boards were organized, the Commits.
sioners have not received one lettel
of complaint against a board or 9
member of board, G Commissioner
Young announced.
10 PosthumOus Awards.
Ten medals awarded posthumously
to men who died while serving theil
country In selective service post.
were presented to their widows. Ths
medal was pinned on the lapel o.
William E. Leahy, District director
of Selective Service, by Col. DAME
o. Omer, assistant chief of the fiele
division, on behalf of Maj. Gen
Lewis B. Hershey, director of tht
Selective Service System.
Mr.. Patterson, expressing thu
Army's appreciation "for the labo
and service rendered by you owe
the years of this long and tragi
war;" declared that manpower wa
the basic factor in winning the wal
"In the fair and just administra
ton of the Selective Service System
| lay the true strength of our democ
lracy," he said.
| Recalling that many questione,
the principle Of compulsory militar,
training in a democracy, Mr.. For
restal remarked that ''the creates
tribute to you, is the universal &C
ceptance by the people of the un
derlying justice and equity of you
activities"
Thought of the work still ahea,
was injected by Col. Omer.
"In the darker days of war W,
had to take men from the securit,
of their home and put them in uni
FORM" he said. Now our energie
are directed to helping provide re
placements for some of those younl
men. We also have the pleasan
duty of welcoming back the veteran
and assisting them to re-establisl
themselves as civilians. I am conf
dent you viii see through this as
signmerlt."
Further Efforts Pledged.
The men applauded vigorousl,
when Mr.. Leahy assured him tha
I'VE will continue to help carry tn,
load, II it is five years more"
! The Gold Medal carries on it
back the inscription: Awarded II
the name of the Congress of th
United States for faithful and loya
service" Each man also received
certificate Of award, blue and gol,
service ribbon and blue and golt
lapel pin. Those honored include,
draft and appeal board members
physicians and dentists assigned {,
draft and advisory boards and re
employment committeeman.
On the platform were Brig. Ger
Albert L. Cox, organizer Of Distric
Selective Service; Brig. Gen. Cor
don r. Young, engineer commits
sioner, and Brig. Gen. Robert N
Young, commanding general Of tn
military district of Washington.
The American Legion's Nationa
Guard Of Honor advanced the colors
Invocation was pronounced by tn
Rev. David p. McCauley, s. j., deal
lof Georgetown University medfca
school. The Metropolitan Polio
4 Rand yNs.ryfdoH tho v,ns1s{r