Evening star., 1951-09-15

SN KmaNN@M Wl
caloosa, Ala, or thousand and
one other places where captains might
be stationed? Just for the record I'm
paying $97.20 for myself and my two
children under my disqualification plan.
AS for buying privileges, Mr. Hayden
must be thinking of the World War
II era. To be perfectly frank with you,
I do much better by taking advantage
of department store sales and Friday
specials at the supermarket Incl
dentally, the papers have carried ac-
counts of a possible rise in prices at
the commissaries-18 per cent, I think.
Would you care to take advantage of
that privilege, then?
AS for annual leave, the only time
we even take leave is on a change of
station, and then we waste what could
be perfectly wonderful vacation time
frantically searching for place to live,
repairing furniture when it arrives, and
putting out what little we have saved
into the inevitable necessities required
in a new home.
Has GS-11 changed station lately? He
might try it and see what it does to the
pocketbook. I'll admit that the "over-
payed" captain gets an allowance for
travelling, but there Is no allowance for
the days spent in hotels and motels
waiting for furniture so that the family
can be moved into house or apart
ment that has already been rented I
can assure you that there is no allow
ance that covers the hotel bills and
food while we look for place in which
&N 1ixyn AAIr 81
Of station costing me at least $500. You
might be interested in the fact that we
have made IL major moves in Is years,
have lived in 20 houses or apartments,
and I wouldn't begin to estimate the
number of hotels that have eaten into
our meager savings.
But Hayden, the Army gets in your
blood you get to love it and every
thing it stands for as time goes on. It's
not bed of financial roses. as you
would make people believe. It can be
a brutal, discouraging life to the wife
who is easily discouraged Those of us
who love the life. though, would prefer
that the record be straight. The factors
1 have mentioned above are of major
Importance in any comparison such as
the one you made.
army W1fe.
The letter by Mr.. Hayden is so grossly
In error that an answer is necessary to
properly inform the public.
An Army officers pay has been raised
only little over 20 per cent since 1908.
while the cost of living has risen 500 per
cent since that time and the dollar has
decreased 40 per cent to so per cent.
Civilian Government pay has been raised
81 per cent since 1910 and another raise
OF 8.8 per cent is now being considered.
An example of this inequitable difference
is rather clear when one sees a Stenog-
rapher (civilian, doing tipping only re-
ceiving more pay than a major in the
same staff section, where the major is
doing a job comparable to a Calls,
normally calling for over $4,000 a year.
That happened in my own overseas staff
section.
The pay of Regular Army officers
widow is sos month, even though the
officer may have put in 40 years of
service. The dependent of civilian re-
ceives three and four times that amount,
even though their husbands are not sub
ject to the hazardous duty required of
combat officers.
An officer must go wherever ordered,
at any time, no matter how disagreeable
or hazardous the duty or hardship to his
family. A civilian can stay in the same
place and refuse to go overseas and his
rights to keep his position and job will
be protected.
Promotion of Regular officer is very
slow. Yet, have seen youngsters in
Washington and overseas in civilian gov
ernmental jobs drawing more pay than
a high-ranking officer. In an overseas
theater Reserve lieutenantS and captains
often gave up their commissions and
took civilian jobs and their salaries
jumped from $4,000 or $4,000 year.
handled the processing of these amazing
changes in an overseas theater.
Why doesn't MIR. Hayden join the in
fantry # the advantages and oppor-
tunities are so great? We need you.
Mr.. Hayden. please join us. We will
give you the honorable privilege of fight
ing and dying for your country, and for
very little pay OF opportunity for pro-
motion.
Infantry Officer.
Mr.. Haydon's comparison is enlight-
ening. He mentions retirement bene-
fits That is where the military man
again has it on the civil service en-
ploye. With 20 years service, the cap
tain retires with so per cent base pay;
with 80 years service, rs per cent base