Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-28
|Ruegers Hope
10 Win Back
Killed Pension
BY MARY McGRoRY

An Alexandra Navy wife is
hopeful that President Eisen-
hover will reconsider his action
cutting OF her husbands service
pension.
The trouble that Mrs. r. b.
Rueger is in began on New Years
Eve. 1855. when she and her hus-
band, q retired naval officer,
were running a benefit turkey
shoot in their Franconia tva.)
farm.
On that night her husband
band shot and killed Leonard
Dodson. a Fairfax County neigh
Dor. The shooting followed a
scene and fight. in which Rue
ger. who is described by his
family as "a very quiet man"
was. according to his wife, badly
beaten by Dodson and his
friends.
Rueger. who had risen from
the ranks to become a Com
mander in the Navy. pleaded
guilty to voluntary manslaughter
i'm Fairfax Circuit Court and
was sentenced to five years at
hard labor by Judge Arthur w.
Sinclair, who said that he con-
sidered Rueger excellent proba-
ton material because of his un-
blemished 29-year Navy service.
| BY this time. the Ruegers. who
between them have five children,
the eldest 20 and the youngest
10. were beginning to worry
some about money. Most of
their life savings went to meet
a $4,000 out-of-court settle
ment of a suit for $4,000
brought against them by the
widow of Leonard Dodson.
Planned to Start Over
Because Of high feeling in the
countryside. they gave UP their
farm in Franconia and moved
into Presidential Gardens apart
ments. Mrs. Rueger. a slight
blond who wears the toreador
pants and the kerchief -over-pin
curls Of q teen-ager. began the
bus trips to Richmond to the
Virginia State Penitentiary for
visits that are permitted families
LOT prisoners every other week
lend.
The prospects. while not
bright. we're not hopeless. With
his monthly pension Of $438 as
a stake. they planned TO start
over again. Rueger is eligible
for parole in November. His
wife says that although he only
went through the first year of
high school he was found to
have the highest I. @. in the
history Of the prison, and that
he has been given his high
school diploma.
| But new trouble came to the
Ruegers last September in the
form of a letter from Vice Ad-
miral J. L. Holloway. ir., Chief
Iof Naval Personnel, informing
Mr.. Rueger that recommended
ton would be made TO the Presi-
dent to have him dropped from
the rolls Of the Navy.
Enclosed in the letter was a
resignation blank. The letter
pointed out that q possible adj
vantage in separation by accept
ance of resignation as against
discharge is that the factual
case Of your separation will not
appear on the face Of the dis,
charge orders" BY signing,
Rueger would forfeit all benefits
earned during his service career.
Rueger appealed. as was his
privilege. the Navy action. claim
ing he was no longer in the
Navy. So did his wife. in re-
peated letters.
Notified Of Order
But on April IL Of this year.
Rueger was notified that the
President had signed an order
dropping him from the rolls and
that he was to consider the
letter his discharge. This means
the end of the monthly pension.
1t has meant that Mrs. Rueger,
who never had a Job in her life
has enrolled In business school,
learning tipping and shorthand.
1t will probably mean that To-
Iyear-old Robert Rueger. jr.. will
have to be withdrawn from Lin
ton Hall Military Academy.
stTY TINA TIL ENn,v t,,et ,,,is . .