Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-21
2d-CIoss Citizens

and the military personnel
who serve it, should realize
that America has a con-
siderable number of UNITED
States Citizens, End Class"
who have been made so by
public law.
In 1894. and again in 1882,
Congress enacted public laws
which prohibit all retired Of
ficers of the Regular military
componentS from being en-
ployed by the Government If
their employment and re-
tired pay exceeds $208.50 per
month.
A later Congress, fully
aware Of this denial of en-
ployment rights to retired
Regular officers, enacted an
other public law which per-
mits retired officers of the
Reserve componentS to be
employed by the Government
and to receive employment
and retired pay up to 1888
per month. Bear in mind
that we are referring, in both
instances. to personnel who
have served in the military
branches long enough to earn
retirement pay. The only
difference being that one
group Of individuals accepted
Regular commissions, while
the other group accepted
commissions in the Reserve.
In this connection, active
duty and retired pay scales
are the same for both groups.
based on grade and length
of active duty.
In addition to this denial
of employment equality for
the retired Regular officer,
Congress is now considering
a probable further denial of
employment rights to all SEN
ior retired officers by enact
ing laws which would pre-
vent such officers from
working with any contractor
engaged in defense work for
the Government.
Many officers are now
being retired before their
planned family obligations are
completed, before their chill
dren'S education is finished
and before their homes are
paid for.
My personal experience in
this connection is similar to
that of many of my fellow
officers and friends. I was
retired in 1856 at age SO, in
the rank of lieutenant
colonel permanently, after
having served as colonel for
five years. This retirement
was not at my request. My
retirement was under the
provisions of Section 514
Cd a., P. L. 381, 80th Con-
greSS. At the time Of my re-
tirement my youngest son
was a junior in high school.
He needed and deserved A.
nancial support for his edu-
cation similar to that pro-
vided his older brother and
sister. We intend to provide
him this support If at all
possible.
When retired I was quail
fed for a number of civil
service jobs which were, and
still are, open to applicants.
The 65-year old public law Of
1894 prohibits me from TAX
ing one of these jobs. At the
same time my reServist
friends, retiring after 20 or
more years OF service, are
more fortunate in that they
can accept and are accepting
such jobs.
After several months of
searching, I found work
with a defense contractor
located in the Washington
area. Now after almost two
years of working for this
firm in a strictly adminiStra-
tive capacity and without
any personal or official con-
tact of any nature with the
Defense Department, a num-
Der of us have been alerted
to possible severance as a
result of present congress
Sional discussions.
There is every reason and
need for Congress to enact
laws which will punish those
who are found guilty Of a
crime. At the same time,
there is every humane rea-
son for Congress to with
hold the punishment Of a
mans family when the nan
is guilty of nothing more
than incorrectly selecting a
military career for himself
in the belief that both he and
the Government would be
benefited.
Retired.