per month. There are over 1,700 retired Army men who receive less than $66.38 per month after 30 years of service. It is in behalf of the disabled in this group and the lower paid retired enlisted men of the Navy that I appeal to your honorable committee to favorably report S. 2765, so that those who receive less than $100 per month retired pay and who have disabilities which entitle them to Veterans' Administration benefits, be authorized such benefits, limiting however retired pay and pensions or compensation to an amount not in excess of $100 per month. Thanking your committee for your kind consideration to this request, I am, Sincerely yours, J. H. HOEPPEL, Edito. (First lieutenant United States Army, retired; past commander, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and United States War Veterans.) PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO H. R. 2765 In H. R. 2765, strike out all after the enacting clause and substitute the following: "That retired enlisted men of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard who served 90 days or more in any war in which the United States participated, and who are disabled as a result of service in war, or who may be entitled to compensation or pension under laws pertaining to war veterans, shall hereafter be entitled to compensation or pension on parity with other war veterans: Provided, That compensation or pension shall not be awarded to any retired enlisted man at a rate in excess of an amount which when combined with his retired pay makes a total from both sources of $100 per month: Provided further, That where compensation or pension is awarded to a retired enlisted man based on war service, his retired pay shall be reduced one-thirtieth for each year of war service rendered by the enlisted man for which compensation or pension is paid by the Veterans' Administration. Any major fraction of a year to be considered as one year. "SEC. 2. All Acts and/or parts of Acts in conflict with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.” EXHIBIT A.-SUPPLEMENTAL TO BRIEF ON H. R. 2765 LOW-PAID ENLISTED MEN HAVE JUST GRIEVANCE We print herewith several of the many unsolicited letters we receive from Fleet Reservists, and retired enlisted men, generally in response to an invitation to subscribe for our periodical. When we consider the desperate plight of these men who have served honorably for 16, 20, and 30 years, and compare their income with that received by single men, nonveterans, on the Work Projects Administration, we are prompted to reaffirm our statement that the enlisted man is not receiving a square deal and that his honorable service in war and in peace merit more consideration from the Government. "Private Los Angeles, Calif. that I told you about, received a special number of your paper and says he will subscribe if he has any luck in getting any more money. He only receives $22.30 per month. About 4 years from now, he will receive the $15.75 allowances. That will give him then $38.05 per month. He is 61 years old. He is making application for a pension as a peacetime veteran in hopes that his pension will be greater than his Marine Corps retired pay." A 16-year Fleet Reservist writes "NATIONAL CITY, CALIF., December 4, 1938. "DEAR SHIPMATE: Received your Retired Men's News in which you ask me to send a subscription for the News. To be frank with you, I don't know where my next meal is coming from. I cannot get work in the Work Projects Administration. They claim I am getting more than they can allow me. My check is $41.80 a month and that goes out for bills. Received my check this morning. After figuring everything up, I will have 10 cents left. Now tell me, how do the family and I eat until next month? I can't even get relief and for Thanksgiving, we ate beans for three meals. "I would only be too glad to subscribe for the News if I could. I would like to tell you more but do not want to take up too much of your time." "Mr. J. H. HOEPPEL. Thirty years Army service "HOPEWELL, N. J., December 5, 1938. "DEAR SIR: On a separate sheet of paper which I am enclosing I am sending my service record. So far I have not received any check for November, which makes it hard to keep the landlord waiting for his rent. "I have four children, all born at the United States Military Academy, at West Point, N. Y. I have taken my oldest son out of high school to seek work, which makes his chances of entering the Army very slim. "I have some references which I am enclosing as they are of no use in securing employment. I have applied at the General Motors for work and my age (50 years) is against me. At another place (a stock farm) I was told I could not be of much value to retire so low, whereas the new retirement order was the cause. I have three boys and one girl and this small amount is a millstone around my neck instead of a help. I have had W. P. A. workers laugh at the idea of me getting $44.87 after 30 years. And they get $60.50 for 15 days a month. "It is very hard to know that I have to give up the thought of giving my motherless children an education because I was loyal and faithful in service for over 30 years. My children and I and our grandparents were all born in this United States and all believe in justice-but fail to see it in my case. Twenty-one years Army and Navy service “NATIONAL City, Calif., December 8, 1938. Am I entitled to a "Mr. HOEPPEL: I hereby send to you my service record. raise in retired pay? "Enlisted in Troop F, First Cavalry, 9th day of September 1895. "Discharged December 15, 1902. "Enlisted in United States Navy, March 9, 1903. "After serving 16 years at sea, was transferred to the Fleet Naval Reserve, remained in Fleet Naval Reserve until fully retired on January 10, 1927. "All discharges honorable. Retired pay, $62.30." BISHOP, MD., January 30, 1940. DEAR SIR: Permit me to introduce myself. I am a retired United States Coast Guard service man. I have arthritis of the spine and bronichal trouble and am helpless. My wife and my daughter have been nursing me since 1925. I was retired in 1924. I enlisted in the service in 1913. I am retired on $51.75, and it is impossible to support my wife and daughter and pay my doctor bills. I have to pay my doctor $5 every trip he makes to me. Do I have to pay the Government doctor? Let me know. I am asking you a favor to see if there is a chance of increase of my present retired pay, as I have read in the paper you sent me that there is a chance for us peacetime veterans. Hope to hear from you. I now refer to another letter: CHARLES JOHNSON. [Extract] DERRY, N. H., November 16, 1939. I received $40.30 per month. Not much to live on, and I have the asthma and sugar diabetes. It costs me about $7 a month to buy insulin, besides the medicines. I am married. I am unable to work on account of my sickness. Of course, when I retire in a couple of years, if I live that long, I will receive the $15.75 for rations. Now, if there is any way you can help me, I will be glad. I am also hard of hearing. On my second enlistment, I was discharged for disabilities and received a rupture while working aboard ship. Mr. Chairman, this practically helpless man must pay when he goes into a hospital. Here is another letter: [Extract] WILDWOOD, GA., January 14, 1940. I enlisted in the Third Tennessee Volunteer Infantry in 1898. I retired November 5, 1918, out of Company B, One Hundred and Sixty-third Infantry. Was overseas in Company B, Eighteenth Infantry, until I was operated on in the field near Toul. Had an infected foot; could not get back to the First Division, so was advised by Colonel McIntyre to retire. I was a sergeant in Company M, Fifty-ninth Infantry; transferred to the Seventy-sixth Division and retired a corporal. My retirement pay is $56.25 per month. BALTIMORE, MD., February 20, 1939. DEAR SIR: I am an invalid veteran on the retired list of the United States Navy. I am now drawing $53.95 per month retirement pay which is not enough for me to get the necessities and attention that I need in my condition, as I am unable to do anything for myself, not even feed myself. During the World War while in the service (1918), I had a spell of sickness and was sent to the hospital for treatment. At this time, my tonsils were removed. However, I began to suffer with pains in the legs and arms after being discharged from the hospital. On May 18, 1922, my condition as reported by the Navy was arthritis and the_condition was permanent. I was transferred to the Fleet Reserve and retired December 23, 1924. I feel that my present illness had its beginning during the year of 1918. Therefore, I want to apply for service-connected disability. I will be very grateful for any help or information that you can give me. Respectfully yours, WILLIAM HARVEY ANDERSON. Per W. I. H. [From February 1939 issue of National Defense] ALIEN RELIEF CLIENTS RECEIVE MORE THAN THESE RETIRED ENLISTED MEN NORFOLK, VA., December 19, 1938. DEAR SIR: I am writing to ask if you have any real dope on a 16-year Fleet Reservist transferred to the retired list because of disability after 24 years' service. My pay now is $48.80 per month. MARINA, MONTEREY COUNTY, CALIF., DEAR MR. HOEPPEL: We are sorry that we cannot afford to take the News. We have been having hard luck. My husband has not been able to work for 2 years. His pay, $66.75 a month, and four children to send to school leaves us in poor circumstances. Would you be so kind as to send me a set of widow's pension blanks? will be rewarded and never forgotten. Do this favor for me if you can. P. S. Sincerely, You My husband is an Indian War veteran and Spanish War veteran. He served in the Philippines, 1901 to 1905. Was on active duty during the World War. FURTHER STATEMENT OF JOHN H. HOEPPEL Senator JOHNSON of Colorado. Have you an additional statement you wish to make? Mr. HOEPPEL. Just a short statement, Senator. With your permission, Senator, 1 will insert in the record the official figures on the number of enlisted men of the Navy and Army which were given to me last week by the War Department and the Navy Department. I have the official figures, and I will insert them in the record. Senator JOHNSON of Colorado. We should like to have them. Mr. HOEPPEL. I will put them in the record. I have even had them broken down into the pay categories. (The data referred to are as follows:) Statistics pertaining to retired enlisted men of the Army and the Navy as of December 1939, as furnished by War and Navy Departments There are 10,426 retired enlisted men of the Army, and in addition there are 697 retired enlisted men from the Philippine Scouts subdivided as follows. Average pay of all retired enlisted men is $100.90 a month. It will be noted than 1,784 retired enlisted men in the last four grades (white) receive less than $66.38 a month for 30 years of honorable service. NAVY RETIRED ENLISTED MEN As of January 31, 1940, there were 23,338 enlisted men on an inactive Reserve or retired status. These were subdivided as follows: 16-year men (8,013), average monthly pay20-year men (5,156), average monthly pay. Retired enlisted men (9,169), average monthly pay $54.75 95. 73 90.93 80. 47 Average monthly pay, all inactive and retired__ The men in the 16- and 20-year class comprise men who have served in the active service 16 or 20 years. When they complete 14 and 10 years respectively in the Reserve they are then placed on the retired list, and receive an addition of $15.75 in the average monthly pay shown. The pay of the retired men as shown is lower than the pay of those shown in the 20-year group. This is accounted for by the fact that about 5,000 of those shown as retired do not receive the allowances of $15.75 because they have not completed 30 years' service. This group was retired because of disability and not for stipulated service. Mr. HOEPPEL. Just one more concluding remark. You may say, Why are these men receiving such low pay? That is due to the fact that many enlisted men suffered arbitrary reduction in rank following the World War-all this without prejudice-because of reduction of Army personnel and because the Army has restrictive laws preventing promtion when near retirement. As a consequence, a number of our men who are war veterans, veterans of two wars, are being retired as low as $35.44 per month. I say it is unfair that these men who have been retired in such low-pay categories should suffer this discrimination. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Now, gentlemen, we will go into executive session. (Thereupon at 11:45 a. m., Thursday, March 28, 1940, the committee went into executive session and adjourned thereafter to meet at the call of the chairman.) X |