Mr. McLANE. I never compiled them on a 9 months' basis so I am not prepared to give that figure. During the early part of the testimony I referred to my earnings during the North African invasion. which were somewhat of interest to me at that particular time, and they averaged about $50 a week which would tie in, as you will recall, with Colonel Cory's figures.

Mr. MALONEY. That would be $50 a week?

Mr. MCLANE. Approximately $50 a week.
Mr. MALONEY. Plus your keep?

Mr. MCLANE. Yes.

(Someone speaks to witness.)

Mr. BRADLEY of California. Will you kindly let the witness answer his own questions? I would appreciate it if you would.

Mr. MALONEY. What else did you get besides your keep during that period?

Mr. MCLANE. You are referring to the 9 months' period I was in the merchant marine?

Mr. MALONEY. No; I am referring to all the time you were in there, what did you get in addition to the $50 a week and your keep! Did you get medical treatment?

Mr. McLANE. During that 9 months' period I did not require any medical treatment.

Mr. MALONEY. You could have had it if you needed it?

Mr. MCLANE. Yes, sir.

Mr. MALONEY. Were there any other benefits you got at that time! Mr. McLANE. Not that I recall.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. How long were you at sea as an officer afterward?

Mr. McLANE. As an officer?

Mr. BRADLEY of California. You said you went to the Maritime Academy or through the training school-you went to the maritime training school, I think you said, in February 1943 ?

Mr. McLANE. Yes, sir; that is correct.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. When did you leave?
Mr. McLANE. I graduated in June 1943.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. When did you leave that school?
Mr. McLANE. In June, 4 months later.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. And went back to sea again?

Mr. McLANE. No, sir; I was detailed-well, the first thing I did was to become

Mr. BRADLEY of California. Again I asked a question and I want to know how much time you had at sea as an officer after you left the training school?

Mr. McLANE. I don't know exactly whether you could refer to this as sea experience, or not.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. Sea experience is on board ship.
Mr. McLANE. I was aboard ship for 7 months.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. In other words, your total service in the war aboard ship was approximately 17 months?

Mr. McLANE. I believe that is correct.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. Ten months as a seaman or in an unlicensed branch, and 7 months as a licensed member of the personnel?

Mr. McLANE. That is approximately correct.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. Has anyone any more questions?
Mr. Havenner, do you wish to ask any questions?

Mr. HAVENNER. I don't think I have any questions for this witness, Mr. Chairman. I do think it would be unfortunate if the conduct of these hearings should appear to be in derogation of the service rendered by the merchant marine during the war. I have in mind particularly the questions directed to this witness which I don't think he is in a position to answer, as to the reason why the merchant marine was not made a part of the armed services or remained a civilian service.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. All he has to do then is to say he doesn't know.

Mr. HAVENNER. I think that question should be answered, if it is of importance in these hearings, by some Government official who would be able to give us competent testimony on that question.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. I have no doubt but what those questions will be asked of Government officials when they come up here. Mr. HAVENNER. Because I have in mind the impression, at least, that the reason that the merchant marine was maintained in a civilian status was not because of a desire on the part of the personnel in the merchant marine to retain that status, but because of an official determination by our Government and the policy that would be pursued during the war. I think we ought to have some competent testimony on it.

Mr. MALONEY. I understand that the officials of the Government made an offer to the merchant marine to have a military or a naval status.

Mr. HAVENNER. If that is the fact I think that ought to be made a part of the record.

Mr. MALONEY. I don't think that it was our Government that objected to it.

Mr. HAVENNER. May I go back a little bit? It is my understanding that the Merchant Marine Act which established the policy of Congress with respect to the merchant marine, was based on the premises that the merchant marine was an important arm of the national defense. I think that was the basic reason why we started it, to give Government support to the merchant marine.

Mr. MALONEY. There is no doubt in my mind about that. I think we all agree on that. We don't want to create the impression that the merchant marine was not an important part in the prosecution of the war; unquestionably it was.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. May I say, gentlemen, I am sure this will all be brought out by competent witnesses and I hope you are here to ask the questions.

Thank you very much, Mr. McLane.

Next on the list we have Mr. Nozko. Will you give your name and position and proceed with your statement? Gentlemen, will you allow

Mr. Nozko to make his statement first?

Mr. BROPHY. Mr. Chairman, may we have the witness' affiliation? Mr. BRADLEY of California. Yes. Will you give your name, affiliation, what organization you belong to?

61933-47- -5

STATEMENT OF HENRY NOZKO, NATIONAL ADJUTANT OF THE MERCHANT MARINE VETERANS' ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES

Mr. Nozko. My name is Henry Nozko. I am the national adjutant of the Merchant Marine Veterans' Association of the United States. I am in hopes that by stating my own personal experiences during the war it will be found to be true of most of the men that served in the merchant marine, excluding many of the bad eggs that we had, unfortunately.

Prior to the war I was employed as an accountant at the General Electric Co., in Lynn, Mass., with a salary of $300 a month. I was studying evenings at a night school and going to the YMCA to take a police examination for the city police in Salem, Mass., which posi tion I wanted in preference to accounting.

In 1941, I took the civil-service examination and passed and was placed No. 2 on the eligible list in that city.

In the early part of 1942 I wanted to do my duty for my country, not to earn dollars, so I went to the Army recruiting station in Salem, Mass., to enlist. There I was found to be totally color blind. Unfor tunately at that time we had radios, newspapers, magazines, Govern ment agencies, and others almost demanding men to man merchant ships.

I remember one of the slogans that got me at that particular time. It was broadcast over Station WEEI in Boston. It said, "You not only have obligation to your country, but to your merchant fleet."

That struck me, so from the Army recruiting station I went to the recruiting and manning organization in Boston, Mass. There I was given a physical examination conducted by Navy doctors. I was found to be physically fit but totally color blind.

into

One of the maritime men there told me that I could only get the merchant marine in the steward's department. I was very happy to accept that position, which I did. Three days later I was on my way to Sheepshead Bay Training Station in New York and there I started my career, partly under Navy supervision.

For 10 weeks I was enrolled at that station at $50 per month, less tax deductions. At the end of my training period I was assigned to a ship as a messman, or dishwasher.

For the next 9 months I sailed steadily with no time off whatsoever, except the usual time off that every merchant seaman gets, a day or two in every port, but by saying no time off, I mean to come home for a vacation or to stay away from my duties.

I had all foreign service and was constantly in a war zone. My earnings for the entire first year of service-by "service" I mean away from my position of accountant at the General Electric Co.-were $1,996.53. My W-2 form made out for the Government on which I showed my taxes had that figure.

Of this amount over $100 I spent for clothing; over $100 I paid taxes and over $100 for travel and incidentals during that year. My net earnings, included the enormous bonus that we hear about, were $1,696.52. In this is included a $100-a-month bonus, 5-a-day bonus in the war zones and others that I perhaps can't think of at the moment. Mr. BROPHY. How about the $125 port bonus?

Mr. Nozko. I didn't get any of those; those were port bonuses and I didn't hit any of the ports that year that were paying the port bonus of $125-oh, yes; there is a $125 bonus included in this figure which was collected on an attack that we had in Hull, England, on the S. S. Henry George, at which time I was on a 20-millimeter machine gun along with a Navy gun crew.

After this year of service I took a 26-day vacation at home which time I spent going to the different ports and trying to state my case regarding previous experience, and so on, that I could be able to serve in a capacity for which I had been trained prior to my war service.

Finally in one of the southern ports I was allowed to sit for my purser's license and somehow or other they didn't realize that I was color blind. I received my purser's license and sailed in that capacity until 6 months ago with positively no time off articles or off ship, outside of 4 months, which time I spent at Sheepshead Bay receiving my pharmacist's license. This I did after VE-day.

At the time of sailing as purser the Navy Department sent out a bulletin which I received and was greatly interested in. It said that there was a dire need for men with accounting experience and pay-roll experience to become I think that was in the supply department or pay-roll section, I am not quite sure which-which I applied for immediately thinking that perhaps my color blindness could be hidden. I took my examination at Boston, Mass. The officer in charge, realizing my great enthusiasm about the Navy, assured me that where I was physically fit, but color blind, perhaps the Navy would waive this affliction. To be sure that I could get into the Navy I wrote to Congressman Bates. I should like to incorporate this letter, if I may. I won't take up your time reading it, but the letter states I am very much

Mr. BRADLEY of California. Just pass it up and we will look it over. I am not incorporating extraneous matter unless it has some real value to the hearing.

Mr. Nozкo. What I am trying to point out is that we have men that didn't

Mr. BRADLEY of California. If it has any real reference to the hearing we will incorporate it. Go right ahead with your testimony. Mr. Nozão. The answer came from the Navy Department, which Congressman Bates forwarded to me and which the captain is now reading, that no encouragement could be given to effect a transfer due to the great need of the two services and that because I was not physically fit that couldn't be effected.

I went back to sea and sailed until 6 months ago as purser. I came home and found, when I did come home 6 months ago, that I was not eligible for police service in Salem because I was not a veteran, but a merchant mariner.

I called for a full board hearing in Boston, Mass., and was informed by that board that they were very sorry but they felt sure that something soon would be done to correct cases such as mine. They expressed their regrets.

I left that board not feeling badly and went back to my former employer, the General Electric Corp., in Lynn, Mass., and applied for my prewar position. I was told that I would be called in a week or

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two, that they would have to find a place for me. I am still waiting for a call from the General Electric Corp.

For 4 months I was unemployed. I have a family of two children. During these 4 months I have visited the employment offices in Salem. Mass., weekly. Veterans were to be given preference. Civilians came next. I do not believe that we should get what veterans got but I do think there should be some sort of a thing to take care of cases such as this, which is true of many thousands. There are still other thous ands that are bad eggs. We know it. There has been some very, very bad publicity and some bad actions on the part of the merchant mariners, we know that. We do not try to deny it.

As far as drawing a line as to where we can stop, it is a problem, but perhaps that line could be drawn to extend benefits to those who manned the guns.

That is all, gentlemen.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. I see very little in this letter which is pertinent to the hearing at all. I think you should read what parts you wish to go in. I would be very glad to have you do that, because here is a memo from the Navy Department to Mr. Bates and a letter from Mr. Bates, and they have no bearing whatever on the case. Mr. Nozão. All right, sir, thank you. I will just read a couple of

sentences.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. Yes, read the pertinent parts.
Mr. Nozão (reading):

The question of a commission in the Naval Reserve for Nozko had been discussed by this office with appropriate officers in the Bureau of Naval Personnel—

Mr. BRADLEY of California. One moment, please. Will you give the reporter a heading and tell him what that is?

Mr. Nozão. Oh, yes. This is a memo from the Honorable George J. Bates, Member of Congress, addressed to me:

The needs of the two services are such that no encouragement can be given to the application for commission in the Navy by the man in the merchant marine.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. Would you also read in a part of your letter to Mr. Bates giving your situation and experience so it will appear in the record?

Mr. Nozão (continuing):

As you know, I have been serving in the United States merchant marine as an officer in the grade of purser. I am an ensign in the United States Maritime Serv ice and have always wanted to be a part of the armed forces, especially the Navy While home on a leave it has been brought to my attention that the Navy Depart ment is asking for qualified men to serve in their pay-roll department. I am thoroughly fit with the exception of color blindness and should appreciate any thing you may do to help effect this.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. In your testimony you constantly made reference to earnings. That is the reason I bring it up

Mr. Nozкo. Yes, sir.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. You gave your earnings for the first year; as I understand it, that included your time in training, did it not! Mr. Nozкo. Yes, sir; it did.

Mr. BRADLEY of California. How many months was that?

Mr. Nozкo. 10 weeks.

Mr. BRADLEY of California.

Mr. Nozкo. Yes; 212 months.

10 weeks?