Brass ‘Caste’ Investigation
Seems To Have Flopped
Headquarters Alaskan Depart
ment, April 22—Speaking in the
House on April 3, Representative
Plumley of Vermont referred to
the Doolittle “Caste” Board and
presented at some length a view
point that appears to have been
unanimously overlooked or neglec
ted by writers and commentators
on the subject. Pointing out the
obvious, Mr. Plumley said:
“During the period December,
1941. through August, 1945, ap
proximately 10,400,000 served in
the Army. Of their number some
970,000 served as officers. Let’s
examine this latter figure.
“To repeat, during the period
December. 1941, through August.
1945, some 970,000 individuals
served as officers in our Army out
of a total of 10,400,000 who served
in that Army.
“Of these, 18,000 were officers
of the Regular Army—less than
one in 50.
“Of these Regular Army offi
cers, half were West Pointers—
less than one in 100. Nine thou
sand West Pointers and 18,000
Regular Army officers altogether
in an Army of more than 10 mil
lion men!
“What about the other 952,000
officers? If there’s an ‘Army caste’
it most have included them, since
there aren’t enough regulars to
count when totals are considered.
“it’s 3 sad story. The ‘caste’
about which a minority of the Cl’s
complain has been discovered af
ter all. Over 62 per cent of the
‘brass!’ All in one big lump. All
from a single source. Who are
they? Ex-enlisted men! Every one
of them!
“More privates became officers
than in all the previous wars of
our whole history, and there was
more opportunity for enlisted men
to become officers than ever be
fore in any Army—and to rise to
higher grades.
“So this is the ‘brass,’ and this
i.«* the ‘officer caste,’ and this is
the ‘officer caste system’ against
which a very/few inveigh, some
of them inspired by insidious in
fluences working under cover to
stir distrust of the best army that
ever fought a war. Do not forget
tha*'
"Had it not been for these en
l'sted men who became officers,
and for the other men who left
tl.pu homes and business or pro
fessions to enter the Army, we
cnuld not have fought a war.
“Generals Kreuger, Kenny,
Hodges, Lear. Doolittle and others
whose names stand high in the
Army record of performance all
started their Army careers as en
listed men. It is self-evident on
the basis of these facts that the
American Army is the most demo
cratic in the world.”
At about the same time, Gen.
Joseph W. Stilwell, who walked at
the head of his troops over half of
Burma and stood shoulder to
shoulder with them in jungle bat
tles, told the San Francisco Cham
I Vets’ Mail Bag j
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As a service to veterans in the
community, this newspaper will
publish a weekly column of ques
tions most frequently asked con
tact men of the Veterans Admin
istration in th s area. For more de
tailed information, veterans should
contact or write to the nearest |
Veterans Administration contact (
unit at 46 and 47 I*. O. Bldg., An
; chorage.
i -
Q.—When I was separated from
the service I entered a claim for
service connected disability which
was subsequently disallowed. How
do I get service-connected disabil
I ity allowed now?
A.—Petition the Veterans Ad
ministration at the place you file
is located to have your case re
oponed and furnish any new or
additional information you may
have on your case. Your separa
tion from the service must be
other than dishonorable and other
conditions must be met.
-,—
>
An infantry division normally'
comprises about 15,000 men,
an armored division 10,000 and
j airborne 8,000.
ber of Commerce that, “You can’t
have discipline with undue frater
nization between men and the of
ficers who have to give the orders.
“Don’t let anybody tell you,” he
continued, “the Army and Navy
are not democratic. They are.”
I - > * I ^ J x J
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DETROIT, MICH.—The first shipment of DDT to Detroit from
McKesson & Robbins, Bridgeport, Conn., is received by one of Cun
ningham Drug Stores' FrUehauf trailers as it pulls up beside an air
liner at the Detroit airport. Jack. A. Tompkins, district traffic man
ager, American Airlines, hands the first box of the shipment to C. B.
Larson, vice president of Cunnintrham’s. ^
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