Army cuts off pay for Alaska WW II vets. Alaska Natives get the shaft AGAIN!

[Blue_In_AK]

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/664327.html?pageNum=2&mi_pluck_action=page_nav#Comments_Container

The Army is terminating retirement credit for time served in a largely Native militia formed to guard the territory of Alaska from the threat of Japanese attack during World War II.

A state veterans officer says the change means 27 surviving members of the Alaska Territorial Guard -- most in their 80s and long retired -- will lose as much as $557 in monthly retirement pay. The pay claims of 37 others have been suspended.

The action comes almost a decade after Congress passed a law qualifying time served in the unpaid guard as active federal service. The Army agreed in 2004 to grant official military discharge certificates to members or their survivors.

Army officials did not immediately comment.

But according to Jerry Beale of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Army says the law has no provision for service credit for the volunteer guard, thus does not provide retirement pay.

[blaze]

1. wtf!! n/t

[onethatcares]

2. maybe sarah should be notified??

isn't she the one that would be backing these men?

[petronius]

5. She's mentioned in the article - I would never have guessed that I'd ever agree

with her on anything, she is at least saying the right things here... <Insert hell-freezing-over smiley>

[Ikonoklast]

3. And the hits just keep on coming...

Maybe the Dept. of the Army can cut back on paper clips and cover that cost.

[Libertyfirst]

4. Would someone please send this to the new Sec of Vet Aff ?

[petronius]

6. Considering that Alaskan territory actually was attacked, this seems

remarkably dickish - it's not like these guys holed up in the Texas ANG or somewhere.

The army may be technically correct, but there is often a difference between letter-of-the-law and doing what's right - and cutting off pay to a couple dozen 80-year-olds is not right...

[Historic NY]

7. Wait a minute they have been paying them for years & now nothing..

I guess they aren't dieing off quick enough for them.:sarcasm:

Would they not be Civil Defense Wardens or Home Guard they should have received credit for the time served. While not actually paid the credit was to be used later They techically were employees of the government paid or not if their services were accepted.