THE HISTORY OF THE RETIRED
ENLISTED ASSOCIATIONTHE HISTORY OF THE RETIRED
ENLISTED ASSOCIATION
JULY 1971 TO JULY
1972
REA is still working on Recomputation
Issue.
Official REA attire was approved at
971 Convention: gold blazer, black pants, white shirt, black tie and red overseas cap with
gold lettering.
REA members were urged to write their
Congressmen requesting the passage of the Survivor Benefit Plan. SBP passed in October of
1971.
Group Insurance Program was offered
to REA members.
Chapter 19 was formed on October 6,
1971 in Jacksonville, Florida.
The National Convention was held in
Colorado Springs, Colorado on June 25 and 26, 1971. Officers elected/appointed:
President - Tom Abbott
1st Vice - David Mosher
2nd Vice - C. E. Simmons
3rd Vice - M. M. Suskind
Chaplain- Robert McNeil
Treasurer - E. J. Grayckowski
Sgt-At-Arms- Herman Sneiderman
3-Yr. Trustee - Dean Sorell
2-Yr. Trustee - William Chambers
1-Yr. Trustee - Julius Orsak
Historian - William Rosser
Registration ($5.00 per voting
delegate). Chapters are allowed to send one delegate with three votes, provided they pay
three voting fees.
Recognition for outgoing President. A
plaque was decided on. Delegates present to pay for with donations.
The Legislative Committee spoke on:
(1) recomputation and (2) dual compensation. The present Charters from National will be
changed to read: CERTIFICATE OF AFFILIATION; and will be issued by National Headquarters.
Upon receipt of the new document of Affiliation, old Charters will be returned to
National. New Certificates will have to be recorded with the Secretary of State in which
the Chapter is located and also the county courthouse. The National Charter was still
pending in Congress, under House Bill 750, April 19, 1971 and was still in the Judiciary
Committee on legislation designed to clean up the question of audit and financial for all
nationally-charted organizations. Unfortunately this legislation did not reach the floor
of either Chamber of Congress.
New Business:
Proposed that dues be paid in month
of sign-up. Failed to carry. - Proposal by Mr. glass (Chapter 1) that a national auxiliary
be authorized with headquarters to be at the National Headquarters of REA. Motion was
seconded by Mr. Tankersley (Chapter 3) and carried.
Dues. After much discussion, the
matter of dues was left up to the Executive Committee. They decided on $2.00 per member to
National for 1971-72. The Committee will evaluate the dues requirement for 1972-1973. -
Quarterly Bulletin. A motion was made by Mr. Tankersley (Chapter 3) and seconded by Mr.
Granger (Chapter 10) to investigate the feasibility for a bulletin four times a year. The
motion was carried. - Site for 1971 Convention. A motion was made to accept Junction
City's bid. The motion was carried. - Travel expenses. Motion was made for the National
officers, a reasonable and proper figure, not to exceed $.10 per mile is changed to $.06
per mile. The motion was carried. - William Rosser (Chapter 3) was designated first
National Historian.
Standard Attire (REA): It was moved
by B. McNeil (Chapter 7 and seconded by Mr. Wilson ( Chapter 4) to adopt as standard
attire for REA, the following:
Blazer Gold - wrinkle resistant blend
of rayon and acetate. Slimming two-button single breasted style with notchel lapels; full
built up front. Rayon half-lining. Dry clean.
Slacks Black - Korotron. Permanent
press. Full cut slacks. Non- pleated style in a tropical weight blend of 65% Trilobal
Dacron polyester; 35% Avril rayon.
Shirt White - no-iron blend of 65%
polyester and 35% combed cotton. Contour body with semi-spread collar. Permanent stays.
Short sleeves.
Tie Black - 100% creased resistant
Dacron polyester, 3- 5;/8" wide and 53" long.
Shoes Black - plain toe.
Cap Red - similar to that of ACE for
the service with gold stitching on the right side that says: RETIRED ENLISTED ASSOCIATION
INCORPORATED. Home Chapter if desired.
Resolutions jointly introduced and
passed by REA (Inc.), RAFA, RMA (Florida):
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
TO THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED FORCES - HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. CONGRESS
*Recomputation: Respectfully request
that legislation be enacted to correct the inequities of the present method of computing
retired pay by restoring the system of basing retired pay on active duty rates for those
retirees who entered the service prior to June 1, 1958. As you know, until 1958, military
pay was adjusted each time the active duty pay rates were changed. We feel that the
Congress has a moral obligation to restore the system of recomputing retired pay which was
summarily taken away in that year.
TO THE COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND
CIVIL SERVICE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
The Dual Compensation Act of
1964" contains restrictions that will not allow an individual who has retired from
the U.S. Armed Forces for length of service to be considered a veteran. This inequity
allows an individual who has served only a short time in the U.S. Armed Forces to receive
full veteran's preference when a Reduction-In-Force (RIF) occurs, whereas, the military
retiree is denied his rightful veteran's preference and is relegated to a non-veteran
status classification during a Reduction-In-Force (RIF) thereby the military retiree is
terminated first, thus being penalized for having served over 20 years in the Armed Forces
in defense of his country. Yes, military retirees who, in many cases have fought in
several wars, are not considered veterans.
The delegates of The Retired Enlisted
Association, Inc. and the below listed organizations urge that legislation action be taken
to rectify this injustice to the military retirees, who through their dedication and
patriotism, served their country and must be considered VETERANS.