Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
18558979
label
News Clippings (3)
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
18558979
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
News Clippings (3)
citationUrl
collections
Charles E. Goodell Papers
Presidential Clemency Board Subject Files
subjects
President (1974-1977 : Ford). Presidential Clemency Board. 9/16/1974-9/15/1975
Amnesty
iiifBase
thumbnailUrl
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
18558979
coverageEndDate
logicalDate
1977-10-31
month
10
year
1977
coverageStartDate
logicalDate
1974-08-01
month
8
year
1974
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
url
mediaId
1b910bb95b0d0d8c
ocrText
The original documents are located in Box 8, folder "News Clippings (3)" of the Charles E.
Goodell Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Charles Goodell donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Some items in this folder were not digitized because it contains copyrighted
materials. Please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library for access to
these materials.
Digitized from Box 8 of the Charles E. Goodell Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Vietnam Clemency 2/4/75
N°
DOUBT THE recent spate of publicity about
But until now only about four per cent of the con-
President Ford's Vietnam clemency program has
victed draft offenders, the largest category, have ap-
helped bring it to the notice of a number of the
plied for clemency. In the two other categories, men
100,000 convicted draft offenders, the 4,400 men sought
sought for draft evasion and military deserters, the re-
for draft evasion, and the 13,000 military deserters who
spective percentages stand at eight and 33.
might otherwise have failed to get the word. And to
In brief, the substance of the Ford clemency offer is
reap more of the potential benefit of that publicity, it
faulty. It has been tested in the "marketplace" and
makes sense that Mr. Ford has just extended the pro-
found wanting. Overall, the program simply does not
gram's lifetime by a month, to March 1
make it sufficiently worth a Vietnam resister's while to
take advantage of it. One apparent flaw is that draft
To regard details of publicity and deadline as the
only aspects of the program requiring attention, how-
offenders, who have already paid a substantial penalty,
may be asked to do a term of alternate service to re-
ever, is to mistake the true nature of the problem
which. by his clemency offer, Mr. Ford presumably in-
ceive a presidential pardon that still leaves the orig-
inal conriction - their mecerde
N.Y.L.J.
2/6/71
Business-Financial Notes
By Thomas W. Hart
Draft Law Material
Available on Microfilm
The general rejection of
back-file and current periodicals,
President Ford's offer of quali-
government documents, news-
fied clemency has left the legal
papers and doctoral disserta-
status of more than 100,000
tions, as well as more than
Vietnam war resisters still
110,000 out - of print books of
clouded by uncertainty.
which it reproduces single xero-
Many of those charged with
graphic copies on demand.
desertion from the armed forces,
Information may be obtained
with failure to register with
from Xerox University Micro-
Selective Service, or with re-
films, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann
fusal to appear for induction
Arbor, Mich. 48106.
have already indicated their re-
solve to seek redress from the
courts. They are likely to be
joined by thousands of others
whose cases are pending.
Lawyers on all sides of the
BLUMBERG, SINGER, ROSS, GOTTESMAN & GORDON
245 PARK AVENUE
(ORA)
NEW YORK, N.Y. 10017
U.S POSTAGE
FEB14'75
and
10
*************
NY
DOMETER
Charles E. Goodell, Esq.
1225 19th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
within the
eral leaves for London this
weekend.
at a briefing
Hollywood,
2/26/35
press sec-
Clemency Plan
was asked
Extension Sought
that Rich-
United Press International
eplace Kissin-
President Ford has been
validity to
asked to extend for an-
Nessen said.]
other 30 days his Vietnam
eaking to re-
war clemency Program,
was sworn in
which will expire Satur-
etary of State
day, White House sources
dismissed a
said yesterday.
by the Chi-
Charles Goodell, Chair-
that he be-
man of the President's
would resign
Clemency Board. met with
nd that Rich-
Mr. Ford at the White
would replace
House Monday to request
a second extension of the
quoted Brit-
deadline for war resisters
ho had inter-
and deserters to apply to
on Monday
the board, the sources
new ambassa-
said.
a
Mr. Ford made no com-
of
w
ding
mitment, a spokesman
said.
consters
The procrem originally
his
Jobs Scarce s
For Clemency
2/26/15WP Participants
Associated Press
High unemployment is com-
plicating the task of finding
jobs for participants in Presi-
dent Ford's clemency pro-
gram, Selective Service Direc-
tor Byron V. Pepitone has said
in releasing the latest figures
on the program.
Of the 4,036 men who have
reported to Selective Service
officers for alternate service,
850 are employed in public
service jobs. Most of the oth-
ers are in the 30-day period al-
lowed for job hunting, Pepi-
tone said in an interview.
However, Pepitohe said an-
other 108 have dropped out of
the program for various rea-
sons. He cited the case of a
a209
u lbylczzcqyyv WX
BULLETIN
Ford Clemency
WASHINGTON AP - President Ford announced "a final extension,'
Friday on his clemency program for Vietnam era draft evaders
and deserters until March 31.
cz1246ped Feb. 28
a210
u lbylvczzc WX
URGENT
Ford- Clemency ADD
WASHINGTON Ford- Clemency 2209 add: March 31.
The President told Clemency Board Chairman Charles Goodell that
6 there will be no further extensions' , of the program.
which was out into effect last Sentember to provide clémency for
thousands of young men who were involved in draft dodging or
desertionm
In a White House statement Ford said that "based on a further
review of the progress of this program. I believe that many of
those who have already been punished are only now learning
they are eligiblem''
MORE
cz1250ped Feb. 28
i
FORD
ERALD
8211
u lbylvv WX
URGENT
F ORD Clemency ADD
WASHINGTON Ford - Clemency 8210 add: eligible
6
This is confirmed by the large number of applications
- already exceeding 10.000 - which continue to be filed with the
Presidential Clemoncy Board. :: Ford caid.
The clemency extension Bllows for applications to be filed
until March 31 by draft evaders and military absentees
6 who have charges still pending against them and for those
who already have been punished for such offenses, " the_
Pres ident said.
Goodell scheduled a news conference for later in the day to
snall out further details of the extengionm
MORE
cz1252ped Feb. 28
so
8212
u lbylvlbyl WX
URGENT
Ford- Clemency ADD
WASHINGTON Ford- Clemency a211 add: extension.
There are three separate facets of the program, administered
separately by the Clemency Board, Pentagon and Justice Department.
The Presidential' Clemency Board said Friday it has
received about 11, 000 applications from the 120. 000 eligible
draft evaders and deserters who have been punished.
The Pentagon said 4. 856 of the 12, 500 eligible unpunished
deserters have signed un for its program. And the Justice
Department said 501 of the 6, 500 eligible unconvicted draft
dodgers have signed un for its programm
A month ago, when the first extension began- the Clemency
Board had signed up 6 962, the Pentagon 4,534 and the
Justice Department 351.
The board has sent recommendations to Ford on only 69 of the
11, 000 applications. with 24 drawing outright pardons and
45 drawing pardson conditional on a specified number of months
in public service jobs.
The board has held few meetings lately. with its members
touring the nation to try to make sure as many of those
eligible as possible know about the program
By FRANCES LEWINE
Associated Press Writer
cz1256ped Feb. 28
1204
U A
ANNESTY 2-28
URGENT
2ND DAY LD A131
BY DAVID E. ANDERSON
WASHINGTON (UPI) -- PRESIDENT FORD GAVE A ONE-MONTH "FINAL"
EXTENSION OF HIS CLEMENCY PROGRAM FOR VIETNAM MILITARY. DESERTERS AND
DRAFT EVADERS. HE SAID APPLICATIONS HAD PASSED 10,000 AND EXTENDED
THE DEADLINE TO MARCH 31.
"I BELIEVE THAT MANY OF THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN PUNISHED ARE
ONLY NOV LEARNING THEY ARE ELIGIBLE" FOR CLEMENCY, THE PRESIDENT SAID
IN A STATEMENT ON THE DAY BEFORE HIS PROGRAM WAS SCHEDULED TO
EXPIRE..
FORD, WHO EARLIER EXTENDED THE PROGRAM ON JAN. 30 TO MARCH 1, SAID
THIS WOULD BE THE "FINAL EXTENSION."
HE SAID A FRESH REVIEW OF THE PROGRAM'S PROGRESS LED HIM TO THE
CONCLUSION SOME ELIGIBLE DESERTERS WERE ONLY NOW LEARNING THEY COULD
APPLY.
"THIS IS CONFIRMED BY THE LARGE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS -- ALREADY
EXCEEDING 10,000 -- WHICH CONTINUE TO BE FILED WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL
CLEMENCY BOARD," HE SAID.
STAFF MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CLEMENCY BOARD SAID THEY WERE
TOLD THIS WAS "THE FINAL, FINAL, ABSOLUTE, ABSOLUTE EXTENSION" OF THE
PROGRAM.
SEN. PHILIP HART, D-MICH., SAID EARLIER IN THE DAY HE PLANNED TO
OFFER LEGISLATION GIVING UNIVERSAL AND UNCONDITIONAL AMNESTY TO THE
DRAFT EVADERS AND DESERTERS.
PICKUP 7TH PGH A131: HART SAID
UPI 02-28 01:08 PED
A222
R A
AMNESTY 2-28
NIGHT LD
BY DAVID E. ANDERSON
WASHINGTON (UPI) -- PRESIDENT FORD, CITING A LARGE INCREASE IN
APPLICATIONS TO HIS EARNED RE-ENTRY PROGRAM FOR VIETNAM DRAFT
RESISTERS AND MILITARY DESERTERS, FRIDAY ORDERED A FINAL EXTENSION OF
THE CONTROVERSIAL PROGRAM TO MARCH 31.
"I BELIEVE THAT MANY OF THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN PUNISHED ARE
ONLY NOW LEARNING THEY ARE ELIGIBLE," FORD SAID IN A STATEMENT.
CRITICS OF THE PROGRAM, HOWEVER, BRUSHED ASIDE FORD'S EXTENSION.
SEN. PHILIP HART, D-MICH., ANNOUNCED HE WOULD INTRODUCE A
UNIVERSAL AND UNCONDITIONAL AMNESTY BILL IN THE SENATE THAT WOULD
ELIMINATE SOME OF THE MOST CRITICIZED ELEMENTS OF FORD'S PROGRAM --
THE REQUIREMENT FOR ALTERNATE SERVICE AND THE LACK OF ACCESS TO
VETERANS BENEFITS FOR THOSE WITH LESS THAN HONORABLE MILITARY
DISCHARGES.
AT THE SAME TIME, A GROUP OF DRAFT RESISTERS, ALL OF WHOM SERVED
TIME IN FEDERAL PRISONS FOR THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE WAR, ANNOUNCED
THEY WOULD HOLD A MASS RALLY IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE SATURDAY AND
SAID A NUMBER OF THEM WOULD COMMIT CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE IN OPPOSITION
TO THE FORD PROGRAM AND THE WAR IN INDOCHINA.
CHARLES GOODELL, CHAIRMAN OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CLEMENCY BOARD WHICH
DEALS WITH THOSE ALREADY CONVICTED OF DRAFT VIOLATIONS OR AWOL
OFFENSES, SAID THE BOARD WAS "VERY, VERY PLEASED" WITH THE EXTENSION.
"THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER EXTENSION, NOR DO I_ANTICIPATE ASKING
FOR_ANY," HE SAID.
FORD'S EARNED RE-ENTRY PROGRAM, FIRST AMNOUNCED LAST SEPT. 16 AND
ORIGINALLY DUE TO EXPIRE JAN. 31, IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS: THE
CLEMENCY BOARD, WHICH HANDLES THOSE ALREADY CONVICTED OF OFFENSES,
AND WHICH HAS A POTENTIAL CLIENTEL OF ABOUT 120,000 YOUNG MEN; DRAFT
RESISTERS WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN INDICTED, WHICH INCLUDES ABOUT 4,400;
AND DESERTERS WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN CONVICTED, WHICH THE MILITARY
ESTIMATES AT BETWEEN 10,000 AND 11,000.
GOODELL SAID HIS BOARD HAD REQUESTED THE EXTENSION BECAUSE IN THE
EARLY MONTHS OF THE PROGRAM MANY POTENTIAL CLIENTS DID NOT UNDERSTAND
THEY WERE ELIGIBLE.
BUT HE SAID SINCE JAN. 6, WHEN THE BOARD BEGAN AN EXTENSIVE PUBLIC
SERVICE INFORMATION CAMPAIGN, APPLICATIONS HAD INCREASED "OVER
TEN-FOLD" TO HORE THAN 10, 000; WITH MORE THAN HAIF COMING IN
FEBRUARY.
SO FAR, HE SAID, THE BOARD HAS ACTED ON "ABOUT 250 CASES" AND OF
THOSE, 65 HAD BEEN ACTED ON BY FORD. ABOUT_11 PER CENT OF THE DRAFT
RESISTERS AND 42 PER CENT OF THE MILITARY DESERTERS HAVE APPLIED TO
THE OTHER TWO PARTS OF THE PROGRAM.
HART, IN ANNOUNCING HIS LEGISLATIVE INTENTION, SAID FORD SHOULD BE
COMMENDED "FOR TAKING THE FIRST STEP" ON THE ANNESTY ISSUE, BUT HE
SAID THE PROGRAM "HAS NOT BEEN FULLY_SUCCESSFUL."
UPI 02-28 03:27 PED
all wire stories as of 2/28 4:45pm
Washington ton
Post
3/1/75
FORD LIBRARY j VERALD
Associated Press
Charles Goodell: "There will be no further extension so of the cleméncy program.
Clemency Program Extended
As Critics Mount Opposition
By David E. Adderson
White House today and said a clients did not understand
United Press International
number of them would com-
they were eligible.
President - Ford, citing
mit civil disobedience in oppo-
But he said that since Jan.
a large increase in applications
sition to the Ford program
6, when the board began an
for his earned re-entry pro-
gram for Vietnam draft resis-
and the war in Indochina.
extensive public service infor-
ters and military deserters,
Charles Goodell, chairman
mation campaign, applications
had
tom
Metropolitan Republican Club
122 EAST 83rd STREET
NEW YORK, N.Y. 10028
BU 8-8606
April 9, 1975
8
President
MARIA E. REDO
Hon. Charles E. Goodell
1225 Nineteenth Street, N.W.
Chairman,
Washington, D.C. 20036
Executive Committee
LESTER S. KASPER
Dear Senator Goodell,
Treasurer
STODDARD D. PLATT
Thought you might be pleased to know that your
Secretary
talk at the Metropolitan Republican Club made
PEGGY MARONEY
the New York Post.
Vice-Presidents
MARY BAMBERY
I was so pleased to have had you - do plan to
CHRYSTAL W. HEGARTY
talk again with us.
GINA HOLMES
THEODORE KRULWICH
Sincerely,
CECILE LAGER
LISA RADOYEVICH
CARMEN LUCAS STEELE
Maria E. Redd
ARTHUR STEIN
LILLIAN K. TORMEY
MARK WILLNER
Maria E. Redo
President
Statistician
JOHN G. STEELE
enc.
Parliamentarian
STUART C. SLOANE
Republican Organization,
66th Assembly District
District Leaders
LAURENCE C. LEEDS, JR.
ALICE S. POWERS
State Committee
ROY M. GOODMAN
CARMEN LUCAS STEELE
Secretary
DARBY M. GAUDIA
FORD s LIBRARY
Treasurer
ALBERT F. GORDON
Chairman,
Law Committee
JACQUES L. DEBROT
n.4.Post
Goodell: 1/21/75
Clemency
Rush Is On
By WILLIAM T. SLATTERY
An expected last-minute
flood of applications for pres-
idential pardons from war
resisters will necessitate ex-
pansion of the Clemency
Board handling the cases, ac-
cording to former Sen.
Charles Goodell.
Goodell, chairman of the
presidential board, said that
more than 15,000 applications
for clemency are pending and
that several thousand more
are expected to be filed be-
fore the March 31 deadline.
He said, "I will ask the
President to expand the
board, and then we will break
the board down into three-
man panels to hear individ-
ual cases."
Goodell estimated that sev-
eral months will be needed to
process all applications.
The dramatic increase in
the number of requests for
pardons in the first three
months of the year stems
from a more widespread un-
3/21/75
3/26/75
Clemency
Program
Nears End
United Press International
One week is left of Presi-
dent Ford's twice-extended
amnesty program. Applicants
flock to his clemency board in
large numbers, but they have
virtually stopped going to the
military and the Justice De-
partment.
Eligibles have until Monday
night, March 31, to apply. Mr.
Ford has twice added a
month's extension to his origi-
nal Jan. 31 deadline. the last
time he said it was the final
extension. Officials said Mon-
day they do not expect
Charles Goodell, the clemency
board's chairman, to seek an-
other one.
There are three different
segments to Mr. Ford's pro-
gram. Each has had a differ-
ent track record.
CLEMENCY PLAN
WILL END MONDAY
Goodell Says He Expected
Better Results, but Terms
Program a Success
By NANCY HICKS
Special to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, March 27-
The final extension of President
Ford's clemency program. for
draft evaders and war resisters
will end at midnight Monday.
Only a fraction of those eligible
to participate have- applied
so far.
After months of confúsion
about the program and its
three
components, the President in
January extended the period in
which applications would be.
accepted. Most applicants have
come forward since then, ac-
cording to Charles E. Goodell,
chairman of the Clemency
Board.
The board handles applica-
Saturday, November 30, 1974
BUFFALO EVENING NEWS
As 8 Resisters Get Pardons Goodell
Hopes More Will Seek Clemency
From News Wire Services
not end the unfinished business
to privacy." Citing the same mendations could be on Mr.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 -
of clemency, but the task of
reason, Mr. Goodell said the
Ford's desk by Christmas.
Chairman Charles E. Goodell
formal forgiveness is under
men's home addresses would
of the Presidential Clemency
Mr. Goodell estimates that
way," Mr. Ford said in a Cabi-
not be disclosed.
Board hopes that many more
net Room ceremony at which
The 18 men whose cases were
8700 civilian resisters and
draft resisters and others will
he signed the pardon decrees.
decided Friday were among 85
more than 100,000 military-con-
seek executive clemency once
"I hope it marks the beginning
civilians in prison on Sept. 16
victed personnel are eligible for
they understand how it works.
of personal forgiveness in the
for draft violations. All were
clemency. To date, 770 persons,
Goodell Urges Hill to Extend
Vietnam Clemency Program
By John P. MacKenzie
able success," with the De-
lays the start of the term of
Washington Post Staff Writer
fense Department's program
alternate service. He said the
Congress should extend the
for accused deserters drawing
rule seemed unfair in View of
Vietnam clemency program
4,600 applicants and the Jus-
the scarcity of jobs.
beyond its imminent deadline,
tice Department's plan for
Goodell said he opposed on
chairman Charles Goodell said
draft law violators attracting
principle the idea of oaths of
yesterday.
578.
allegiance for those enrolling
At a news conference called
But Goodell said he expect-
in the clemency program. The
to underscore the fact that the
ed a higher turnout for the
clemency board does not re-
deadline for applications is
clemency board program, since
quire one, he noted, adding
firmly set at midnight Mon-
it involves pardons for indi-
that he did not see the neces
day, Goodell said he favored
viduals who already have been
sity for it in the Justice or
congressional approval of a
punished for draft evasion or
Pentagon programs either. He
program that would last a
desertion and thus have "noth-
said he doubted that many pq-
year or two longer.
ing to lose" by applying. The
tential applicants had been de-
Goodell emphasized that he
Justice and Defense pro-
terred by the allegiance oath
alone
3/28/75
8
C
CLEMENCY PLAN
WILL END MONDA!
Goodell Says He Expectec
Better Results, but Terms
Program a Success
By NANCY HICKS
Special to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, March 27-
The final extension of President
Ford's clemency program. for
draft evaders and war resisters
will end at midnight Monday.
Only a fraction of those eligible
to participate have applied
so far.
After months of confusion
about the program and its three
components, the President in
January extended the period in
which applications would be
accepted. Most applicants have
come forward since then, ac-
cording to Charles E. Goodell,
chairman of the Clemency
Board.
The board handles applica-
For Further 3/31/75 Amnesty
the reasons that may account for the
By Gaylord Nelson
unwillingness or inability of eligible
individuals to apply. But we do know
WASHINGTON-The time has come
that the spirit of reconciliation will be
for Congress to take further steps to
undermined if the opportunity for
heal the deep wounds inflicted on our
those individuals to receive mercy is
nation by the Vietnam war. Specifis
withdrawn.
cally, Congress should support and
extend the President's amnesty pro-
gram-which ends at midnight tonight
Congress, however, should not ex-
-for the thousands of young men
pect the President alone to continue
who evaded the draft or deserted the
to bear the burdens of the amnesty
military during the conflict.
program. Congress, after all, repeated-
The need for Congressional action
ly voted billions of dollars of public
is clear. Last September, President
funds for the war. Congress thus
Ford took the constructive step of
assumed some responsibility for the
establishing a program to provide
conduct of American policies in Viet-
amnesty for thousands of young men
nam. Congress should now accept
who, for one reason or another, felt
some responsibility for ending the
the need to refuse the draft or desert
divisiveness that the war created.
the military during the war. In creating
A bill has been introduced to
that program, the President recog-
continue the amnesty program, with
nized, as we all should, that the
certain modifications, including the
interests of society were served best
following:
when its system of justice reflected a
The Clemency Board would have
good measure of understanding and
jurisdiction over all cases of draft
mercy.
evasion and military desertion during
the war. The President's program is
now operated by four separate depart-
Already there is enough experience
ments, with the result that different
under the President's program to dem-
agencies are applying different criteria
onstrate that point. One representative
to people in similar situations.
case considered by the Clemency Board
Any individual who returns from
created by the President, for example,
a foreign country would be allowed
involved an individual who had served
to return there if any offer of clemency
valiantly with the Armv in Vietnam
was rejected. An individual should not
Goodell:
Restore,"
4/1/15
Clemency
By JOHN S. LANG
N.Y. Post Correspondent
WASHINGTON-Clemency Board chief Charles Goodell
plans to ask Congress to restore the clemency program for
Vietnam war deserters and draft evaders who want to seek
pardons and alternate service.
Because of an upsurge of appeals in the last two
-months, Goodell says he is convinced that many of those
eligible for clemency did not get word of President Ford's
program in time.
When the deadline passed at midnight last night, only
18,000 had filed appeals out of an estimated 123,000 potenti-
ally eligible.
Goodell. who is scheduled to testify on the program be-
4/2/73.Pod
Clemency
Applications
Put at 25,000
United Press International
Officials of the three phases
of President Ford's "earned
re-entry" program yesterday
estimated applications for con-
ditional clemency might reach
the 25,000 mark.
k
But they said precise fig-
ures, following a final flurry
of applications before they
were cut off by the Monday
midnight deadline would not
April 16, 1975
Dear Fred:
Thanks for your bhoughtfulness in sending me the clipping
from the Mexico City NEWS. You couldn't get away from me even in Mexico?
I hope you had a wonderful Mexican vacation. I look forward
to seeing you again soon.
With warm regard, I am
Sincerely,
Charles E. Goodell
Mr. Frederick Palmer
Chemical Bank
135 Main Street
Nyack, New York 10960
FORD is LIBRARY 978839
CHEMICALBANK
Hudson Valley, N.A.
135 Main Street, Nyack, N.Y. 10960, Tel. (914) 358-3900
Frederick Palmer
Chairman of the Board
March 27, 1975
Honorable Charles Goodell
Hydeman, Mason & Goodell
1225 19th Street N.W.
Suite 601
Washington, D.C. 20036
Dear Charlie:
I had expected to give you the enclosed clipping
this morning but was told you elected to take a
holiday in Bermuda rather than to attend the Director's
Meeting of Presidential Life Corporation. We just
returned home from a month in Mexico where we became
avid readers of THE NEWS, Mexico City, in which we
were delighted to come across your handsome picture
in the March 1st issue.
I trust all goes well with you and that we will
have the pleasure of seeing you one of these days.
Cordially,
two
FP:pgt
Enc.
4
THE NEWS, Mexico City
Saturday, March 1, 1975
Ford Extends Viet Clemency Program
WASHINGTON (AP) -
Clemency Board, who had
the Presidential Clemency
tension, but had to settle for
progran
President Ford extended his
recommended both ex-
Board at the White House.
one month. He said Friday
many <
Vietnam war clemency
tensións, told a news con-
Phone contacts may be
he still would like six
already
prográm for an extra month
ference, There will be no
made by calling 202-456-
months.
only no
Friday for the second time,
further extensions, nor do I
2110.
calling it "a final exten- anticipate asking for any.
The extension applies not
eligible.
Applications for the
military program apply to
only to the board, which
He sai
sion.'
Goodell noted that ap-
Chairman Charles E. plications to the board may
Ft. Benjamin Harrison,
processes only draft
by the 1
evaders and deserters who
Goodell of the Presidential be made by phone or mail to
Ind., telephone 317-542-3417.
plication
have been punished, but to
tinue to
Applications for the Justice
Department may contact
the programs handled by
Preside
any local U.S. attorney.
the military and the Justice
Board.'
He said that for "anybody
Department. The military
Goode
who applies after midnight
processes deserters who
about 1
March 31 it will be a sad
have not been punished and
the department processes
eligible
April Fool's Day.
siderat
Ford launched the
draft evaders who have not
This
MAGAZINE PAGE FIVE) 41
New York Post
James A. 5/2/75
Wechsler
FORGOTTEN AMERICANS
In all the Vietnamese rescue operations being sponsored
by the Administration during these post-war hours, there
has been a deadly silence about a large group of Americans
to whom the doors of our society remain coldly shut.
They are the thousands of youths still living in exile,
hiding out in our own country or languishing in prison
because, to put it bluntly, the Ford clemency program was
essentially a tragic failure.
Even while the hastily-conceived, badly-planned salvage
program for fleeing Vietnamese is heralded as proof of our
humaneness, young Americans whose consciences made
them "premature" opponents of a senseless war are un-
mentioned, unnoticed, largely unremembered except by
families and friends.
Certainly the effort to save Vietnamese whose associa-
tion with the American military operation left them vulner-
ablet o early reprisal can hardly be a matter of debate,
It may be days or weeks before we learn how many of
those evacuated were actually political targets and how
many were less worthy figures who bought their way out
in the chaotic scramble.
But there is no mystery about the identity of many of
the fugitive Americans to whom no hand is being extended.
Administration apologists will say crisply that "they
had their chance" and rejected it. The trouble is that the
terms of the Ford clemency were loaded against those
whose resistance was most clearly motivated by deep, au-
Senator
Unconditional Amnesty Idea Tugs at Ford
Formation your nia
may15 LATimes
BY J.F. terHORST
ously with the Vietnamese who fled their
have been forced out of work by hardliners
country than with America's own sons.
WASHINGTON-Thinking the unthinkable
who contend that such obs should go to hon-
The room fell silent while the President re-
orably discharged Vietnam veterans.
is an exercise for which Presidents rarely
flected, but it was obvious from the impatient
seem to find time. Yet President Ford pon-
Despite his rejection of the idea the other
LIBRARY
stirrings of key aides, including staff chief
dered an unthinkable thought for his Admin-
day, the concept of unconditional amnesty
Donald Rumsfeld and counselor Robert Hart-
istration the other day-unconditional amnes-
continues to tug at Ford
mann, that unconditional amnesty was an
FORD
ty for the young Americans who fled the
Determined to cut federal spending, he is
issue fraught with explosive politics.
country rather than serve in Vietnam.
keenly aware of the millions of dollars being
He waded only briefly, then moved on to
A senior staffer punctured the silence with
spent on his limited amnesty program and its
GERALD
the myriad of more pressing matters on his
a scornful quip. Perhaps, he suggested, the
uneven results.
agenda. But the thought remains in the back
draft evaders could be welcomed home and
Now that the war is over. his lawyer's in-
of Ford's mind, where he has thrust it for
given Medals of Honor by the President.
stincts tell him also that equity is not served
now. It will not go away.
Ford sighed and asked Rumsfeld to get on
by demanding more from the young Ameri-
The scene was a staff meeting in Ford's of-
with the rest of the day's schedule.
cans who fled Vietnam service than from the
fice last week. Assistants were pleased with
The amnesty question, nonetheless, is get-
Vietnamese who fled to save their lives—
public reaction to his earlier news conference,
ting more gingery every day, and not only for
some of whom reportedly evaded military
especially because Ford looked so "presiden-
Ford. The Presidential Clemency Board, ex-
duty in their own land.
tial." But a question had come up.
panded from 9 to 18 members by executive
As a father of three sons of draft age who
boggen - three dou consion even
Andrew
Duro 5/15/75
JAY
15
Amnesty Group Wages Drive
To Free Queens War Resister
By PAUL L. MONTGOMERY
Groups seeking unconditional get clemency if they agreed
amnesty for war resisters are
to a year of two of "alternate
mounting a campaign in behalf
service" in public-service jobs.
of a 32-year-old Queens man
About 600 men were freed
who is one of a handful of
from jails or military stockades
Americans still in jail for re-
under the program, and many
fusing to serve in Vietnam.
fugitives turned themselves in.
The draft resister, Andrew
It is believed that the only
Davis, has been in the Federal
war resisters remaining in jail
House of Detention on West
are Mr. Davis and a few others,
Street since April 10. He had
perhaps three or four, who re-
returned to the United States
fused the clemency program.
from Canada to take advantage
Mr. Davis said that pressing
of President Ford's clemency
business in Toronto prevented
program, but missed the March
him from returning to the Unit-
31 deadline. Since he had fled
ed States until after the March
the country after conviction on
31 deadline but that someone
a draft charge in 1969, he was
in the United States consulate
arrested as a fugitive and is
in Toronto had told him he
being held without bail.
would still be eligible for clem-
124,400 Men Eligible
ency if he reported late.
According to Administration
Assistant United States Attor-
figures, there were 124,400 men
ney Thomas Maher of the East-
eligible for the clemency pro-
em District of New York said
gram between the time it was
Mr. Davis did not make that
announced last Sept. 16 and
argument when he surrendered
the March 31 deadline Of
on April 10.
Haze, Heat
Partly cloudy with a
chance of thunder-
high in upper-80s. Low
tonight in the 60s. De-
The Washington Star
CAPIT
storms later today,
SPECI
tails B-4.
FRIDAY, MAY 23, 1975
Copyright © 1975
RALD
The Evening Star Newspaper Co.
Phone (202) 484-5000 CIRCULATION 484-3000 CLASSIFIED 484-6000
15%
RD
LIBRARY
Mary McGrory: But What About Case No. 32?
Dw't
By Mary McGrory
or May 5, depending on who you talk
Washington Star Staff Writer
to. But he has not signed it, or any of
Point of View
and required to report twice monthly
board panel on Feb. 8 he was advised
to his probation officer. What he and
confidentially by a board staff law-
Richard Nixon got his uncondition-
the cases the Clemency Board has
his mother hoped to do was to rent or
yer that he should be "optimistic."
al pardon from President Ford one
sent over to him. These number ei-
undergone open-heart surgery. Last
sell their house and use the money to
month to the day after he left office.
ther 301 or 889 - again depending on
July, a doctor at St. Thomas Hospital
go west for the further cardiac sur-
Late in February, he called again,
who " - -
and une told the full Board was going
The Washington Star
JOE L. ALLBRITTON, Publisher
JAMES G. BELLOWS. Editor
SIDNEY EPSTEIN, Managing Editor
TUESDAY, MAY 27, 1975
Presidential Pardon Delay
Although there is some confusion about how
various categories of applications so that a re-
many hundreds of recommendations for pardon
view could be made.
have been sent to the White House by the Cle-
It is not exactly clear why the White House
mency Board, it is perfectly clear that the
bothered to set up the Clemency Board if it in-
President is taking an uncommonly long time
tends to make its own review of individual
getting at them.
cases. In any event, it doesn't make much sense
An article in the Star on Friday by Mary
for the White House to wait until a huge stack of
McGrory detailed the hardship that a long wait
applications accumulates; certainly each appli-
for presidential action worked on one applicant
cation should stand on its own merits and should
and his family (Case No. 32, involving David
not have to lie around for months to be process-
Granger of Murray, Ky.). We won't rehash the
ed.
story here but the facts more than made the
There is a disturbing theory that Ford hasn't
case that there has been an unconscionable
signed any pardons the past five months be-
delay in processing Granger's application.
cause of his growing problems with the right
President Ford established the Clemency
wing of his party. The right-wing element, which
Board, headed by former Senator Charles Goo-
has adamantly opposed extension of amnesty or
dell, to hear applications for pardons from
clemency to Vietnam draft evaders or desert-
young men who were convicted of evading the
ers, has become increasingly critical of Ford's
draft or deserting the military rather than serve
presidency and has threatened to oppose his
in the Vietnam War. There was considerable
nomination in 1976.
Star 5/27/75
Mary McGrory
The Pardoner
in applications, generated by a mas-
Still Unkind
sive public-relations campaign,
means that more young Americans
will be given an added official oppor-
tunity to "twist slowly, slowly in the
On Amnesty
wind" while Gerald Ford ponders the
precise moment he can safely pick up
his pen again.
By Mary McGrory
Washington Star Staff Writer
IT SHOULD BE pointed out, how-
ever, that the President is being
The Presidential Clemency Board,
equally niggardly with those who
which was set up to judge those men
fought the war. Moving with uncom-
who have already been punished for
mon alacrity, he declared, as Saigon
fleeing the draft or the military, has
was falling, that the GI education bill
disposed of exactly 65 cases of the
would be ended as of June 30.
19,000 it has taken on.
Vietnam veterans have few
The American Civil Liberties
friends. The unpopularity of the war
Union, the program's most vigorous
has rubbed off on them. A few con-
organized critic, has calculated that
gressmen, mindful that the GI Bill
at its present rate, the board will fin-
made them what they are today,
ish its task in the year 2,150.
have tried to extend or at least
But that's the way it's going to go
equalize the benefits of the Vietnam
with Gerald Ford in the White House.
GI bill, so far with little success.
Amnesty has always been a bad word
The veterans are either ambivalent
to the pardoner of Richard Nixon.
or ashamed about having got caught
None dares mention it in the presence
in the great national mistake, and
of the hard-nosed "victor" of Maya-
have failed to organize a lobby. They
guez.
can't afford to, for one, since so
The Clemency Board has passed on
many of them were poor and unedu-
900 cases. The files of 835 have been
cated. They are not a force Congress
gathering dust on the desk of presi-
or presidential budget-cutters must
dential counsel, Philip A. Buchen,
reckon with.
sinced Dec. 31, when the President
Amnesty has even fewer advo-
signed the last of the 65.
cates. Sen. Philip Hart, D-Mich. and
Rep. Bella Abzug, D-N.Y. have both
THE APPLICANTS have apparent-
introduced bills for near-unčondition-
ly not "suffered enough" - the
al amnesty. But since Mayaguez
standard applied in granting uncon-
proved the box-office appeal of the
ditional amnesty to Gerald Ford's
Green Bay Packers approach to
predecessor as commander in
international affairs. little hope is at-
LEGLESS CLEMENCY BOARD MEMBER
Gen. Puller's Son Aids War Resisters
BY RUDY ABRAMSON
decision, or theirs, he does not seem
beginning to tear the country apart,
Times Staff Writer
to be anymore.
and thousands of his contemporaries
WASHINGTON-Before he joined
When Puller received his 1-A draft
were refusing to go.
the Marine Corps, won the gold bars
classification in 1967. the war was
But going was natural for Puller.
of a second lieutenant and lost both
He is the only son of the late Lt.
of his legs to a land mine outside Da
Gen. Lewis B. (Chesty) Puller. the
Nang, Lewis Puller Jr. had never
FEATURE INDEX
only marine ever to win five Navy
questioned the rightfulness of the
Crosses for gallantry, a warrior who
U.S. war in Vietnam.
served the corps 37 years, 27 of them
ASTROLOGY. Part 2, Page 3.
overseas or at sea.
"It never occurred to me to doubt,"
BOOK REVIEW. View, Page 5.
he said. "It seemed to me that our
BRIDGE. View, Page 2.
The son had never planned a mili-
country had never been wrong in the
CLASSIFIED. Part 5, Pages 1-16.
tary career. No matter what he did
past."
COMICS. View, Page 15.
in uniform, he knew that he would
CROSSWORD. Part 5, Page 16.
always be known as Chesty Puller's
837-9486
as
ERIE
COUNTY
REPUBLICAN
ROBERT C. LILIENTHAL
COMMITTEE
COMMITTEEMAN
UNIVERSITY, DISTRICT 49
575 Ellicott Sq. Bldg.
Buffalo, N.Y. 14203
856-8700
Buffalo Courier-Exp
Draft Cases Hung 6/30/75 Up
By TERENCE P. McELROY
of the date of the indictment,
Unfortunately, a charge of
in
Today, more than two years
Arcara said. And that require-
draft evasion presents little op-
ju
after the U.S. military with-
ment has been satisfied, he
drawal from Southeast Asia,
maintained.
portunity to negotiate a deal.
some 24 months since the last
What has delayed the prose-
Unlike accepting a guilty plea
American was drafted and near-
cution of these cases is the
to a charge of petit larceny
TI
ly 90 days since the expiration
burgeoning caseload in the dis-
when the actual offense was
in
date of the clemency program,
trict.
grand larceny, there is no room
por
an even 100 area draft evaders
Literally thousands of cases,
for compromise on a draft
in
are still under indictment.
both criminal and civil, are
evasion charge.
Tagged on job applications,
pending in the courts. And it
Reason for Delays
loan applications, work records
would be unrealistic to believe
and the like as facing criminal
that all can be tried by the
So unless a defendant pleads
charges, many of these young
three federal Judges assigned to
guilty to the Selective Service
men are facing indictments
the district. For this reason,
indictment, he must be tried,
which date back to 1972.
scores of civil cases are settled
and the widespread refusal to
And the prospect that the
out of court, and prosecutors
do so has forced the cases on
cases will be resolved quickly is
engage in the business of "plea
the court.
not good.
bargaining" allowing a defend-
Federal Judge John T. Curtin,
Court records indicate that the
ant to plead guilty to a lesser
chief judge in the district and
last selective service case to go
offense.
therefore responsible for assign-
to trial in the Western Dist. of
New York was in January 1973
in Rochester. The last draft
evasion case tried in Buffalo was
in December 1971.
'Gas' Spill Contained
Numerous Selective Service
A rupture in an eight-inch line
river and the refinery's tanks,
cases have been resolved
caused a 15,000-gallon gasoline
through guilty pleas, U.S. Atty.
ruptured near River Rd. and
spill at the Sun Oil Co. refinery,
Richard J. Arcara reports. Yet
the gasoline flowed into a gully.
3755 River Rd., Town of Tona-
he concedes that an evader who
wanda, Sunday.
Gully Contains Gas
wishes to absolve himself of
"The spill was all contained
wrongdoing is forced to wait.
The gully, officials said, con
and none of it got into the Niag-
"Look, we've been ready to
tained the gas and it did not
try these cases for a long time,"
ara River," a company spokes-
seep into the river or across the
the prosecutor said.
man said on Sunday afternoon.
road. Fire companies were sent
We are in the process of pump-
to the scene to lay a covering
Ready in 6 Months
ng it back and are pretty sure
of foam over the gas as a pre-
The defendant's right to
we will reclaim most of it."
caution, and police said River
speedy trial merely requires
Town police said the spill oc-
Rd, was closed for a short time
that the government be ready
curred at about 3:15 a.m. when
about 4 p.m. to facilitate the fire
to proceed within six months
the line, between a tanker on the
fighters' efforts.
Charlie,
Mill continue to
keep you putel Bob
Now
Limite
Onn
I
JULY 2. 1975 Army Times
Panel Denies Call
For Total Amnesty
By DON HIRST
grettable" and "a travesty," it
By a Times Staff Writer
also said that such a move
should include everyone who
WASHINGTON - Reports that
had deserted or evaded the draft
the head of the Presidential Cle-
during the Korean war and
mency Board has been urging
those who received bad dis
President Ford to grant "general
charges or civil convictions dur-
and total amnesty" for Vietnam-
ing "other wars."
era deserters and draft evaders
"Let it be said that in the fu-
are "totally wrong," board offi-
ture a man can choose his war,"
cials say.
the were said. "Then try to de-
The charge was raised in a
fend this glorious nation!"
telegram sent to Ford by John J.
$.mm"
Store
MARY McGRORY: How Much Suffering Is Enough for Andrew Davis?
The Clemency Board held its first
Under the television lights, his law-
like an invitation to come home:
since he was a convicted evader, he
mally applied to the board. As a
vened the hearing, and while
public hearing last week. The case of
yer, animated, bearded, 66-year-old
could go back when he wanted.
prisoner, he could not. But the board
everybody present looked at the
"You are eligible for diversion to
Andrew Davis, a 32-year-old black
Conrad Lynn (author of How to Avoid
He finished his caseload, and on
gathered itself up, appealed to the
floor, she spoke.
the Draft) reviewed the facts. Davis
an alternate service pregram. Should
social worker from Queens who was
April 10 - just ten days after the
Justice Department, took temporary
refused induction on "political, eco-
you agree to undertake acceptable
deadline had expired he went
jurisdiction and got Davis a furlough
Rosalie Stewart, barely audible,
convicted for draft refusal in 1968,
alternative service as an acknowl-
was good for them and bad for them.
nomic and sociological grounds." He
home to Queens. After talking with
from prison.
said she did not feel her son was a
edgment of your allegiance to the
criminal. She felt he had "suffered
Davis' plight he had been misin-
had been drafted by an all-white
his mother, he presented himself to
U.S., this office will refrain from
He was nattuy aressea in a stitch-
formed by an American official in
board in a 90 percent black neighbor-
the U.S. attorney's office in Brook-
enough." She had "suffered enough,"
presecution.
ed brown suit and platforms. He an-
too, she thought. She used that reaso-
Canada, turned himself in after the
hood. He had no quarrel with the
lyn. They didn't know about any tele-
'We suggest," the letter went on
swered the board members' ques-
deadline and was promptly jailed -
phone call to the consulate. They put
nant phrase from the Nixon pardon
Vietnamese.
and this cenveys the true flaver of
. . 41.
tions articulately, gravely. Louise
announcement four times. It embar-
CEG
STATEMENT OF DEFENSE
(coputo
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
RT)
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301
AMERICA UNITED STATES OF
at
8 August 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR Mr. Charles E. Goodell
Chairman, Presidential
Clemency Board
The White House
THRU: Captain Leland S. Kollmorgen, USN
Military Assistant to the President Z
The attached clippings represent a time period of over a month. It
would appear that it may be time to discontinue forwarding them. Please
advise.
timeth Kenneth R. Bailey Baily
Colonel, USA
Military Assistant
Attachment
FORD i LIBRARY GERALD
AMERICAN REVOLUTION 1776-1976 WESTENNING
League's Head Calls for Total Amnesty
By PAUL DELANEY
also unveiled the Urban
comes would get the income
Special to The New York Times
League's proposal for a new
assistance they need, but for
ATLANTA, July 27-Vernon
national welfare program. He
which they do not qualify under
E. Jordan Jr., executive direc-
called for a credit income tax,
the present system.
tor of the National Urban
"No means tests, no work
which is a version of the neg-
League and a member of the
requirements, no coercive local
ative income tax. He described
Presidential clemency board,
regulations or other stigmatiz-
broke with the Ford Adminis-
the tax as "a pro-work, pro-
ing elements would be part of
tration today and urged total
family, pro-dignity proposal
the system. Payments are au-
amnesty for Vietnam veterans.
for a humane, responsible so-
tomatic, through the tax sys-
Mr. Jordan's position was
ciety."
tem, and would be a matter of
disclosed in remarks he had
Under the proposal, all per-
right." The present system, he
prepared for delivery tonight
sons would receive a basic
said, takes more from the pock-
in his keynote speech at the
annual grant, or tax credit.
ets of moderate income working
65th annual convention of the
Persons above a certain in-
people than it does from the
league.
come would lose the grant
rich."
The nine-member board was
through taxation, and those be-
Mr. Jordan also criticized the
established by President Ford
low a designated income would
statistics released by the De.
last September to review the
keep all or part of the grant.
partment of Labor on unem-
cases of those already convict-
"Families who are above the
league had found a jobless rate
ed or punished for military de-
poverty level but below the
of 15 per cent rather than the
sertion or draft evasion.
level at which the grant is
9 per cent reported by the
Mr. Jordan said that he had
taxed away would benefit be-
Government, with 3 million
been troubled by the
cause a portion of their grant
blacks and 12 million whites
Part II-Main Edition--23 July 1975
EDITORIALS
LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER 23 July 1975
18 July 1975 (23)
Is this new cruiser necessary?
Isn't it time
President Ford has reportedly over-
been lobbying for the ship. has his
for a new look
ruled senior officials in the Pentagon
way, this country will eventually
as well as his own budget office in his
build a fleet of 18 to 24 of them. Sim-
request for a nuclear-powered
ple multiplication, without consider-
ing the usual cost overruns, brings a
at amnestv?
cruiser. That is, of course, his right,
total of $21.6 billion to $28:8 billion.
but the request is nevertheless ques-
Does the "fiscal discipline" Mr. Ford
tionable on a number of grounds.
has been calling for apply only to the
A PRESIDENT husy wooing GOP con-
It is questionable on the matter of
civilian side of the budget?
servatives who might entertain Reaganesque
fancies about preventing his nomination can
necd. Does the Navy, which already
The request, which was not made
hardiy be expected to suggest now that Viet-
has a flcet of nuclear-powered sub-
until late June, is also questionable
nam war resisters and deserters be offered
marines. need this nuclear-powered
on grounds of procedure. Sen. Ed-
the same compassion he showed his pre-
surface vessel? If so, for what kind of
mund S. Muskie, chairman of the Sen-
decessor. But his conditional amnesty pro-
missions? Would the Navy, now seek-
ate Budget Committee, says the Pres-
gram, which expired three months ago, didn't
ing to add 100 ships to the 500-vessel
ident is encouraging a departure from
work. So Congress, which could use a display
fleet, be better off with a larger num-
the "sound budgetary practice" en,-
of leadership for a change, should revive an
ber of less expensive vessels?
visaged by the 1974 budget act - that
issue too important to ignore.
The request is questionable on the
is, that programs be requested far
Senators Gaylord Nelson and Jacob Javits
matter of cost. Mr. Ford has asked for!
enough in advance to give Congress
this month asked President Ford to reopen the
conditional amnesty program and filed a bill
only $60 million to be added to the
time to scrutinize them with care.
in renew it. Now. in an article in The Washing-
$25 billion military procurement bill
Congress should take the time now
ton Star. former Congressman Brooks Hays of
now in Senate-House conference com-
We say the request is questionable
Arkansas (also a former head of the Southern
mittee, but that is only the down-
but we do not pretend to have all the
Baptist Convention), proposes nothing less
payment on a vessel estimated to cost
answers. These are for Congress to
than a general amnesty. Recalling the parable
$1.2-billion.
obtain. and to do before committing
LIB
WASHINGTON STAR
FORD
20 July 1975
R.
EMATO
MARY McGRORY: How Much Suffering
Is Enough for Andrew Davis?
The Clemency Board held its first
Under the television lights, his law-
like an invitation to come home:
public hearing last week. The case of
yer, animated, bearded, 66-year-old
"You are eligible for diversion to
Andrew Davis, a 32-year-old black
Conrad Lynn (author of How to Avoid
an alternate service program. Should
social worker from Queens who was
the Draft) reviewed the facts. Davis
you agree to undertake acceptable
convicted for draft refusal in 1968,
refused induction on "political, eco-
alternative service as an acknowl-
was good for them and bad for them.
nomic and sociological grounds." He
edgment of your allegiance to the
Davis' plight - he had been misin-
had been drafted by an all-white
U.S., this office will refrain from
formed by an American official in
board in a 90 percent black neighbor-
Canada. turned himself in after the
hood. He had no quarrel with the
prosecution.
We suggest " the letter went on
Weekend Edition -- 6 July 1975
WASHINGTON STAR 6 JULY 1975
Now's the time for a general amnesty-
'forgiving and forgetting'
the resisters might be given an opportuni-
ty, for an unprescribed period, to render
national public service in agencies such as
A general amnesty, not a case-by-case
the Peace Corps, but not as a condition for
By Brooks Hays
analysis, is what is needed to restore the
their return. A special procedure, under
conscientious objectors to their families
the supervision of an appropriate federal
and homeland. Congress and the President
agency, should be established for this type
Now that the disappointing results of
should be willing to make possible full
of voluntary alternative service. The dis-
President Ford's "amnesty" plan are
opportunity for restoration to normal life
tinction between the President's program
known, it is apparent that the problem re-
in the United States, with provision for
and this plan is that the first is mandatory
mains with us. The President's plan, pro-
voluntary, but not mandatory, alternative
and the latter would be voluntary.
duced by his sincere concern for the thou-
service.
Such a policy would preserve the gov-
sands of expatriates, was not in reality an
To be blind to the elements of conscience
ernment's legal and moral position in deal-
amnesty, and if there is to be progress in
in this situation would be contrary to
ing with constituents and the problems of
restoring the resisters to their homeland,
American traditions. At the threshold of
war and peace. It also would grant to the
amnesty in the historic sense must be
the soul the powers of government should
"men of conscience" on the issue of Viet-
granted.
pause. It is apparent that the resisters'
nam an opportunity to prove that they
In the light of the failure of the Execu-
consciences were not dull and insensitive,
acted not in fear or weakness, but with a
tive plan. Congress becomes the forum for
since their moral position bighlighted the
willingness to "pay the price of disobedi-
PHILADE HIA
INQUIRER
6 JULY 1975(7)
Amnesty
Bill Inches
Forward
Bv DAVID HESS
Inquirer Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - An amnesty bill
that would clean the slates of about
120,000 draft evaders, AWOLS, de-
serters and servicemen who shunned
combat on moral grounds is inching
its way through a House subcommit-
tee.
Sponsored by Reps. Robert Kasten-
meier (D., Wis.), John F. Seiberling
(D., Ohio) and about 16 other liberal
Democrats, the bill would grant a
general amnesty to all eligible per-
sons whose violations occurred be-
tween Jan. 1, 1961 and May 1, 1975 -
the Vietnam era.
Kastenmèier's Subcommittee on
Counts, Civil Liberties and the Ad-
ministration of Justice is drafting a
final version of the bill and should re-
port it to the full Judiciary Commit-
tee by the end of July, a committee
spokesman said.
While it is expected to squeeze
through the subcommittee, one House
staffer said, its chances of surviving
even the full committee are rather
dim at this point.
Nevertheles's the bill's
ARMY MAGAZINE
JULY 1975 (10)
Clemency Program
Draws Back Half
Of Army Eligibles
More than half of the Army de-
serters eligible for clemency returned
by the 31 March deadline, according
to Department of the Army.
Army returnees totaled 4,263, or
54 percent of those listed as deserters.
The Marine Corps had the highest
percentage of returnees, 987, or 65
percent, while the Navy had 205 re-
turnees (33 percent) and the Air
Force, 46 (30 percent).
About ten percent of those returning
to the Army came from outside of the
United States. Most, 330, had been
in Canada, while 41 came from
Sweden, 23 from Mexico, 17 from
Germany and 60 from other places.
Fifty-nine percent cited personal,
AIR FORCE TIMES
25 June 1975
Clemency Board
Nearing Wrap-Up
By a Times Staff Writer
15, clearing the way for Presi-
WASHINGTON - The Presi-
dent Ford to dispose of the
dential Clemency Board expects
cases.
to wrap up its review of more
The board, an 18-member advi-
than 18,000 applications for
sory group, has been meeting six
clemency from convicted draft
days a week in split panels to
evaders and deserters by Sept.
handle the thousands of applica-
tions from Vietnam-era
deserters and draft dodgers.
To date the President has
acted on only 145 cases.
The board recommends either
(1) unconditional pardon or (2)
pardon in exchange for a period
of alternate-duty service per-
formed by the applicant
NYTIMES
22 June 1975
Clemency Program Lags
After9 Months of Work
By JAMES T. WOOTEN
Special to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, June 20- young Americans who were
When President Ford offered
eligible.
conditional clemency last Sep-
Nine months later, the Presi-
tember to convicted draft re-
dent has acted on 165 applica-
sisters and military absentees
tions, and as of this week, 11
of the Vietnam War era, he
men were working at "alter-
called it "a national commit-
nate service" jobs required as
ment to justice and mercy" for
a condition of his pardon.
the estimated total of 120,000
While these figures apply to
only one of three components
in the clemency apparatus,
they help reflect the program's
over-all lack of appeal to those
who resisted conscription or
The Tiller family, two of whose sons fled the Vietnam
to Levittown, N.Y., to escape
draft and still live in Canada, moved from Dante, Va.,
son, not shown in photo, chose
Open to Discussion
be allon
now, wi
the Vie
freely. I
tional a
Will We Ever Solve
To o
tional a
ency, 1
of
the Amnesty Problem?
Argues commit ought bunch making the let
erans (
t
can me
we
by George Michaelson
died, as
WASHINGTON, D.C.
raised, in Congress and elsewhere, is
ometime next month the Presiden-
S
what should be done about it.
tial Clemency Board expects to
Should these men be told, "Too bad,
complete its remaining batch of
it's too late"? Should the program of
Vietnam amnesty cases, and close
conditional, earned reentry (which calls
up shop.
for, among other things, up to 24
"All in all, the President's program
months of alternate, civilian service to
allowing for 'earned reentry' has been
the country) be reopened? Or, is a
a mixed success," says Charles E.
blanket, unconditional amnesty the
Goodell, the former New York Senator
answer?
who heads the board. "Only 23,000
applied, but I personally feel we have
Won't compromise
gone some distance towards easing the
To one mother, at least, the answer is
discord in this country caused by the
painfully clear. Says Mrs. Virginia Jones,
Vietnam war."
whose son is one of several thousand
Ce PARADE AUGUST 10, 1975
Goodell may be right, but the fact
fugitives who are still in Canada: "I just
remains that of the 124,000 men cov-
can't accept that my son has to go on
ered by President Ford's program, more
living in exile. He's been away for five
than 100,000 have yet to ask for clem-
years, and God knows, he's paid his
ency. And the question now being
price for refusing the draft. He should
Charles
ency p
50% of Applicants
Pardoned Thus Far
By Clemency Board
$13
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (AP)
-The Presidential Clemency
Board said today that it had
granted about 6,000 uncondi-
tional pardons to persons who
received punitive military dis-
charges or were convicted of
desertion or draft evasion in
the Vietnam war era.
The figure represents about
half of the 12,000 cases the
board has acted on to date.
A backlog of more than 4,000
cases remains to be processed,
a task that the board chairman
Charles E. Goodell, said he ex-
pected to be completed when
the board expires by law on
Sept. 15.
Those who did not receive
pardons were granted pardons
conditioned on work in public
service jobs ranging from three
to 12 months, Mr. Goodell said.
A few were required to work
more than a year, he added.
The board turned down about
7Q0 persons for any degree
of clemency.
About 21,000 persons applied
to the board, but the number
was reduced to between 15,000
and 16,G00 because many were
found to be ineligible. These
included some who committed
offenses in World War I and
FOR
BUFFALO COURIER-EXPRESS, Sunday, August 17, 1975
Clemency Program Success
GERA
A
For Applicants, Goodell Says
Courier-Express Washington Bureau
alternative service re-
WASHINGTON - Charles E.
quirement."
Goodell, chairman of the
The bulk of the cases his
Presidential Clemency Board,
panel handled were undesirable
described the clemency pro-
discharges. If the person is
gram as "extremely suc-
back home, married and has a
cessful" for the nearly 16,000
job, he probably-decided not to
people who took advantage of it.
bother with the clemency
But the failure of another
100,000 eligible persons to apply
board, Goodell added.
for the program was a major
Overall, he said about 16,000
disappointment to him, he said.
persons applied to the board,
To Resume Law Practice
and about 12,000 cases have
In an interview with The
been acted on so far. Of these,
6,000 were granted un-
Courier-Express, the former
conditional pardons.
New York State senator said he
By comparison, the Defense
will return to private law prac-
Dept. clemency program at-
tice when the board expires on
Sept. 16.
Charles E. Goodell
tracted about half of its 12,000
eligibles. These were all
"I plan to go back to prac-
mixed reactions
fugitives, who deserted and
ticing law fulltime," he said. "I
"It's unfortunate that
knew the military was looking
The Washington Star
August 19, 1975
(page A-3)
Mary
McGrory
U.S. Agencies Snooping
At Clemency Files
FORD & LIBRARY 034870
As of yesterday, a Marine in mufti
has been posted at a table barring ac-
cess to the confidential files of the
records room of the Presidential Cle-
mency Board.
It's too late, according to some of
the people who work there.
Despite a presidential promise,
written into federal regulations and
instructions to the staff, that appli-
cants will have full privacy and
protection from other agencies,
representativesof the FBI, the Defense
Intelligence Agency and the Office of
Naval Intelligence, have inspected
the records - "looking," as one
source put it, "for fugitives and new
addresses.'
Applicants who went AWOL after
March 28, the deadline for clemency,
are obviously vulnerable."
The attorneys and legal interns
who have informed the press of the
practice insist on anonymity. Some
receive government aid for, law
school, some are still presenting
cases of Vietnam deserters and draft
A8
Sunday, August 24, 1975 THE WASHINGTON POST
They Escape Punishment and Assigned Jobs
Two-Thirds Are Out of Clemeny Plan
By Jerry T. Baulch
and denied pardons to about
partment of Defense portion
One soldier who served in
Associated Press
700.
of the program and 10 under
Vietnam is working as a "jack
Two-thirds of the deserters
Only 130 men processed by
the board have reported for
the Department of Justice por-
of all trades" in a rest home.
who joined President Ford's
clemency job program have
jobs because most of the 6,000
tion have completed job as-
"He enjoys his work and plans
dropped out, been kicked out,
so designated are awaiting
signments. The work periods
to remain on the job after his
or been processed out by the
concurrence by the President
average 20 months.
service is finished," a Selec-
military without reporting for
or are within the 30-day dead-
The Selective Service, in giv-
tive Service report said. "This
jobs and will escape punish-
line for reporting. Seven have
ing examples of men who have
man has only a seventh-grade
ment without completing their
completed their job assign-
benefitted from the program,
education and has had trouble
assigned work.
ments.
said it could not give names in
getting and keeping jobs."
Board Chairman Charles E.
order to protect individual pri-
A man in New York State, a
Of 4,503 deserters who
Goodell said "it is too early to
vacy. Most are wounded, deco-
wounded veteran, works with
joined the program, 2,035 have
tell" how many who signed
rated Vietnam veterans.
mentally retarded children
dropped out or been kicked
with the board intend to per-
One is a former Marine in a
"and is considering taking fur-
out, the Selective Service says.
form jobs, although all agreed
southern state who started the
ther training so as to be better
About 1,000 men processed out
to do so when they applied.
program as a jailer's assistant
by the military never reported
equipped to help his wards
The Justice Department por-
and fit in so well he was sent
even more," the report said.
for jobs, the Defense Depart-
tion of the program has a low
to school on his own time and
Another Army veteran is
ment says.
dropout rate-19 of 722. Those
is now a sheriff's deputy.
The deserters are no longer
working in an East Coast city
who don't complete their jobs
Another veteran served as a
as a rodent and insect control
under military control because
can be prosecuted for draft
food service worker in a state
inspector for the health de-
they were given discharges,
evasion. Some of the dropouts
hospital in the West. His su-
and this will enable them to
partment. His supervisor
have fled the country to avoid
escape punishment for deser-
pervisor wrote the Selective
hopes to keep him after his
prosecution.
Service that he wanted more
tion without completing the
term is up, the Selective Serv-
So far, 52 persons in the De-
employees like him.
ice said.
work they were assigned un-
der the program.
About 7,000 deserters never
tried to get into the program
The Washington Star
August Cb, 1975
(page A-3)
R.FO
Mary
GERALD
McGrory
Convict Clemency Plan:
No Justice, No Mercy
By Mary McGrory
Washington Star Staff Writer
You may remember the "body
count," that infamous concept which
dominated the fighting of the Viet-
nam War. It has figured also in the
so-called Clemency Program which
President Ford devised to provide
"not just justice, but mercy" for
those who fled it.
The program which he announced
on the eve of the Nixon pardon, with
the hope of mollifying the left without
inflaming the right, was, three
months after its inception, well on its
way to becoming his greatest fiasco
since the "WIN" campaign.
The most the Clemency Board at-
tracted of its potential clientele was
18 percent. In the beginning, it was
boycotted. In an attempt to up the
numbers and give the affair some
semblance of plausibility Clemency
MINIMENT OF DEFENSE DE FENSE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301
UNITED STATES of SMIRICA
at
27 August 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR Mr. Charles E. Goodell
Chairman, Presidential
Clemency Board
The White House
THRU: Captain Leland S. Kollhorgen, USN
Military Assistant to the President
The attached is forwarded per your request.
KNS
Kenneth R. Bailey
Colonel, USA
Military Assistant
Attachment
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
1776-1976
Weekend Edition -- 10 August 1975
WASHINGTON POST (POTOMAC) 10 AUGUST 1975
Open to Discussion
ditional" amnesty prog
a punishment, and they
of it. Says John Colhou
who has lived in Toro
Will We Ever Solve
"If the Vietnam war w
the U.S. had no busin
why should we have
come back like crimin
wrong, and wind up
to some menial job?"
the Ammesty Problem?
Thus, when the dea
ency applications pas
of March, fewer than
those eligible had act
for those who did app
by George Michaelson
cent who were asked
service, most have ref
jobs offered them. (7
WASHINGTON, D.C.
making an utter mockery of those who
has been reluctant to
ometime next month the Presiden-
S
died, and everything they stood for."
men who, in effect, h
tial Clemency Board expects to
It was in an effort to strike some bal-
of the program.)
complete its remaining batch of
ance between these two positions, that
With this the scorec
Vietnam amnesty cases, and close
President Ford last September instituted
a year after President
up shop.
his clemency program-designed, in his
proposal for "bindir
"All in all, the President's program
words, to "reject amnesty, and reject
wounds," the questio
anowing for 'earned reentry' has been
revenge."
do we go from here? I
a mixed success," says Charles E.
The plan, administered by a specially
the only way of bring
Goodell, the former New York Senator
appointed Presidential Clemency
back into the America
who heads the board. "Only 23,000
Board, as well as the Justice and De-
now an unconditional
applied, but I personally feel we have
fense Departments, was aimed at pro-
the government declar
gone some distance towards easing the
viding clemency for draft evaders
A knotty question,
discord in this country caused by the
(13,000), and deserters still officially at
opponents of such a
Vietnam war."
large (10,000); most of these men were
out, we never have ha
Goodell may be right, but the fact
either living abroad, principally in Can-
nesty after any of ou
remains that of the 124,000 men cov-
ada, or underground in the U.S.
should there be one
ered by President Ford's program, more
Plan outline
answer amnesty advod
than 100,000 have yet to ask for clem-
the Civil War, never ha
ency. And the question now being
It also included 101,000 veterans who
more division in the C
raised in and elsewhere is
had already been released from the
resisters: and only.
WASHINGTON STAR 24 AUGUST 1975 (25) Pg.2
Many Escaping
Work Obligation
After Amnesty
By Jerry T. Baulch
gram, 2,879 have taken
Associated Press
jobs.
Two-thirds of the desert-
Unpunished deserters
ers who joined President
were handled by the De-
Ford's clemency job pro-
fense Department; unpun-
gram have dropped out,
ished draft evaders by the
been kicked out, or process-
Justice Department. Both
ed out by the military with-
of these parts of the pro-
out reporting for jobs, and
gram have been completed.
But men convicted of draft
will escape punishment
without completing their
evasion or being punished
for desertion are handled
assigned work.
by the Presidential Cle-
Almost half of the 4,503
deserters who joined the
mency Board, and its part
of the program is still
program, or 2,035 men,
unfinished.
have either dropped out or
been kicked out, the Selec-
OF ALL THREE parts of
tive Service says. The De-
the program, the Clemency
fense Department says an
Board has had the most
additional 1,000 men proc-
applicants - 21,000 in all. It
essed out by the military
has until Sept. 15 to com-
never reported for jobs at
plete its work. So far it has
all.
found nearly 6,000 appli-
The 2,035 dropouts and
cants ineligible, recom-
kick-outs and the 1,000 no-
mended outright pardons
shows are no longer under
for about 6,000 others,
military control because
recommended pardons
they were given dis-
conditioned on work period
charges, and this will en-
for about 6,000 more, and
able them to escape punish-
denied pardons to about 700.
ment for desertion without
Only 130 processed by the
completing the work they
board have reported for
were assigned under the
jobs, because most of the
program.
6,000 so designated by the
An additional 7,000
board are still awaiting
deserters never tried to get
concurrence by the Presi-
into the program. These
dent or are still within the
constitute many of those
30-day deadline for report-
who fled the country and
ing after Ford acts. Seven
still could be punished if
have completed their job
apprehended.
assignments.
Board Chairman Charles
SELECTIVE Service
E. Goodell says "it is too
officials, in response to As-
early to tell" how many
sociated Press inquiries,
who signed up with the
coid the 2,025
board intend to perform
OTIS CHANDLER, Publisher
Clos Angeles Times
ROBERT D. NELSON
Executive Vice President and General Manager
HARRISON GRAY OTIS. 1882-1917
WILLIAM F. THOMAS
Executive Vice President and Editor
HARRY CHANDLER, 1917-1944
NORMAN CHANDLER. 1944-1960
CHARLES C. CHASE, Vice President-Production
ROBERT L. FLANNES, Vice President and Assistant to the Publisher
ROBERT C. LOBDELL, Vice President and General Counsel
VANCE L. STICKELL, Vice President-Sales
JAMES BASSETT, Associate Editor
ANTHONY DAY, Editor of the Editorial Pages
ROBERT J. DONOVAN, Associate Editor
FRANK P. HAVEN, Managing Editor
JEAN SHARLEY TAYLOR, Associate Editor
6-Part II
THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 14, 1975
No Deadline for Mercy
President Ford has gone along with all the rec-
scientious-objector status did not require religious
ommendations of his Vietnam clemency board. and
grounds, but the ruling came too late for those who
he almost certainly will approve its latest proposal
already had paid the price for refusing military ser-
that he grant unconditional pardons to 6,000 draft
vice.
evaders and deserters who already have paid the
This week, in urging the President to grant the
penalty for their wartime offenses.
unconditional pardons, clemency board Chairman
But we believe he should do much more than
Charles E. Goodell said, "We have succeeded in
that: He should extend the life of the clemency
closing the chapter on Vietnam."
BALTIMORE SUN
66% of deserters fail
24 August 1975
to finish clemency jobs
Washington (AP) - Two-
er tried to get into the program.
thirds of the deserters who
These constitute many of those
Only 130 processed by the
One is a former Marine in a
joined President Ford's clem-
who fled the country and still
board have reported for jobs,
Southern state who started the
ency job program have dropped
could be punished if apprehend-
because most of the 6,000 so
program as a jailer's assistant
out, been kicked out, or pro-
ed.
designated by the board are
and fit in so well he was sent to
cessed out by the military with-
-According to Selective Ser-
still awaiting concurrence by
school on his own time and is
out reporting for jobs and will
vice officials, the 2,035 "were
the President or are still within
now a sheriff's deputy.
escape punishment without
terminated for nonperform-
the 30-day deadline for report-
Another Vietnam veteran
completing their assigned
ance, for lack of co-operation
ing after President Ford acts.
worked his term as a food ser-
work.
and because they chose not to
fulfill their agreements in
assignments. Seven have completed their job
vice employee in a state hospi-
Of the 4,503 deserters who
tal in the West. His supervisor
joined the program; 2,035 have
many cases." Some with fami-
The Clemency Board chair-
wrote the Selective Service that
either dropped out or been
lies dropped out because they
man, Charles E. Goodell, says
he wanted more employees like
kicked out, the Selective Ser-
couldn't make a go of it on the
"it is too early to tell" how
him.
vice says. Another 1,000 men
low pay.
many who signed up with the
A soldier who served in Viet-
processed out by the military
"Even though we didn't get
the numbers we anticipated,
board intend to perform jobs,
nam is working as a "jack of all
never reported for jobs at all,
although all agreed to do so
trades" in a rest home for the
the Department of Defense
President Ford has attained
when they applied.
aged. "He enjoys his work and
says.
more of his initial goal than lots
The Justice Department por-
plans to remain on the job after
The 2,035 dropouts and kick-
of people give him credit for,"
tion of the program for draft
his service is finished," a Selec-
outs and the 1,000 who failed to
says the draft director, Byron
V. Pepitone.
dodgers has a low dropout rate,
tive Service report said. "This
show up are no longer under
In addition to unpunished de-
only 19 of the 722 who signed
man has only a seventh grade
military control because they
nn Those who do met
education and has had trouble
The response from the prisoners
was instant and gratifying. Some
WASHINGTON STAR
Mary
4,000 applications rolled in, greatly
26 August 1975
increasing the Clemency Board's
rolls. Attica alone sent in 50. Prison-
ers have little to do and apparently a
chance at some light at the end of the
McGrory
tunnel appealed.
The Clemency Board which re-
PRESENTLY, the board is sending
ceived only general information
over to the White House what Goodell
about the civilian offense began to
calls "a number" of favorable
act on the applications in the same
recommendations for felons who
Convict Clemency Plan:
handled what came to be known as
engaged in nonviolent criminal activi-
the "jail-mail" just like the other
ty - crimes against property, not
No Justice, No Mercy
applications. Then it dawned on them
persons, as Goodell defines it. The
that they might embarrass the Presi-
felons' recommendations go over in
By Mary McGrory
dent if they recommended to him the
separate packets from those of non-
Washington Star Staff Writer
pardon of people who were later re-
felons so the President's counsel can
vealed to be murderers, rapists or
scrutinize them for any embarrass-
You may remember the "body
perpetrators of other serious crimes.
ment content.
count," that infamous concept which
dominated the fighting of the Viet-
AFTER A LONG and bitter dispute
"Many of these rejected applicants
nam War. It has figured also in the
which polarized the Board Members
have as good or better cases for
so-called Clemency Program which
clemency than those who are not now
President Ford devised to provide
in prison but who have been granted
"not just justice, but mercy" for
Point of View
a pardon," says one attorney. "Many
those who fled it.
blacks experienced overt racial dis-
The program which he announced
crimination which contributed to
on the eve of the Nixon pardon, with
and embroiled attorneys and summer
their AWOLs. They have received
the hope of mollifying the left without
legal interns, they decided on a poli-
decorations, and they had strong
inflaming the right, was, three
cy of no clemency for those convicted
aggravating personal reasons for
months after its inception, well on its
of heinous offenses.
their military offenses, but they get
way to becoming his greatest fiasco
the consideration."
since the "WIN" campaign.
Vernon Jordan, executive director
The most the Clemency Board at-
of the National Urban League, took
One board member, Joan Vinson,
tracted of its potential clientele was
vehement opposition. It was his con-
questioned the use of a clemency dis-
18 percent. In the beginning, it was
tention that the Clemency Board was
charge for a man already in prison
bovcotted In an attempt to un the
taking unto itself the nowers of a Su-
while the debete was going on Actu-
14aug 1975
Many Fugitives Refusing Clemency
By GRACE BASSETT
"Others were content with
been punished whereas the
News American Bureau
their new lives,' Goodell
exiles fled; rather than de-
added.
fend themselves against al-
Ball News america
WASHINGTON - About
Whatever their reasons,
most certain punishment
100,000 men and women con-
"those who left made a con-
prior to 1970.
14 Aug 75
Pers- amnisty
victed of crimes growing out
scious choice," Goodell said.
of their opposition to the
"I don't think there's going
Varying explanations are
Vietnamese war never both-
to be any further amnesty or
offered here for President
ered to apply for clemency.
clemency extended to them.
Ford's stern refusal to offer
Nor has President Ford's
Their residences in Canada
amnesty to expatriates.
somewhat confusing offer of
or Sweden are permanent.'
forgiveness tempted uncount-
The dissolution of the
Politically, the President
ed thousands more war oppo-
board, at least, will "close
seemed on firm ground.
nents to return from Canada,
that chapter" of the Viet-
Polls indicate most Ameri-
Mexico, South America or
namese struggle, according
cans agree, in general, with
Europe, countries they chose
to Goodell.
Cooper Holt, executive direc-
to live in rather than to fight
Those will be hard words
tor of the Washington office
in Asia.
for mothers, such as Virginia
of the Veterans of Foreign
These evaders either de-
Jones, whose son is still in
Wars, who says:
serted the military or took
Canada.
cas
going on?
mi
BARRETT: Correct.
el
LEE: How soon after your father's
be
death did you learn that it was from a
th
drug?
to
BARRETT: My mother told me --- well my
vi
mother didn't tell me till a week after
re
he died, and when she told me she told me
Se
then that it was from LSD.
jo
LEE: The hospital says it couldn't
de
happen again because of all the safe-
A
guards and the informed consent contract
pr
these days.
ma
BARRETT: The safeguard has to be with
to
the person who's getting the treatment,
a
that's the ultimate safeguard is that he
Wa
say: Hey, wait a minute, I didn't know
I was supposed to get something now, what
I
is that.
LEE: And your father was never given
that chance?
tl
BARRETT: Oh no, he wasn't even -- it
C
just wasn't the fashion I guess.
r
t
Clemency Board
P1
m
SERAFIN: Charles GOODELL, head of the
C
administration's amnesty program for
J
draft dodgers and deserters, says the
b
program has not reached many of those
for whom it was devised. Details from
W
Moriah McLaughlin.
y
MORIAH McLAUGHLIN: GOODELL says that
more men did not take advantage of the
t
overall clemency program because there
h
was such terrible confusion about it. He
says when the program runs out in
September that will be it, even for those
y
uncounted numbers who have left the
t
country.
a
CHARLES GOODELL: Well those who
H
remained in exile I think understood the
C
program and they made a conscious choice.
t
I don't think there is going to be any
C
further amnesty or clemency extended to
d
them, and I respect the fact that they
i
decided they wanted to stay where they
a
were, but the President has done every-
C
thing that could possibly be expected of
0
him.
e
McLAUGHLIN: As of today the figures
i
stack up like this. Under the clemency
h
board program available to men convicted
f
and or already punished: over 100,000
k
eligible, 16,000 applied, 50 percent have
ou
received outright pardons, 44 percent
a
have received alternative service, and
only about six percent received no
clemency. Many of those who could have
qualified under this program didn't
bother because they had already started
new lives after having served the sen-
tence.
Under the Defense Department program
available to men who deserted the
BALTIMORE SUN 13 August 1975 Pg.
sought a pardon with no inten-
tion of performing the assigned
6,000 unconditional pardons
work, Mr. Goodell said it was
too early to tell.
Of the estimated 5,000 per-
issued by clemency board
sons who were assigned to per-
form public service work in re-
turn for clemency, only 288
Washington (AP) The
About 21,000 persons ap-
who served valiantly in Viet-
persons have been referred by
plied to the board, but the num-
nam and subsequently got into
the clemency board to the
Presidential Clemency Board
ber was reduced to between 15,-
trouble when they came home,"
Selective Service System for
said yesterday it has granted
about 6,000 unconditional par-
000 and 16,000 because many
Mr. Goodell said.
processing, a Selective S. vice
dons to persons who received
were found to be ineligible.
spokesman said.
"About 66 per cent of our ci-
punitive military discharges or
These included some who com-
vilian applicants evidenced sub-
The remaining case are
were convicted of desertion or
mitted offenses in World War I
stantial conscientious objection
awaiting action by Mr. Ford,
draft dodging in the Vietnam
and World War II.
to the war but were unable to
who must give final approval to
war era.
Another 100,000 persons eli-
obtain proper C. O. status and
all clemency board recommen-
gible for clemency did not ap-
dations.
The figure represents about
they have been recommended
half of the 12,000 cases the
ply to the board because of con-
Of the 5,551 unconvicted de-
for outright pardons."
board has acted on to date. A
fusion about the program or
These were in large part
serters processed by the mili-
backlog of more than 4,000 cas-
lack of motivation, Mr. Goodell
men who applied for "C. 0."
tary, 1,359 are at work, 879
said.
status before the Supreme
have been referred to jobs, 167
es remains to be processed, a
task that the board chairman,
The board does not consider
Court ruled in 1970 that such an
had their jobs interrupted, 73
Charles E. Goodell, said he ex-
cases involving unconvicted
application need not have a re-
were given new jobs, 60 nost-
pects to be completed when the
draft dodgers or deserters, or
ligious basis, he said.
poned the work, 51 completed
board expires by law Septem-
persons who fled the country to
Mr. Goodell said the board
their terms and 1,918 dropped
ber 15.
avoid prosecution.
recommended outright pardons
out, the Pentagon said. More
Those who did not receive
"As distinct from the Justice
for those who objected to war
than 1,000 others did not report
full pardons were granted par-
and Defense Department pro-
in general and to Vietnam spe-
for jobs, it added.
dons conditioned on work in
grams, all of our applicants had
cifically.
Of the 723 convicted draft
public service jobs ranging
already been punished for their
In answer to questions, the
dodgers processed by the Jus-
from 3 to 12 months, Mr. Good-
offenses," said Mr. Goodell.
former New York Republican
tice Department, 458 are at
ell said. A few were required to
He described as "surprising-
senator said he would like to
work, 179 have been referred to
work more than a year, he add-
ly revealing" the characteris-
see the program continued. But
jobs, 29 had their jobs inter-
ed.
tics of the 12,000 cases acted
he doubted President Ford
rupted, 15 were referred to new
The board turned down
on.
would ask Congress to extend
jobs, 19 postponed, 9 completed
about 700 persons for any de-
"Roughly 25 per cent of our
it.
the work and 14 dropped out, a
gree of clemency.
military cases are individuals
Asked how many men
spokesman said.
3
Part II -- Main Edition -- 13 August 1975
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR 13 AUGUST 1975
How Ford Viet clemency worked
and some questions that remain
By Guy Halverson
persons currently under indictment or in-
Staff correspondent of
vestigaton for draft evasion.
The Christian Science Monitor
Of the 10,000 certers, whose cases are
Washington
handled by the Defense Departtment, some
With the expiration of President Ford's
5,505 to date have been processed, according
post-Vietnam Clemency Review Board Sept.
to Pentagon sources.
15, two questions are being asked here:
The Clemency Review Board, which was
How fairly did the board, which grew
given congressional funding for one year deals
from a staff of some 45 to more than 600,
only with individuals who already have been
including a jump from 5 to 18 board members,
punished for some offense.
handle the processing of the nearly 21,000
individuals who sought clemency.
Charles E. Goodell, chairman of the cle-
What steps, if any, eventually will be
mency board, said there was no possibility the
taken by President Ford or his successor to
amnesty program would be extended beyond
deal with the thousands of individuals who fled
Sept. 15 - a result that he attributed to
to Canada, Sweden, and other nations because
congressional divisiveness over the whole
issue.
of the Vietnam war, or who are living
"underground" lives in the United States?
Some critics of the clemency program have
To date, the clemency board has received
countered that Mr. Ford, seeking to placate
some 21,000 applications, of which between
right-wing grumbles about the amnesty pro-
15,000 and 16,000 are eligible for board action.
gram before the 1976 presidential election,
Another 100,000 were eligible but did not
would prefer to let the board expire this year.
apply
According to Mr. Goodell, roughly 50 per-
AFB, California.
Deserters and Outreach Program
NEWMAN: Two and a half years have
gone by since the cease-fire in South
Vietnam and the final American withdrawal
from that country. But it's estimated
that more than 100,000 young Americans,
deserters and draft evaders, are still
either in hiding at home or living across
the border in Canada or somewhere else
abroad. Now most of these men, probably
95 percent of them, are not being sought
by any legal authority. Only 4,400
Americans still face indictments for
draft violations or desertion, according
to a list provided by the Justice
Department last January. With me now
is Tim MALONEY who heads a program called
"Outreach" for the National Council of
Churches. This is intended to let
Vietnam war resisters know whether they
still face charges or whether they're
hiding needlessly. And it's all intended
to advise them of their rights.
Mr. MALONEY, why does the National
Council of Churches feel so strongly
about this matter?
TIM MALONEY: Well really there were
so many victims of the war and, you know,
the various denominations -- there's
33 that the NCC represents- have taken
stands to say, you know, that the
veterans should be helped, the war
resisters should be helped, all the
victims of the war need some relief
and need some assistance.
NEWMAN: You regard draft evaders or
deserters as victims of the war?
MALONEY: Very much so. You know I
think there were a whole series of
victims and you know the war just tore
the country apart. And I think it's
time that -- you know we're working to
help people on an individual basis and
what's really required obviously is a
just- amnesty not a so-called clemency
program that flopped.
7 Thursday, August
THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY, JULY 28, 1975
League's Head Calls for Total Amnesty
By PAUL DELANEY
also unveiled the Urban
comes would get the income
Special to The New York Times
League's proposal for a new
assistance they need, but for
ATLANTA, July 27-Vernon
national welfare program. He
which they do not qualify under
E. Jordan Jr., executive direc-
called for a credit income tax,
the present system.
tor of the National Urban
"No means tests, no work
which is a version of the neg-
League and a member of the
requirements, no coercive local
ative income tax. He described
Presidential clemency board,
regulations or other stigmatiz-
broke with the Ford Adminis-
the tax as "& pro-work, pro-
ing elements would be part of
family, pro-dignity proposal
tration today and urged total
the system. Payments are au-
for a humane, responsible so-
amnesty for Vietnam veterans.
tomatic, through the tax sys-
ciety."
Mr. Jordan's position was
tem, and would be a matter of
disclosed in remarks he had
Under the proposal, all per-
right." The present system, he
prepared for delivery tonight
sons would receive a basic
said, takes more from the pock-
in his keynote speech at the
annual grant, or tax credit.
ets of moderate income working
65th annual convention of the
Persons above a certain in-
people than it does from the
league.
come would lose the grant
rich."
The nine-member board was
through taxation, and those be-
Mr. Jordan also criticized the
established by President Ford
low a designated income would
statistics released by the De-
last September to review the
keep all or part of the grant.
partment of Labor on unem-
cases of those already convict-
"Families who are above the
league had found a jobless rate
ed or punished for military de-
poverty level but below the
of 15 per cent rather than the
sertion or draft evasion.
level at which the grant is
9 per cent reported by the
Mr. Jordan said that he had
taxed away would benefit be-
Government, with 3 million-
been troubled by the amnesty
cause a portion of their grant
blacks and 12 million whites
position of the Administration
would remain in their hands"
out of work rather than the
FOR
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
PROGRAM
STATION
Empathy
WWDC Radio
DATE
CITY
August 7, 1975 8:00 PM
Washineton, D.C.
SUBJECT
An Interview With Tim Maloney
personnel amnesty
FRED FISKE: Tim Maloney is outreach coordinator for the
National Council of Churches Special Ministries of the Vietnam
Generation Project. That's quite a title, it's a mouthful.
TIM MALONEY: It really is a mouthful, right.
FISKE: You can't get that on a calling card, can you?
MALONEY: No. In fact, I don't have any calling cards.
FISKE: What does it mean?
MALONEY: Well, what it means is that the National Council
of Churches, which represents 33 major denominations in this country
five years ago set up an office for the Vietnam generation, an
office to help veterans, an office to help men who evaded the draft.
who went AWOL from the military, an office, really. to help all
the victims of this tragic war that we had in Vietnam.
And more recently, last August, when we learned that the
President was about to proclaim some form of clemency or amnesty.
we decided that we ought to set up a program, an information pro-
gram to provide the facts on the President's program so that people
could make their decision based on full knowledge.
FISKE: Of course, the government was trying to disseminate
that information the best they could, and not many people took
5.1.61 Smile
advantage of the opportunity for amnesty. Now, if the government
couldn't get the word across to them, what makes you think that
you can?
MALONEY: Well, we really didn't think there was much
2
opportunity in his program and we didn't feel it was an amnesty.
In fact, it was a very punitive program. And it wasn't because
people didn't know about his program. In fact, the more infor-
mation we told people about his program, the more people said no
to it.
And SO what we did, aside from telling people about his
program, the punitive terms of his program, what they could expect
upon returning to the United States or emerging from underground;
what they could expect, just in a nutshell, was to be treated to
punishment. Amnesty comes from the word amnesia; it's a forgetting,
it's not hit someone over the head, have them do 19 to 24 months of
alternate service, that sort of thing -- we may wish to go into
that further.
But at any rate, his program certainly didn't meet the
objectives that he himself set out, the objectives of healing some
wounds and avoiding further recriminations and of trying to clear
the slate.
FISKE: Well, what are you doing aside from informing
the people about the program?
MALONEY: Well, his program ended March 31st. I personally
don't believe it should have ever begun. I think that we would
have seen something better had it not been put on the boards last
September.
What we do is we provide people with options. While the
program was underway, we helped people clear their draft charges or
get discharges without participting in his program. In other words,
people were saying no to his program, and so we were saying, "Okay,
that's fine. We'll help you without all this punitive service,
with all this --- you know, without all those strings attached to it,
we'll help you get a discharge."
For example, in Canada 330 men participated in his program,
and yet we helped over 600 men get discharges in Canada. We've
had over 5000 contact our offices, and more than half of those men
no longer face charges for the draft.
What aids us in this whole program of helping people get
their draft charges dismissed [unintelligible] someone who didn't
make it into the military, like myself, who ripped up my induction
notice, is that Senator Ted Kennedy supplied our office, the
National Council of Churches in New York, with a very final list.
of those men who are wanted for draft evasion. That list has
4,400 names on it. And yet during the Vietnam era, 192,000 men
evaded the draft.
FISKE: What's special about these 4000, that the 188 other
thousand are not subject to prosecution and that these 4000 are?
3
MALONEY: As one U.S. attorney told me, "It's sort of
the luck of the draw." What happened during this period of years
is that when a man refused induction into the military. his case
was referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution, and
generally, the U.S. attorney literally threw up his arms in dis-
gust with the local draft boards, because local draft boards, as
we all are aware, were made up primarily of volunteers, the
Selective Service law was very complex, and the net result was
that they could not properly administer the law, and sometimes
they even misused the draft law, misused it in a punitive way
and negated men's procedural rights to such an extent that men
who evaded the draft, when their cases were referred, the U.S.
attorneys saw that the case did not have prosecutive merit, so
he either had to drop the charge or the charges have been dropped
over the years.
The 4,400 that are left on there primarily are left on
there because either a U.S. attorney did not have the inclination
or the desire to really thoroughly review it, you know, spend
time reading the file to see what errors would be in it, or he
simply did not have the ability. And some U.S. -- for example,
Senator Kennedy asked each U.S. attorney, through the Justice
Department, to make a review of all the outstanding draft cases;
1800 charges have been dropped just since November. And yet we
know that in 15 of the 90-some judicial districts in this country,
15 of the judícial districts never even took the dust off the
files, and these were mainly in the South.
And so, the list with 4,400 names on it has people on
it who have the exact circumstances as mine. In other words,
their charges should have been dropped. And what we've done to
help get those names off that list is that we have set up and
funded two offices, one in New York and one in Los Angeles, with
lawyers who specialize in draft law, and they have approximately
a 75% success rate in getting charges dismissed. And that doesn't
even mean a man has to appear in court. We get the charges dis-
missed while a man remains in exile or remains underground in
the United States.
FISKE: Where did you 20? You were a draft evader. Did
you leave the country?
MALONEY: Yes. In fact, Winnipeg is still my hope. I've
lived there for the past seven years now.
FISKE: Have you sought Canadian citizenship?
HALONEY: I haven't. I seriously considered taking out
Canadian citizenship. In fact, most of the men who are in Canada,
that's their home now. I mean they crossed sort of a border of
no return. It was a difficult decision. There wasn't room within
the law in the United States to dissent. In other words, a person
4
oftentimes would feel he was a conscientious objector, and often-
times draft boards would pride themselves on never giving out that
status, and 30 there wasn't any room for him here, and 60 he had
to make that difficult decision of crossing that border, feeling
that he could never return. And so he started to put his roots
down in Canada. And now that they've been there five, six, seven
years -- and I've just spent three months traveling across Canada
and I've worked with war resisters, helping them for the past six
years in Canada. I've found that really that's home to them and
that they really only want to be able to visit back in the U.S.
The snag with Canadian citizenship is that even though
a man's draft charges have been dropped, such as mine, in January.
the Department of Justice sent a telegram to all U.S. attorneys,
telling them, in effect, that, "Well, of those 1800 men you just
had to drop charges on because you didn't really have a case
against them, if you know that they've taken out Canadian citizen-
ship, forward their names over to the Immigration Department so
that we can bar them from the country," based on am old 1944 law
they'd just taken the dust off of which says, in effect, "Any man
who leaves the United States to avoid military training or service
and subsequently becomes a foreign national, or a Canadian citizen,
can be permanently barred."
And so even Senator Kennedy feels this is illegal, the
way they're applying this law. And what it means in practice is
that I wouldn't be sitting here talking if I had Canadian citizen-
ship. In fact, just within the last three weeks I tried crossing ---
I did cross at Detroit through the tunnel from Windsor, and after
they put my name through the computer, because they thought they
had a live draft evader they could arrest and they found out they
didn't, then they took me to another building to interrogate me
about my citizenship. And we also know that within the last two
weeks we've received 20 phone calls from parents, or sons who've
talked to their parents, that the FBI is now making their regular
house calls and this time asking the parents about their sons'
citizenship.
FISKE: Why did they put your name through the computer?
I mean there are thousands and thousands of people who cross the
Canadian border every week. They don't put all their names through
the computer. Why'd they put yours through?
MALONEY: They put mine through because I drive -- when
I drive across, I'm driving a car with Manitoba license plates,
and they usually ask, "What country are you a citizen of?" And
when I say, "I'm a citizen of the United States," and they see
the Manitoba license plates, they automatically look at me and
assume that "Hey, he might be one of these draft evaders." That's
when they become suspicious. Though, you know, chances are if
you travel back and forth yourself between Canada and the United
States, you would be subjected to a computer check. You might not
5
even be aware that it's happening, because oftentimes they put
the entire passenger list of a plane through the computer. It's
a very quick process
FISKE: I've driven across the Canadian border several
times, and it's been just a cursory inspection. A fellow will
say, you know, "Where are you from?" and "How long are you going
to stay?" Or, you know, "How long have you been out?" And that's
about all. You know, it's a matter of a few seconds.
MALONEY: Right. Well, there's usually never any trouble
on the Canadian side. It's on the U.S. side where the computers
are, and they can put your license plate --- just while you're
standing in line, you know, in the matter of a minute or two, they
can run your license plate number through and literally have your
whole background and your whole history. And this is what makes
it extremely difficult for men, who even if their charges are
dropped and they have Canadian citizenship, from reentering the
United States.
FISKE: So, most of them are anxious to come back and see
their parents.
MALONEY: This is really why we've had 5000 phone calls,
is the parents now are aging. You know, the draft evaders and
deserters or whatever we want to call them aren't kids anymore.
They're hitting 30. And the parents are also aging, and sometimes
there's illness in, the family, sometimes it's just they want to
be -- go to their kid sister's wedding or show off their -- you
know, some have married Canadians. They want to show off their
kids, and their parents can't travel to Canada because of dis-
ability. And so they really want to be able to cross over the
border.
They really don't want to live here, because, you know
FISKE: You say they really don't want to live here. I
can't help but feeling that there must be a substantial number
who would like to return home and live here.
MALONEY: No, that's --- really, that's not the case. At
least that's not what they verbalize, you know, that's not what
they tell me. And I think it's understandable because we're
looking at a group of men now that have lived in another country,
you know, five, six, seven years. They have had and continue to
have, even after the clemency program -- it probably heightened
their bitter feelings toward this country, because now. you know,
all Americans are saying, or basically they're saying, the war
was wrong; it was a tragedy. And yet there's no amnesty. There's
been 37 amnesties in American history. There's no amensty. And,
you know, we have these immigration laws, and in every which way
they're being kept out of the United States. And so they're bitter.
6
And they bitter toward this country.
They have good jobs, by and large, in Canada. They have,
you know, a Canadian wife or they have à mortgage on the home.
They're just, you know -- these are people that are, for all
practical purposes, are making it. And their friends now are
in Canada.
Really, all they have in the United States are family
and a few relatives. And if they came back, another thing that
they would trouble with is employment here in the United States.
For example, even if someone participated in the President's
clemency program, I understand that the state of Arizona four
weeks ago passed legislation stating that no man, even though
he has a clemency discharge -- and this was the great reward:
after you served your 19 to 24 months of alternate service, you
had a clemency discharge, which for life would mark you as one
of those -- they passed a law saying a man with a clemency dis-
charge or even a presidential pardon shall never have a state
job in Arizona. And so there is still a great deal of bitterness
amongst Americans.
I'm sure that we may have a few callers tonight that
will say that, I, you know, should be on a boat to China or should
be shot or hung. At least I've had that reaction before. You
know, this whole war evoked many emotional feelings. There were
men that fought and served and died and were maimed, and, you
know, it's tragic. I have the greatest amount of sympathy, and
I think there should be a great amount of relief given on the
part of the government toward them in terms of veterans benefits,
in programs to help the men that did serve. But I also think
there should be relief in terms of those who said no to parti-
cipating. And to date, we've seen no substantive program. that
will help.
The clemency program, I think even in part by the Presi-
dent's own admission, was a failure.
FISKE: Give me just a moment here, Tim.
*
FISKE: At our Empathy microphones, Tim Maloney, who
is outreach coordinator for the National Council of Churches
Special Ministry for the Vietnam Generation Project.
Now, what is your main purpose now? To let people know
that you can be of help to them?
MALONEY: Yes. My purpose is --- well, first, I started
out in Canada and I wanted to let the men who are in exile that
there wer services available for them not only to clarify their
7
legal status, but to - - you know, to find out that they're not
wanted, because the majority aren't. That's the situation for
the majority, they're just plainly not wanted, they're not on
the wanted list. But also to help those with charges to get their
charges dismissed.
FISKE: We can't really describe them as being in exile,
can we?
MALONEY: Well, they're still in exile because they think
they're wanted. You know, people who went across that border or
who went underground in this country, for that matter, and there's
lots right here.
FISKE: More than in Canada.
MALONEY: Yes, yes. And, you know, just assume they're
wanted because they didn't report for induction, and plus all the
men that deserted, the men who went AWOL. They still are wanted.
We're trying to help those men get their charges dismissed
and get discharges. And so, what I'm doing in my travels -- and,
really, I just tried a couple U.S. cities on an experimental basis,
and the response was overwhelming in terms of people phoning the
National Council of Churches in New York to say, "Hey, am I on the
wanted list?" or, "What can you do about getting my charges
si
FISKE: You've got it computerized?
MALONEY: No, it's all by hand. We've got a list and it's
broken down by states. And somebody -- you know, oftentimes the man
himself, if he's underground in the U.S., you know, he's very reluc-
tant to phone, for good reasons. You know, he's probably gotten a
crooked neck looking over his shoulder to see if the FBI is behind
him. And so a friend will phone or a relative will phone and
they'll say, "Is John Smith on the list?" It only takes a minute
or two, and we look on the list, and if we can't find the name on
the list, we say, "No, the name is not on the list. Before emerging
from the underground, however, please check with the U.S. attorney
and with -- you know, to see if there's any outstanding investi-
gations, indictments, and make sure there is not an arrest warrant,
and see if you can get a copy of the dismissal of the indictment."
In other words, we give them the procedures so that they're home
free.
FISKE: What you do --- in case you find that, for example,
some of these people are wanted and there's a warrant for them,
you advise them not to come?
MALONEY: Well, certainly we advise them to lie low.
FISKE: What's your legal position, doing that?
8
MALONEY: Well, we're probably on the fine line of
FISKE: You're probably in violation of the law.
MALONEY: Well, the National Council of Churches is a
pretty big organization, and so if the Department of Justice
wants to take it on, it will be a lot more difficult than taking
on one poor draft evader they've run through the coals.
But what we do, for example, if someone is wanted, even
if it's through a third party, we send out a simple power of
attorney form. We don't even need their address. You know, it
could be a friend, and he gets it to them, and the evader or the
man who went AWOL puts his John Henry on this power of attorney
form, and that lets our lawyers, either our draft lawyers or our
military lawyers, get a copy of his file, and to go through his
file to find what procedural errors the draft board made in the
induction process, so we can the charges dismissed, OT, in the
case of the military, to find out if the military, you know, like
lived up to its service contract: if he was erroneously inducted;
if he applied for a conscientious objector status, was he treated
properly? And then we advise him what options he has with respect
to getting a discharge.
And so, throughout this. whole works, we've just helped,
you know, thousands' of people, and it's been a very successful
program, and it's unfortunate that it ends at the end of December.
The funding, the church funding -- there's not that much there.
FISKE: How many people have you dealt with?
MALONEY: Over 5000, which is a pretty hefty
FISKE: A lot of these fellows are gun-shy, right? I
mean they're reluctant to come forward even though you assure
them that you can be of help to them?
MALONEY: That is true, and, you know, it's still under-
standable, because WOW -- you know, I talked to a man, for example,
a black draft evader who spent nine years, since 1966 to the
present time, living with an assumed name in the black community,
frightened on a daily basis, having trouble with employment and
whatnot. He phoned our office in New York and found out that he
was not on the wanted list. You know, he
FISKE: And the chances are overwhelming that this is it.
I mean what's the proportion of 4000 as against 188,000?
MALCNEY: Right. So the chances are 8 person is not on
that wanted list. And, you know, they won't even take -- and I
don't blame them. If someone told me after I was living in exile
or living underground -- I made one simple phone call and they said,
9
"Hey, you know, you're not wanted," I wouldn't believe it. And so
that's why we tell them how to get the written proof.
FISKE: After you refused induction, did you leave the
country immediatley?
MALONEY: In fact, I left before I received my orders to
report for soldiering.
FISKE: You're from Wisconsin.
MALONEY: From Wisconsin, and I was just completing my
undergraduate work in 1968.
FISKE: In what?
MALONEY: It was in psychology at that time. And they
were doing away with graduate school deferments. You know, I
never even wanted to go to college to start with. In fact, I came
to Washington, D.C. when I was 18 and worked for a while here
until they gave me my first order to report for a physical in '64.
So then I quickly went -- I quickly went to college. And it was
in 1968 that they were doing away with graduate school deferments,
and I thought, "Well, I'll go to one of these physicals. I'll see
if I can beat it.", I've got a little tremor, and I know if I take
some No-doz and lots of coffee and don't sleep too well that I'll
probably have a good chance. I got to the end of the line; they
were stamping everybody approved, and I said, "What about my shakes?"
And three doctors examined me, and they couldn't make up their minds
whether they wanted me or not. One said no, one said yes, one said
he didn't know. So they said, "You'll have to come back for another
physical."
And so they said that would be in a week or two, and time
passed that summer of '68, and they never called me back. And so
finally, I was just at the point of utter disgust with the whole
Selective Service system; I saw how corrupt or sloppy or whatever --
you know, each draft board varied in terms of its kind of responsi-
bility, in terms of how it followed the law. But in my case, my
draft board never gave out conscientious objector status, even
though I'm not a conscientious objector.
But I did say to them, I said, "Look, I'll be in the
military, but let me be a social worker. You know, let me finish
my graduate school in social work so that I can be a social worker. "
They said, "No. We want to draft you, 11 you know, "now.
We don't want to give you a deferment."
So at that point I just left. I went to Winnipeg and
enrolled in graduate school there and completed that. But while I
was in graduate school, that same -- just in December of '68 was
10
when they gave me my notice to say, "Hey, come back for a physical."
But this time they were going to confine me because they were aware
that people were popping pills and things to, you know, whatever
conditions that might get them out of the military.
So, I said no to the physical, and subsequently I was
punitively inducted. They speeded up the induction. And as a
result, I no longer could reenter the U.S. And finally in April
of 1970, I got a letter, very surprisingly, that my charges were
dropped.
FISKE: Did they say why?
MALONEY: They never said why. They just said, "Ac our
meeting last night, we dropped the charges of failing to report
for a physical and failing to report for induction." And, you
know, I didn't even believe it for about four months. Finally,
I, you know, with a great amount of fear, crossed the border to
visit my folks in Wisconsin.
FISKE: And if you didn't believe it, you can understand
why so many don't.
MALONEY: That's for sure. And so, that's the problem
we've got, is trying to get the message across.
FISKE: Since you've referred to the tremor that you have,
I noticed it when you came in. What is it due to?
MALONEY: It's hereditary. You know, it's a neurological
tremor.
FISKE: I would, you know, would have thought that that
would have excused you from military service.
MALONEY: Well, back in 1968, they were taking people
with things worse than a slight case of the shakes, you know.
At the end of this line where people were going through, they we =
just stamping people. It was like a machine the way they were
stamping people approved for military service. And, you know,
I'm sure there were lots of people who ended up being drafted
who shouldn't have been for physical reasons.
FISKE: I want to pause here
to
*
CALLER: This is a nice little topic that I've answered
some questions to before. Back in September of last year I was
in the Vetrans Administration Hospital here in Washington having
my knee joint taken out as a result of a service-connected dis-
ability. I was asked the question as to whether I thought draft
11
dodgers that had evicted the country, that had gone to country,
should be allowed back into the country, into the States. And
my answer to that question was "Yes, but they should not receive
any type of judicial punishment of any kind, but they should be
obligated still to their country, from what they ran out on, a
minimum of two years of military service."
Now, as the President was putting it at that time, back
in September of last year, he was saying, "Well, if they give
two years of service to the government." Now, that could be in
the laundry, working in the laundry section at a hospital, a
government hospital. I don't classify that as being service.
What I had answered to was two years of military service, not
the Peace Corps, not the Coast Guard, but a branch of the service,
such as the Army, Navy, Marines or Air Force. And I still hold
that true. I still hold that very true in my own heart.
And I'd like to find out what your guest feels about that.
MALONEY: Well, I feel that men would say no to that,
and I'm sure the military as well would say no. The military
really doesn't want a bunch of 30-year-olds who were disgruntled
with the militarism, the war and whatnot in it. I'm sure that
if you contacted people in the military, they would say, "No. We
don't want them back in here. " They just flatly would say no.
CALLER: No, I wouldn't -- let me say this: I would not ---
if I was in a combat situation, I would not want a man beside me
that had run out once before already. I wouldn't put him in a
combat situation at all. I wouldn't jeopardize the lives of all
the other men there.
But what I would do is put him in a position and put him
in a duty in the States for those two years of service that he
would be obligated to perform.
MALONEY: I guess what I'm saying, sir, is that this
alternate service or military service for the country, whatever
you want to call it, is a punitive measure. It is
CALLER: I wouldn't call it an alternate service. 1
would consider it an obligated service.
MALONEY: Okay. Then, if it's an obligated service, it
still makes for a punitive program. And I'm just saying that the
men would say categorically, as they did to President Ford's pro-
gram, for the most part, no.
CALLER: You would call it a punitive program.
MALONEY: Well, what would you call it if you're obli-
gated to perform a service?
12
CALLER: Do you call the draft a punitive service or a
punitive program? Because the draft, not the lottery, but a draft
existed for quite a number of years.
MALONEY: And the draft was so sloppy and so misused,
that that's why only 4000
CALLER: That doesn't answer my question. Would you
classify that as a punitive program?
MALONEY: I would say it's an unnecessary one.
CALLER: That still doesn't answer my question. My
question was: Would you call that a punitive program? I don't
care whether it was performed properly or not. I want to know
if it was, in your eyes, a punitive program.
MALONEY: For me it was punitive.
CALLER: That's unreal.
MALONEY: It's not unreal. I'm just saying.
CALLER: I was not drafted. I enlisted on my own --
under my own volition.
MALONEY: Maybe you misunderstood. I said it was punitive
for me, in the sense that I was willing to serve in the military,
but, you know, I wanted to serve in a way that I could help others.
I wanted to serve as a social worker. There was no room within
the draft system to allow me to that. So, in effect
CALLER: As a social worker so that you wouldn't be under
à situation of combat, right?
MALONEY: Well, I didn't feel like killing people, sir,
not in a war that for me was
CALLER: Oh, listen. I didn't feel like killing people
either.
MALONEY: What did you do?
CALLER: I was in Vietnam for five-and-a-half months
and I got my right leg messed up
MALONEY: You have my deepest sympathy for that.
CALLER: But that still -- okay, there was a speaker on
before, that Dr. [unintelligible] from China speaking about China.
I didn't know exactly how to interpret what he was saying, I
didn't know whether to interpret that as, "Hey, you know, our
13
country is that much greater because of" -- or, "I understand
the greatness of our country because I'm hearing more about how
the Communistic setup works," how their regime works, let's say.
I didn't know whether to think that or to think that it was half
propaganda.
But at any rate, the situation that we're in as far as
freedom is concerned is only protected. It's not a privilege. It's
not a privilege in any way. It's something that has to be earned
and something that has to be kept by fighting for it.
MALONEY: I'm sure, sir, if Vietnam was a just war, was
a war that seriously threatened this country, you'd have seen many
of the men not resist, but go to the fore to sign up, just as we
did in the Second World War.
CALLER: Indirectly, it did affect this country. It was
indirectly
MALONEY: Yeah, it sure really affected it. It tore the
country right apart.
CALLER: a threat to this country because if every
little country, such as South Vietnam, is overtaken by the Com-
munist regime, again, it's going to be that much harder for the
United States and every other free country to maintain their con-
tinuity of freedom, that much harder, because there's going to be
that much more threat against them.
Now, the way they fought the war, I didn't agree with, I
didn't agree with at all, the way they fought it. The reason I
do go along with, I do understand, and I do condone, completely
condone --- it's a matter of freedom. It's a matter of freedom for
the South Vietnamese. It's a matter of freedom for every free
person in the world right now, and it's a matter of keeping that
freedom. It's something that is not just given to you on a silver
platter, saying "Here, it's yours. Keep it. You know, if you
want to give it away, you know, so what." I don't feel that it's
that way.
When I want to get up on Sunday morning and I want to 20
to church, I don't want it to be a direct order. I don't want it
to be a situation where I have to wait for a command. When I want
to go to the grocery store and buy two gallons of milk instead of
one, I want it to be a right of freedom. I don't want it to be
having to go to a magistrate of some kind and ask him for the
permission to do such. I don't want it to be that way.
And I am lame now, or so I'm told. I have a fused right
leg. My right knee is stiff. But if it were the situation where
I had to fight for my freedom today, or ten years from now or
twenty years from now, you better believe I'd do it. You had
14
better believe I'd do it, because that's something that I earned,
I and my forefathers earned, and I am appreciating it.
FISKE: Okay. Do you want to say anything else, Tim?
MALONEY: I'd fight for my freedom, too. I just didn't
feel that Vietnam was the place.
FISKE: Okay. Listen, thank you very much