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    "ocrText": "- 2 -\nWhen the demobilization occurred there existed in the Army a\ntremendous number of non appropriated funds which had belonged to various\nofficers' and non-commissioned officers' clubs and post exchanges. As\nI recall the total amount involved some fifty odd million dollars. The\nthen Secretary of War, Honorable Robert P. Patterson, appointed a board\nof civilians to advise him of the disposition that should be made of this\nmoney. They recommended that twenty million dollars be turned in to the\nTreasury, which was done.\nI have my eye now on the proportion of the twenty million that\ncame out of the Pacific area. Naturally a bill would have to be introduced\nand the money reappropriated for the Pacific War Memorial. You will appre-\nciate that this money does not really belong to the government as it came\nfrom the personal funds of officers and non-commissioned officers and\nsoldiers. They had earned that money and chose to spend it at the clubs and\npost exchanges and hence it really belongs to them. It was of course impos-\nsible to return the appropriated shares to individuals upon demobilization\nand I presume that the solution Judge Patterson affected was as good as\nany that could be found at that moment.\nWith the establishment however of the Pacific War Memorial, which\nis an organization designed to perpetuate the memory of the men who died and\nserved in the Pacific by means of continuous scientific research, it seems\nto me that it would be more than appropriate that some of the money earned\nby these men should not be rediverted to this useful and noble purpose. I\nfeel sure that an appropriation would have the support of the veterans and\nI do not see how it could be challenged by any right thinking person.\nWould you please give this matter some thought and let me have\nyour views? Perhaps you might wish to talk it over with some of your comrades\nwho fought in the war, of which I believe there are many in Congress. One\nof them, Mr. John F. Kennedy, is also a member of the Memorial. I have already\nwritten to Representative J. Caleb Boggs, also a member of the Memorial, along\nthese same lines.\nI expect to be in Washington Monday and Tuesday, and should like\nto call upon you.\nSincerely,\nBearn Richardunary\nRobert C. Richardson, Jr.\nLieut, General, U.S.Army (Ret.)\nPresident\n2 of 7)"
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