Motto: The buck stops here (October 1939)

[Dave Hause]

I don't know about current regulation on recall from retirement in lower
rank, but my last three years of active duty were as a "voluntarily recalled
retiree" and it was noted somewhere that I was not eligible for promotion
and initially my date of rank (which defines seniority) was reset to the
date of my recall.  It was returned to the original date when I pointed out
that my recall date was the day after my retirement as opposed to some
longer period (recalled because the system wouldn't waive mandatory
retirement.)
Dave Hause, dwhause at cablemo.net
Waynesville, MO
----- Original Message -----
From: "ADSGarson O'Toole" <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
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Great thanks to Charlie who was able to retrieve volume 48 of
"Hospital Management" to verify the "The buck stops here" sign in
1939.

[ref] 1939 October, Hospital Management, Volume 48, Number 4, "Need
for Education Stressed at Meeting of Laundry Managers", Start Page 54,
Quote Page 55, Column 1, Published by G. D. Crain, Illinois. (WorldCat
lists Clissold Publishing Company) (Verified with scans thanks to
Charles Doyle and the University of Georgia library system) (The
second instance of "Warfield" was misspelled "Warfied" in the original
text)[/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
A dinner-dance and floor show Saturday evening furnished the
outstanding social event of the meeting, while Sunday's sessions were
devoted chiefly to the business session, although addresses by the
president, by Vice-president Fred C. Clair and by Brig. Gen. A. B.
Warfield, U. S. A., Q. M. C, were heard. Gen. Warfield spoke on
"Co-operation," emphasizing the value of doing the job without seeking
to escape responsibility by referring to a motto he keeps on his desk
- "The buck stops here." He described the extensive system of
laundries operated by the Army Quartermaster Department at Army posts,
producing a profit for the department, as required by law.
[End excerpt]

In an off list message Bill Mullins made an illuminating point about
the 1939 rank of Brig. Gen. A. B. Warfield who was referred to as a
Colonel in 1942 with a retired rank of brigadier general.

[Begin Excerpt from Bill]
It would happen occasionally that an officer would retire with a
particular rank, then re-enter the service at a lower rank to fill a
needed job.  Don't know if he drew a BG's retirement pay, drew an
active BG's duty pay, or an active Col's duty pay.  I'd imagine that
protocol issues could be awkward at times as well.  (Was he allowed to
use a General Officer's parking spot?)
[End excerpt from Bill]

Bill also pointed out that there is a scrapbook belonging to Warfield
is in the collection of Wright State University.

With appreciation,
Garson

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org