Home : The Home Front :

Career Enlisted: Navy And Marine Corps

For good or ill, movies have played an enormous part in giving us a sense of our history. For instance, they invented an American West for all of us, and if its inhabitants sometimes went about their business with the stylized inevitability of the Japanese Noh (Noh or Nogaku is a major form of classic Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century.) theater, they nonetheless reflected something we wanted to believe about the conflicts that formed our country. To protest that it is not true is to miss the point.

The Fleet Reserve is the oldest and largest professional military organization representing the men and women serving in, or retired from the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The Fleet Reserve Association is named after the Fleet Naval Reserve program, which allows sailors with 16 or more years of active enlisted service to separate from the Navy, but remain "on call" for periods of national emergency. It is Congressionally Chartered, recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs as an accrediting Veteran Service Organization for claim representation and entrusted to serve all veterans who seek its help.

During the Congressional pay hearings on a temporary pay bill in 1919 and 1920, it became evident that the enlisted personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps needed to be organized to fight for their proper benefits. By soliciting voluntary contributions (passing the White Hat around — holding tarpaulin musters) funds were raised to send Shipmate Robert W. White, a Chief Yeoman and Shipmate Carl N. McDonald, a Chief Gunner's Mate, to Washington for the purpose of representing the enlisted personnel at the pay hearings, after the Secretary of the Navy gave them permission to participate in such work. The efforts of these two Shipmates resulted in a substantial increase in pay and benefits. This proved beyond any doubt that enlisted men, could give the enlisted personnel's point of view and present the facts as they should be presented.

Following WWI, the Navy Department in order to cut down to its authorized peace time strength (in 1921) and to relieve the Navy of its top heavy higher ratings came out with an "AlNav", authorizing men with over 12 years service (whose current enlistment would give them 16 years service) to transfer to the inactive duty status (the Fleet Reserve). Hence was created what you hear referred to these days as the Short Sixteen Year Man. These men who were given to believe they would be entitled to receive all the benefits and allowances which would have been theirs had they completed a full sixteen, were later denied these benefits by a comptroller's decision.

The Comptroller made another decision about this time. He ruled that time spent in Officer's Grade (Temporary Commissions) did not count and could not be credited to a man in computing his time for transfer to the Fleet Reserve. This affected quite a few who had reverted back and had transferred to the Fleet Reserve. By this Comptroller's decision they were denied their retainer checks.

About that time the economists were getting busy in Congress and there were bills being drawn up to abolish “The Fleet Reserve". Remember we had just completed fighting the (War to End all Wars) World War One. The U.S. had signed the Kellogg Pact and various other treaties and agreements to outlaw war and had just agreed to the Washington Arms Pact, which limited the size of the World's Navies under which we scrapped ships afloat while others agreed not to build any. Hence there would be no further need for a large Navy and no further need for a Reserve Fleet or the "Fleet Reserve."

It was proposed that instead of paying a monthly retainer to those already out and in the "Fleet Reserve a lump sum gratuity would be paid them and they would be removed from the books with no further claim on the Government, such as hospitalization, commissary privileges, etc., (fringe benefits) as they are referred to. And to tha3e men on active duty as their time arrived for transfer to the inactive status, "Fleet Reserve", they in turn would be given a cash gratuity and a fond farewell (or as we would refer to it a sailor's farewell "Good bye, Good Luck and … you).

These acts or contemplated acts (breach of contract) and (breaking of faith) depriving men of what they believed was their just rewards were the "awakening shots" that made the enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps realize that they had need of an organization to represent them and to protect their earned rights, and benefits.

At that time there was stationed at the Fourth Naval District a Chief Yeoman who was personnel yeoman of the district and, as such, had access to the files and the names and addresses of all Fleet Reservists and retired personnel residing in the Fourth Naval District. (He had worked in soliciting funds, for supporting and getting White and McDonald to Washington as representatives of the Enlisted Personnel on the pay bill previously mentioned).

He wrote and sent out letters to all of those men and arranged for a meeting to decide what they should do or could do. (Forming an Organization such as this was frowned upon, it was unionizing) and it was feared there might be a wholesale "Court Martialing" of all those who signed any articles of organization. Nevertheless, the meetings were held and it was decided to form an "Organization" and the plans were laid.

John J. Kelly, who with Bob White, and Carl McDonald, was responsible for the success of the temporary pay bill of 1919, drew up the plans for the permanent organization of the Fleet Reserve Association and the Branches. John J. Kelly was a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General's office of the Navy Department.

Bob White, before the formation of the Fleet Reserve Association was the representative of the enlisted men of the Navy and later when the Association was founded, was the Washington representative of the Association in all matters that concerned the enlisted personnel in the Navy Department and other Washington bureaus and appeared before the various committees in the House of Representative and the Senate.

The Fleet Reserve Association was organized in 1922 by George L. Carlin; Chief Yeoman, U.S.N. It was founded in Philadelphia (First meeting held in April, 1922, at the Association's first meeting there were less than one hundred members enrolled.) and chartered on November 11, 1924 under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. After the Philadelphia Organization had expanded to a National Organization, the National Convention held in Baltimore in 1926 authorized the transfer of the National Organization to Washington, D.C. as of January 1, 1927.

The Fleet Reserve Association has no legal connection with the "Fleet Reserve" component of the United States Navy as established by Congress. It is an organization of enlisted men and temporary officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (active, fleet reservists and retired) who have six (6) years or more of active federal service. The Fleet Reserve Association is respected and admired by ranking officers and officials of the Navy Department. The Navy Times, recognized us in their editorial of November 12, 1955 edition. I quote, "The Fleet Reserve Association is a lobby. It is one of the best on Capitol Hill. It's one of the best because its programs are reasonable and sound “.

In addition to its legislative advocacy efforts, the Fleet Reserve Association assists its members with career problems by maintaining close liaison with the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and other government agencies. The Fleet Reserve Association continues to educate members of Congress, many of whom have little or no military experience, on the challenges facing career personnel.

Organized in 1930, the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association is chartered to aid, assist and promote all matters pertaining to welfare, social, and patriotic works of the Fleet Reserve Association, its members and their families. Membership in the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association is limited to spouses, parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, children, stepchildren and grandchildren not less than 16 years of age of members of the Fleet Reserve Association.

Over 200 Units are located throughout the United States and overseas. The Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association is proud of the heritage and traditions of this great nation and we recognize the sacrifices, past and present, needed to keep us strong and free.

top of page

back a page