The White Falcon - 28.05.1965, Qupperneq 1

AFWL’s Eighth Ranked Sea Service Newspaper - 1964
THE WHITES
U.S. NAVAL STATION, KEFLAVIK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ICELAND
Volume IV, Number 20 Friday, May 28, 1965
AWARDS AND INSPECTION—The handing out of Good Conduct Certificates took place during the
monthly Personnel Inspection held Saturday at 9:3 0 a.m. in Hangar 831. Cdr Richard C. James, com-
manding officer of U.S. Naval Station, Keflavik, (left) presents the Good Conduct Certificate and
fourth award to Frederick F. Boll, Jr., AEC. The ot her four sailors who received the certificates were
Lloyd D. Harris, Jr., SK2, first award; Robert R. Maloney, BM2, third award; Carl R. DeBlank, CS3,
first award; and Dale A. Germain, CS1, fifth award. The picture on the right shows Commander James
inspecting the ranks.
President Johnson’s Bill To Offer
5% Pay Increase To Military Personnel
President Johnson submitted to the Congress a proposed bill to adjust the rates of
pay of the military services and federal civilian employees in fiscal year 1966 on May 12.
This proposed bill also contains a provision to establish a Federal salary review com-
mission to be convened in calendar year 1966 to conduct a first quadrennial review of
the monetary relationships of federal civilian employees and the military service.
This commission will provide a permanent mechanism for impartial review at four
intervals. The proposal further provides a formal means by which annual pay adjust-
ments in intervening years can*^
become effective without specific
legislative action by the Congress.
Compensation Adjustments
This procedure would authorize
the President to immediately ef-
fect compensation adjustments at
the expiration of 60 days following
the transmittal to the Congress
of an adjustment proposal, unless
the Congress during those 60 days
passed a resolution indicating dis-
favor.
For All Except Under Two
The specific adjustments recom-
mended by the President to be ef-
fective in 1966 call for increases
as follows: for all except enlisted
personnel with under 2 years ser-
vice, an average increase of 5
per cent in military base pay; an
average increase in federal civi-
lian salaries of 3 per cent (these
proposed adjustments are calcu-
lated to restore the relationships
between federal, civilian and mili-
tary pay which were established
in 1963); a 2.7 per cent cost of
living increase in base pay of en-
listed personnel with under 2
years of service.
Gen. Holcomb Dies
Brig. Gen. Thomas Holcomb,
USMC (Ret.), died May 24.
General Holcomb was com-
mandant of the Marine Corps
when he retired in 1943.
Flags on the NATO Base
were at half staff as the White
Falcon went to press Wednes-
day. They are scheduled to re-
main at half staff until sunset
this evening.
Full military honors are to
be given the general at Arling-
ton National Cemetery.
Reenlistment Bonuses
A new feature of military com-
pensation has been addressed as
well. This would provide authority
to pay multiples of the present
reenlistment bonus upon first re-
enlistment to military personnel
designated as having critical mili-
tary skill. This proposal is an
advanced step in evolutionary de-
velopment of separate pay for
technical skills.
Increased retention of experi-
enced and skilled personnel is a
primary objective. This proposal
will provide a flexible administra-
tive means to focus additional in-
centives in the most critical areas
of need.
The President’s bill continues
the effort which began in 1962 to
develop and modernize Federal
compensation practices. Further
improvements in Armed Service
compensation systems will be re-
inforced by the quadrennial re-
views to be conducted by impartial
commissions.
One Year Of Obligated Service
Must Be Due For Promotion
Attention all sailors who are going up for first or second
class petty officers!
According to a new ruling issued by the Chief of Naval
Personnel, those who take the August 1965 tests and make
the rate effective Nov. 1, 1965, must have at least one year
of obligated service left.
If not, one must sign an agree-'
ment to extend or reenlist for one
year or that amount of time as to
complete one full year in the new
rate.
Try To Curb Discharges
The move is to try to curb those
who upon promotion to E-5 or
E-6 have accepted discharges just
after receiving the new stripes.
This has denied promotions of
men who desire to stay or extend
awhile plus the fact that much
money and time is wasted.
The Navy hopes that with the
new monthly promotion system
declined, promotion will be filled
by another man in the promotion
cycle.
Nine Months To Ponder
For those who first turn down
that extra stripe because of ex-
tension or reenlistment etc., they
will have approximately nine
months to change their minds.
The midsummer tests’ final ad-
vancement date is May 15, 1966,
while next February’s exam is
not concluded until the following
November 1966.
If one changes his mind he must
serve from the date he accepts
the promotion and not at the ini-
tial advancement date.
More information on this new
ruling can be found in BuPers
Notice 1980 of May 5.
Cpl. R. Taylor Given
Medal For Heroism
Cpl. Rodney E. Taylor, USMC, was posthumously awarded
the Navy-Marine Corps Medal (the highest military award
that can be given for heroism in peacetime) Jan. 17, 1964,
it was learned recently.
Corporal Taylor arrived at Keflavik Marine Barracks
Jan. 17, 1964 and lost his life on duty as sergeant of the
guard while attempting to rescue’*’
a Boy Scout being swept out to
sea Sept. 19, 1964. He was over-
come by exhaustion and exposure
when he tried to swim out and
rescue the scout who was clinging
to some boards in the bitter cold
water of the bay off Iceland’s
southwestern shore. The scout was
later rescued by a Naval Station
helicopter.
Signed By Paul Nitze
A citation signed by Paul Nitze,
secretary of the Navy, on behalf
of the President of the United
States and the Commandant of
the Marine Corps, accompanied
the award.
The medal and citation were
presented to Mrs. Littlejohn,
Taylor’s mother, by Maj. Robert
Boles, USMC, inspector-instructor
for the Marine Reserves at Chat-
tanooga, Tenn.
“We are here to pay tribute to
a young man whose act was the
ultimate a man can give. He gave
his life for another,” Major Boles
told those present.
His Heroism Rare
“In wartime, acts of heroism
are commonplace. But in peace-
time such acts are rare—and rare,
indeed,” he said.
Major Boles then read the cita-
tion and presented the medal to
Mrs. Littlejohn, who was seated
with her family and Miss Judith
Mitchell of Savannah, Ga., Tay-
lor’s fiancee (they had planned a
wedding in January), at a table
in the chamber of Chattanooga’s
City Hall. Members of the family
with Mrs. Littlejohn included
Virgil D. Littlejohn, the husband
and step-father; Perry Littlejohn,
13, and Kathy Littlejohn, 11, half-
brother and half-sister of Corporal
Taylor.
Family’s Statement
Following the presentation of
the award, SSgt. Paul Allen,
USMC, read a statement prepared
by the family as a response. The
statement is as follows:
“My family and I appreciate
the high honor bestowed upon our
son and brother.
“He fought a good-fight—and
God chose to decorate him with
the greatest award.
“In my son’s absence, I will ac-
cept his medal with the same
pride, and with the knowledge his
efforts were not fruitless. Thank
you,” the reply, which was signed
by Katherine Littlejohn, concluded.
Taylor From South
Corporal Taylor was born Oct.
4, 1942 and spent his youth in
LaFayette, Ga., graduating from
LaFayette High School in 1961.
He learned to swim in a creek
near his home at the age of 7,
enjoyed the sport and developed
into a good swimmer, his mother
related.
Miss Mitchell was brought to
LaFayette by Sergeant Allen to
attend the awards ceremony. She
(Continued on page 6.)
Gen. Besson
Visits Keflavik
Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Beeson,
commander of the Goose Air De-
fense Sector, arrived here Mon-
day evening to pay his final of-
ficial visit to Air Forces Iceland
units.
The general has been notified of
a new assignment effective next
month and is currently making a
swing around GADS units on
farewell visits. He has been com-
mander of the sector since Decem-
ber 1963. His command stretched
from southern Newfoundland to
northern Greenland and Iceland,
covering more than a million
square miles.
General Beeson spent Monday
evening visiting with officers of
AFI units here, and Tuesday
morning boarded a plane for Hofn
where he made a last inspection
of H-3, an Air Force radar site
nestled at the bottom of a rugged
Icelandic mountain range.
He returned to Keflavik that
afternoon, visiting AFI sections
and then was guest speaker at an
officers dining-in Tuesday night.
General Beeson is a command
pilot with more than 3,900 flying
hours primarily in single-engined
aircraft, including 1,864 hours in
jet fighters. He is combat-ready
in the F-102 fighter-interceptor.
NEW CHEVRONS—Capt T. J. Bratten, commanding officer of U.S.
Naval Communication Station, Iceland, presents Certificates of Ad-
vancement in Rate to (from left to right) James L. Carte, ETN3, Wil-
liam T. Staman, ETN2 and Roger N. Montgomery, ETN2, while Lt
W. J. Farrel, officer in charge of H-2 Site looks on. The ceremonies
took place in the Administration Office of H-2 Site, Langanes, Iceland,
May 18, 1965.