Badders v. United States

97 Ct. Cl. 506, 1942 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 5, 1942 WL 4446
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedDecember 7, 1942
DocketNo. 45213
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 97 Ct. Cl. 506 (Badders v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Badders v. United States, 97 Ct. Cl. 506, 1942 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 5, 1942 WL 4446 (cc 1942).

Opinion

MaddeN, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

On January 0, 1940, the President of the United States addressed to plaintiff the communication which appears in No. 1 of the Special Findings of Fact. Plaintiff claims that under the applicable statute a gratuity of $100 should have been paid him after he was awarded the medal mentioned in the President’s communication. The gratuity was not paid, and plaintiff here sues for it.

Plaintiff says that the Medal of Honor was awarded to him pursuant to the terms of the Act of March 3, 1901, [509]*509which act specifically provides for a $100 gratuity. The money has not been paid because the Comptroller of the Treasury in 1919 (27 Comp. Dec. 297) and the Comptroller General in two decisions since that time (1 Comp. Gen. 240; 5 Comp. Gen. 258) have held that a 1919 statute (Chap. 14,40 Stat. 1056, U. S. C. A., Tit. 84, Secs. 856-364) repealed the Act of 1901 and set up a new and different system of rewards for heroism in the Navy, under which system the President could not confer the Congressional Medal of Honor for peacetime heroism, but only a Distinguished Service Medal or a Navy Cross.

It is necessary to set out the pertinent statutory provisions.

Section 1407 of the Revised Statutes (derived from Act of May 17, 1864, 13 Stat. 79) provides:

Seamen distinguishing themselves in battle, or by extraordinary heroism in the line of their profession, may be promoted to forward warrant officers, upon the recommendation of their commanding officer, approved by the flag officer and Secretary of the Navy. And upon such recommendation they shall receive a gratuity of $100 and a medal of honor, to be prepared under the direction of the Navy Department.

Chapter 850 of the Act of March 3, 1901 (Chap. 50, 31 Stat. 1099, IT. S. C. A., Tite 34, Section 351), provides:

An Act for the reward of enlisted men of the Navy or Marine Corps.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That any enlisted man of the Navy or Marine Corps who shall have distinguished himself in battle or displayed extraordinary heroism, in the line of his profession shall, upon the recommendation of his commanding officer, approved by the flag officer and the Secretary of the Navy, receive a gratuity and medal of honor as provided for seamen in section fourteen hundred and seven of the Revised Statutes.

The Act of February 4, 1919 (Chap. 14, 40 Stat. 1056, U. S. C. A., Title 34, Section 354-364), provides:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to. present, in the name of Congress, a medal of honor to any person [510]*510who, while in the naval service of the United States, shall, in action involving actual conflict with the enemy, distinguish himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty and without detriment to the mission of his command or the command to which attached.
Seo. 2. That, the President be, and he hereby is. further authorized to present, but not in the name or Congress, a distinguished-service medal of appropriate design and a ribbon, together with a rosette or other device to be worn in lieu thereof, to any person who, while in the naval service of the United States, since the sixth day of April, nineteen hundred and seventeen, has distinguished, or who hereafter shall distinguish, himself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility.
Sec. 3. That the President be, and he hereby is, further authorized to present, but not in the name of Congress, a Navy cross of appropriate design and a ribbon, together with a rosette or other device to be worn in lieu thereof, to any person who, while in the naval service of the United States, since the sixth day of April, nineteen hundred and seventeen, has distinguished, or who shall hereafter distinguish, himself by extraordinary heroism or distinguished service in the line of his profession, such heroism or service not being sufficient to justify the award of a medal of honor or a distinguished-service medal.
Sec. 4. That each enlisted or enrolled person of the naval service to whom is awarded a medal of honor, distinguished-service medal, or a Navy cross shall, for each such award, be entitled to additional pay at the rate of $2 per month from the date of the distinguished act or service on which the award is based, and each bar, or other suitable emblem or insignia, in lieu of a medal of honor, distinguished-service medal, or Navy cross, as hereinafter provided for, shall entitle him to further additional pay at the rate of $2 per month from the date of the distinguished act or service for which the bar is awarded, and such additional pay shall continue throughout his active service, whether such service shall or shall not be continuous.
Sec. 5. That no more than one medal of honor or one distinguished-service medal or one Navy cross shall be issued to any one person; but for each succeeding deed or service sufficient to justify the award of a medal of honor or a distinguished-service medal [511]*511or Navy cross, respectively, the President may award a suitable bar, or other suitable emblem or insignia, to be worn with the decoration and the corresponding rosette or other device.
Seo. 6. That the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized to expend from the appropriation “Pay of the Navy” of the Navy Department so much as may be necessary to defray the cost of the medals of honor, distinguished-service medals, and Navy crosses, and bars, emblems, or insignia herein provided for, and so much as may be necessary to replace any medals, crosses, bars, emblems, or insignia as are herein or may heretofore have been provided for: Provided, That such replacement shall be made only in those cases where the medal of honor, distinguished-service medal, or Navy cross, or bar, emblem, or insignia presented under the provisions of this or any other Act shall have been lost, destroyed, or rendered unfit for use without fault or neglect on the part of the person to whom it was awarded, and shall be made without charge therefor.
Seo. 7. That, except as otherwise prescribed herein, no medal of honor, distinguished-service medal, Navy cross, or bar or other suitable emblem or insignia in lieu of either of said medals or of said cross, shall be issued to any person after more than five years from the date of the act or service justifying the award thereof, nor unless a specific statement or report distinctly setting forth the act or distinguished service and suggesting or recommending official recognition thereof shall have been made by his naval superior through official channels at the time of the act or service or within three years thereafter.
Seo. 8.

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97 Ct. Cl. 506, 1942 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 5, 1942 WL 4446, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/badders-v-united-states-cc-1942.