Grant v. United States

162 Ct. Cl. 600, 1963 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 120, 1963 WL 8527
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedJuly 12, 1963
DocketNo. 30-62
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 162 Ct. Cl. 600 (Grant 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
Grant v. United States, 162 Ct. Cl. 600, 1963 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 120, 1963 WL 8527 (cc 1963).

Opinion

Laramore, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiff, a Navy enlisted man discharged from the Navy with a general discharge under honorable conditions, claims that said discharge was invalid and seeks to recover the pay and allowances he would have received if he had been allowed to remain in the Navy until the normal expiration of his second enlistment, June 5, 1964. He also seeks to recover the portion of his enlistment bonus which the Government recouped at the time of his discharge. In addition, plaintiff asks judgment for a travel allowance for the transportation of his family from his place of discharge in Washington, D.O., to his domicile in Maine.

Both plaintiff and defendant have filed motions for summary judgment based on the following facts which are shown from the pleadings, affidavit, and exhibits attached.

The facts are not in dispute. On August 17,1954, plaintiff enlisted in the U.S. Navy for a period of four years. At the end of that enlistment, plaintiff received an honorable discharge and on the next day, June 5,1958, he re-enlisted for a period of six years. At the time of his re-enlistment, plaintiff was given a re-enlistment bonus of $1,080 pursuant to [603]*603section 208 of the Career Compensation Act of 1949, as amended, 68 Stat. 488 (1954), 37 U.S.C. § 239.

On December 14, 1960, plaintiff was given a general discharge under honorable conditions in accordance with the provisions of Article C-10311 of the Navy Bureau of Personnel Manual. At the time of his discharge plaintiff was paid for 36 days of unused leave. Also at that time, pursuant to section 208 of the Career Compensation Act of 1949, mpra, plaintiff was required to refund that portion of his re-enlistment bonus which represented the unexpired portion of his second enlistment.

Plaintiff received a general discharge because of an act of oral sodomy with a female prostitute which occurred in Lisbon, Portugal, in October of 1958 during his last enlistment in the U.S. Navy. Although his discharge was based on the act above recited, the administrative proceedings occurring prior to his discharge also established that he was charged with being involved in four abnormal sexual acts prior to entering the Navy and during his first enlistment.

The events which culminated in plaintiff’s general discharge on December 14,1960 are as follows:

On April 4,1960, while plaintiff was stationed at the U.S'. Naval Station, Washington, D.C., he was questioned by an agent from the Office of Naval Intelligence in connection with an investigation being conducted into alleged homosexual activity of certain members serving on board plaintiff’s former duty station, the USS DUXBURY BAY. Apparently, allegations had been made concerning homosexual activities on the part of an enlisted man on board that ship, who had the same last name as plaintiff. This suspect— plaintiff’s namesake — had denied knowledge of such activities, and had suggested that the allegations might, in fact, have been made concerning an entirely different Grant who had formerly served on board the USS DUXBURY BAY, namely, the plaintiff.

Prior to his questioning by the Naval Intelligence agent, plaintiff was informed that he need not make any statement, and that if he did so, any statement that he made could be used against him. In the ensuing interview, plaintiff voluntarily gave the intelligence agent a statement which was [604]*604reduced to writing and signed by plaintiff after be had read it, and been permitted to make any changes that he desired. In that statement plaintiff denied that he had engaged in any homosexual activity aboard the USS DUXBUBY BAY, but he admitted participation as a passive partner in homosexual acts of oral perversion (fellatio) on several occasions prior to his entry in service, and on two occasions during his first enlistment. Moreover, plaintiff admitted that he had been a party to acts of oral perversion (fellatio) involving female prostitutes in 1956, during his first enlistment, and on one occasion in 1958, during his second enlistment.

As a result of these admissions, and pursuant to plaintiff’s request to have his “case heard by a board of not less than three officers”, the Commanding Officer of the U.S. Naval Station, Washington, D.C., convened a Field Board of Officers to inquire into all the pertinent facts relating to plaintiff’s possible separation from the Navy. This was done in accordance with the provisions of Articles C-10311 and C-10313 of the Bureau of Naval Personnel Manual. A hearing before the Field Board was held at the U.S. Naval Station, Washington, D.C., on July 5, i960. The statement plaintiff had given the Naval Intelligence agent was introduced into evidence at that hearing as was a portion of a report of a psychiatric examination of plaintiff performed by the U.S. Naval Dispensary, Washington, D.C., on May 10, 1960. In that report, it was stated that: “* * * the history was reviewed and confirmed with the patient and he agrees with the written statement that he made on 1¡, April 1960A [The statement given to the Naval Intelligence Agent.]

At the hearing, plaintiff, who was represented by military counsel, testified in his own behalf. In his testimony he reiterated all the matters contained in his previous statement to the Naval Intelligence agent, including the fact that he had been a partner to an act of oral sodomy with a female prostitute in 1958.

Based on the evidence presented at the hearing the members of the Field Board of Officers unanimously recommended that plaintiff be discharged under honorable conditions. On July 26,1960, plaintiff’s Commanding Officer forwarded the report of the Field Board to the Board of Naval Person[605]*605nel, expressing concurrence with the Field Board’s recommendation that plaintiff be discharged from the Naval Service with a general discharge under honorable conditions.

On August 1, 1960, in accordance with the provisions of Article C-10311 (sec. 2) and Article C-10313A (sec. 8) of the Bureau of Naval Personnel Manual, the Enlisted Performance Evaluation Board reviewed plaintiff’s records at the behest of the Chief of Naval Personnel, and recommended that he be issued an undesirable discharge by reason of unfitness. This recommendation was approved by the Chief of Naval Personnel, with the notation to the effect that the undesirable discharge was “based on perverted acts with women admitted by respondent during this enlistment.”

Inasmuch as the type of discharge recommended by the Enlisted Performance Evaluation Board was of a less favorable nature than that which had been recommended by the Field Board of Officers (undesirable vis-a-vis general), section 9(b), of Article C-10313, afforded plaintiff the opportunity to make further representation to show cause why this less favorable action should not be taken. By letter dated August 22,1960, plaintiff took advantage of this opportunity and requested a hearing wherein he would be allowed to appear personally before the Enlisted Performance Evaluation Board.

A hearing before the Enlisted Performance Evaluation Board was held on October 27, 1960. Plaintiff was present at this hearing and was represented by counsel, but refrained from testifying and his counsel would not permit him to answer questions propounded by the Board.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
162 Ct. Cl. 600, 1963 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 120, 1963 WL 8527, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grant-v-united-states-cc-1963.