Yocum v. United States

589 F. Supp. 706, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15189
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJuly 6, 1984
DocketCiv. A. CA-81-4014
StatusPublished

This text of 589 F. Supp. 706 (Yocum v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Yocum v. United States, 589 F. Supp. 706, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15189 (E.D. Pa. 1984).

Opinion

[707]*707FINDINGS OF FACT and CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

SHAPIRO, District Judge.

INTRODUCTION

Mark Yocum, a Naval reservist involuntarily activated, brought this action against the Government following his term of service to recover as damages wages he would have earned as a civilian had he not been forced to return to active duty. Jurisdiction is asserted under the Tucker Act, 28 U.S.C. § 134.6(a)(2). Plaintiff asserts a Government breach of his Navy enlistment contract.

Plaintiffs original complaint, filed in October, 1981, contained three Counts. Counts I and II, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for alleged violations of Navy regulations and the Fifth Amendment, were dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. No waiver from the doctrine of sovereign immunity was found to apply. The suit filed against the Secretary of the Navy in his official capacity was also barred because it was really an action against the sovereign. Count III, brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, was dismissed for failure to state a claim because that statute applies to persons acting under the color of state rather than federal law. Plaintiffs motion for summary judgment was denied. However, plaintiff was given leave to file an amended complaint if a good faith claim for breach of contract could be stated under the Tucker Act. Plaintiff subsequently did file an amended complaint that reduced the amount claimed in damages to less than $10,000. Defendants’ motion to dismiss the amended complaint was denied because the amended complaint asserted that there was a contract between plaintiff and defendants that had been breached by defendants. Defendants subsequently filed a motion for summary judgment; after hearing oral argument, the court denied that motion in order to allow plaintiff full opportunity to present the alleged contract and breach at trial. Following a bench trial on May 23,. 1984, the court finds in favor of defendants.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. On December 19, 1975, plaintiff enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve for a period of six (6) years.

2. At that time, he executed a document entitled “Enlistment or Reenlistment Agreement — Armed Forces of the United States” (the “Agreement”).

3. Section III, Paragraph 11 of the Agreement provides: “I will receive the pay and allowances and other benefits as provided by law and regulation.”

4. Section III, Paragraph 12 of the Agreement further provides: “With regard to any other benefits, I understand that only those promises, if any, recorded herein or Annex(es) A, B, C attached hereto will be honored and that any other promises not contained therein made by any person are not effective and will not be honored.” [Annexes A, B, C are not relevant here.]

5. Plaintiff agreed to serve a minimum of four (4) months on active duty.

6. Plaintiff agreed to serve the balance of enlistment term in the Ready Reserve.

7. Under Ready Reserve status, plaintiff was obligated to attend a minimum of forty-eight (48) drills per year and serve on active duty for training at least fourteen (14) days per year; or serve on active duty for no more than thirty (30) days per year.

8. Section IV, Paragraph 14(b)(3) of the Agreement provides: “As a member of the Ready Reserve, if I am not assigned to, or participating satisfactorily in, a unit of the Ready Reserve, have not fulfilled my statutory reserve obligation; and have not served on active duty for a total of 24 months; I may be ordered to active duty without my consent until my total service on active duty equals 24 months. If my enlistment or other period of military service expires before I have served the required period, it may be extended until I have completed the required active service[.]”

[708]*7089. Plaintiff certified that he read and understood the Agreement.

10. Plaintiff served on active duty from January to July, 1976.

11. On July 11, 1976, plaintiff executed a statement of understanding (the “Statement”) at his reserve unit in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

12. The Statement acknowledged that unexcused absences of scheduled drills could not be made up and subjected the reservist to involuntary activation.

13. By March, 1978, plaintiffs level of participation in the mandatory drills was unsatisfactory.

14. Plaintiff was told this by his direct superior, R.W. McLellon, Officer-in-Charge, who recommended his placement on probationary drilling status.

15. This recommendation was approved by J.W. Pfleger, Commander, Naval Reserve Readiness Command, Region Five.

16. By June, 1978, plaintiffs participation was again unsatisfactory.

17. This time McLellon nominated plaintiff to active duty.

18. This nomination was endorsed by Commanding Officer J.R. Durmick.

19. In September, 1978, upon learning of plaintiffs participation in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, Pfleger refused to activate plaintiff for duty but ordered continuation of his probationary status instead.

20. Plaintiffs attendance record remained unsatisfactory.

21. On March 4, 1979, McLellon again nominated plaintiff to active duty.

22. McLellon’s nomination letter was forwarded, the same day, to Pfleger by Commanding Officer R.E. Rogers, who recommended its approval.

23. Copies of the nomination letter and the endorsement were sent to plaintiff by certified mail to the address the McKeesport Reserve Center had on file for plaintiff: RD I, Knoxville Road, Stuebenville, Ohio 43952. A signed receipt acknowledged delivery of the nomination letter, the endorsement and the enclosures.

24. The address the McKeesport Reserve Center had on file for plaintiff was then the address of plaintiff’s parents.

25. Plaintiff’s parents had forwarded mail addressed to plaintiff prior to the certified nomination letter.

26. Plaintiff either received McLellon’s nomination letter or did not receive it because he did not request his parents forward it.

27. Included in the nomination letter were copies of the notice of his first unexcused drill and the notice of his sixth unexcused drill with a warning that he was being nominated for active duty and that he could include a statement explaining unsatisfactory performance in the nomination letter.

28. Pfleger concurred in McLellon’s nomination; therefore, by letter prepared April 2, 1979, plaintiff was ordered to report on May 14, 1979 for active duty for a period of seventeen (17) months.

29. There is no proof that Pfleger’s order was mailed to plaintiff.

30. From Fall of 1976 to Spring of 1978, plaintiff was living in Wintersville, Ohio.

31. From Spring of 1978 to Fall of 1978, plaintiff was living in Richmond, Ohio, at which time he moved to Toronto, Ohio.

32. Plaintiff informed the Naval Finance Center in Cleveland, Ohio of his changes of address; monthly payment checks were delivered to him at each of these addresses: Apt.

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Bluebook (online)
589 F. Supp. 706, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15189, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yocum-v-united-states-paed-1984.