Editing 78-06-B1 (section)

= Fighting Cal Graham =

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=== Transcript ===
In 1942 America was at war with Germany and Japan, and a patriotic Texas lad
joined the Navy to do his part. He completed basic training. He was made a
gunner on that gallant old battle wagon the USS South Dakota. At Guadalcanal and
Santa Cruz, Cal Graham bravely fed 40 millimeter shells to his anti-aircraft gun
as enemy planes raked his ship with a deadly hail of bullets. He was severely
injured in the mouth by a shipboard accident, and he was awarded three ribbons
and medals for his dedicated service.

But then the Navy Department received a copy of a document from a citizen.
And when the Navy digested the message of that document, it snatched Cal Graham
from his gun and flew him home to the States. Cal was locked in the brig for
three months, then dismissed from the Navy without an honorable discharge.

You see, the document received by the Navy was Cal Graham's birth certificate.
It came from Cal's mother. And it proved that fighting Cal Graham was only twelve
years old when he enlisted, and 13 when he faced the blazing guns of enemy planes
in the South Pacific.

So, for Cal Graham, aged 13 World War II was over. When the Korean War broke
out, Cal Graham--by then 21 --enlisted in the Marine Corps to once again fight for
his country. While in the Marines he suffered another serious accident--a broken
back. For this injury he was given an honorable medical discharge and eligibility
for Veteran's medical care benefits.

But for his mouth injury from World War II, Cal can't get any help at all. He
has appealed time and time again, but his appeals are invariably denied. The
Navy argues that since Cal Graham, age 12, forged documents in order to enlist,
he was technically never in the Navy and therefore cannot be discharged.

At last, however, fighting Cal Graham has found some friends. Senators Lloyd
Bentsen and John Tower of Texas are sponsoring a Senate bill to give Cal Graham
an honorable discharge from the Navy. That will sweep away the bureaucratic
roadblocks and make Cal eligible for the medical and dental care he has long
deserved but never been eligible to receive.

Passing the Bentsen-Tower bill is about the least Congress can do to right the
wrong for Cal Graham. In recent years, since the end of the Vietnam War, thousands
of former servicemen have had their discharges upgraded to "honorable" under the
Ford and Carter amnesty programs. No doubt a great many of these beneficiaries
of amnesty were originally denied an honorable discharge simply because they did,
not want to fight.

Cal Graham wanted to fight for his country. And, given the chance, (even at
age 13), he fought side-by-side with men. Congress now owes Cal Graham at least
as good a deal as it gave to thousands of others who tried every trick to avoid
having to fight for their country. 

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.
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=== Details ===
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<TR><TD WIDTH="150">Batch Number</TD><TD WIDTH="150">{{PAGENAME}}</TD></TR>
<TD>Production Date</TD><TD>03/13/[[Radio1978|1978]]</TD></TR>
<TD>Book/Page</TD><TD>[https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/public/2024-07/40-656-7386263-014-008-2024.pdf#PAGE=43 Online PDF]</TD></TR>
<TD>Audio</TD><TD></TD></TR>
<TD>Youtube?</TD><TD>No</TD></TR>
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===Added Notes===

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