CORINNE W. BIENVENU (NEE CORINNE WELLS)

JULY 14. 1939.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed

Mr. FADDIS, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 2370]

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 2370) for the relief of Corinne W. Bienvenu, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with a recommendation that it do pass.

The purpose of this measure is to consider Corinne W. Bienvenu, who served under her maiden name of Corinne Wells as a Reserve nurse, to have been honorably discharged from the military service as a Reserve nurse on December 29, 1917.

Reserve Nurse Corinne Wells was called to active duty November 6, 1917, and relieved from active duty on December 26, 1917. Miss Wells was ignorant of the many Army regulations on administration; and because she erred in the manner in which she submitted her resignation, the records indicate she was relieved for misconduct, having abandoned the service in advance of discharge.

In the War Department report, which follows, it is stated the Department feels that the action relieving her from active duty occurred under unfortunate circumstances, rendering it unduly severe and unjustified.

Hon. MORRIS SHEPPARD,

Chairman, Committee on Military Affairs,

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, May 24, 1939.

United States Senate.

DEAR SENATOR SHEPPARD: Further reference is made to your letter of May 10, 1939, requesting information regarding S. 2370, Seventy-sxith Congress, first session, a bill for the relief of Corinne W. Bienvenu (nee Corinne Wells), a copy of which measure you enclosed.

S. 2370 provides by its terms "That in the administration of any laws conferring rights, privileges, or benefits upon honorably discharged members of the Army Nurse Corps Corinne W. Bienvenu, who served under her maiden name of Corinne Wells as a Reserve nurse, shall hereafter be held and considered to have been

honorably discharged from the military service of the United States as a Reserve nurse on December 29, 1917: Provided, That no bounty, back pay, pension, or allowance shall be held to have accrued prior to the passage of this act." The enclosed statement of service prepared in the office of The Adjutant General from the official records reveals that the beneficiary named in the bill was relieved from active duty on December 29, 1917, for misconduct, a separation from service under other than honorable conditions.

In reviewing the record of the former Reserve nurse, Army Nurse Corps, it is found that Corinne Wells was notified of her assignment to active duty October 23, 1917, by the Surgeon General of the Army and took oath of office in response thereto on November 6, 1917. On the same date she was requested to communicate with the Surgeon General regarding the nonreceipt of her oath of office, which notification she complied with on November 15, 1917. Under date of December 3, 1917, Corinne Wells submitted her resignation direct to the Surgeon General, stating physical unfitness as a reason therefor. It was received on December 7, 1917. Under date of December 8, 1917, Miss Wells was notified by the superintendent, Army Nurse Corps, that the request that her resignation be accepted had been received, stating further: "I am directed by the Surgeon General to inform you that all such requests must be sent in officially through your chief nurse and commanding officer before any action can be taken by this office." On December 9, 1917, the commanding officer, base hospital, Camp Beauregard, La., reported to the Surgeon General of the Army as follows: "Report Miss Corinne Wells, who contracted measles while on duty at this hospital, was granted 7 days' leave without pay-November 27 to December 3, 1917, inclusive. She returned from leave, secured her effects, and left again, informing the chief nurse that she had sent her resignation to Washington." Under date of December 26, 1917, the Surgeon General, upon receiving notice from the commanding officer of the hospital through the division surgeon, that Miss Wells had not returned, directed her relief from active duty for misconduct, having abandoned the service in advance of discharge. Action was taken relieving her from duty under that authority on December 29, 1917.

It would appear, from the above, that Miss Wells' dealings regarding her assignment to active duty had been direct with the Surgeon General; that she had actually performed duty at the hospital only over the short period from November 6 to 26, 1917; that as late as November 15, 1917, she had communicated with the Surgeon General under direction to do so, and that on December 3, 1917, she returned from leave, removed her effects, and notified the chief nurse of the hospital of the submission of her resignation direct to Washington. It does not appear that she was advised by the chief nurse December 3, 1917, of any irregularity in the procedure. There is no indication that the reason given for her action in resigning would not have been accepted as good had her resignation been submitted through proper channels or that by her short period of service she had established that her service was indispensable.

Although the former Reserve nurse was charged with knowledge of the regulations regarding the procedure to be followed in submitting her resignation, and the Surgeon General had full authority under the regulations to take the action relieving her from active duty for misconduct, the Department feels that the action occurred under unfortunate circumstances, rendering it unduly severe and, therefore, unjustified.

For the reason stated, the War Department will interpose no objection to the favorable consideration of S. 2370.

Sincerely yours,

LOUIS JOHNSON, Acting Secretary of War.

CASE OF CORINNE W. BIENVENU (NEE CORINNE WELLS), RESERVE NURSE, ARMY NURSE CORPS

WAR DEPARTMENT,
THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE,
May 23, 1959.

The honorable the SECRETARY OF WAR:
The records of this office show that Corinne Wells was notified on October 23,
1917, of her assignment to active duty as a Reserve nurse, Army Nurse Corps,
and that she took oath of office and entered on active duty November 6, 1917, at
base hospital, Camp Beauregard, La. She was granted 7 days' leave without pay

from November 27 to December 3, 1917, inclusive. She returned from leave, and after securing her effects and informing the chief nurse that she had sent her resignation to Washington, left December 3, 1917, without proper leave. The resignation was received but was never accepted, since it was not forwarded through proper channels. Upon receipt of information that the Reserve nurse had not returned to duty, the Surgeon General, on December 26, 1917, directed that she be relieved from active duty for misconduct, having abandoned the service in advance of discharge. Action was taken under that authority relieving Corinne Wells from active duty on December 29, 1917. Respectfully submitted.

[S. 2370, 76th Cong., 1st sess.l

E. S. ADAMS,
Major General,
The Adjutant General.

AN ACT For the relief of Corinne W. Bienvenu (nee Corinne Wells)

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in the administration of any laws conferring rights, privileges, or benefits upon honorably discharged members of the Army Nurse Corps Corinne W. Bienvenu, who served under her maiden name of Corinne Wells as a Reserve nurse, shall hereafter be held and considered to have been honorably discharged from the military service of the United States as a Reserve nurse on December 29, 1917: Provided, That no bounty, back pay, pension, or allowance shall be held to have accrued prior to the passage of this Act. Passed the Senate June 30, 1939. Attest:

EDWIN A. HALSEY,

H. Repts., 76–1, vol. 5

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О

Secretary.