Pure Government Idiocy

[KG_Kharkov]

This is the idiocy that I deal with in registering veterans with the memorial (start at the bottom with the memorial's response to my registration of a female veteran):

My response:

Doesn't this unfairly discriminate against women? The woman I was trying to register changed her name after she got married. Her marriage took place after her service in WW2. If I list her under her maiden name, her current relatives won't be able to find her entry. Similarly, if I register under her current name, someone who was doing research wouldn't be able to find any records for her since she served under her maiden name. I register male veterans frequently -- they obviously don't have this issue. I can easily delete the references to Ms. Shlakman and just say she, but feel I should be allowed to list her maiden name at the time of the war.

This is the proposed entry I submitted:

Mrs. Wilma Shlakman (known as Willmenia Goldstein at the time of the war) served as a Sergeant in the 2502nd SCU. Mrs. Shlakman initially joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and served in the Corps from April 26, 1943 to August 6, 1943, at which time her WAAC unit was fully incorporated into the U.S. Army. She served in the Woman’s Army Corps of the U.S. Army from August 6, 1943 to January 17, 1946.

Mrs. Shlakman was inducted into the Army in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and did her basic training in Florida where she was trained in the handling of classified materials and in photography. After completing her basic training, she served in Washington, D.C. and was stationed at the Pentagon. While at the Pentagon, Ms. Shlakman worked in an intelligence unit responsible for coordinating the presentation of intelligence to Army officers.


Ms. Shlakman was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the American Theater Service Medal, the WAAC Service Ribbon, and the World War II Victory Medal.



-----Original Message-----
From: WWII REGISTRY [mailto:wwiicustserv@americancustomercare.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 12:58 PM
To: Johnson, John
Subject: Your WWII Honoree update has been declined




The update made to your honoree, Wilma Shlakman, was declined at 6/27/2006 12:57:30 PM by the American Battle Monuments Commission. You may re-edit your honoree's information at the National WWII Memorial's Registry of Remembrances at http://www.wwiimemorial.com.

Reviewers Comment:

Registry does not permit proper names in honoree's note. Please edit and resubmit. Thank you.

If you have any questions, contact us at wwiicustserv@americancustomercare.com (or just reply to this email).

[KG_Jag]

JJ--if these bureaucratic clowns don't relent or can't get there DOS based computer program to accept more than one name, I suggest two options.

First, insist on speaking to a supervisor and when you do mention the EEOC, as it also monitors its fellow feds.

Second, if that doesn't work, write a Congressional. As I recall one of your Senators is up for reelection this year and would probably love to jump to the forefront on this type of issue.

[KG_Kharkov]

This is the latest exchange of e-mail. Appropriately, the government's representative has the initials anl (or anal as I like to call her). I also like the very personal and dehumanizing "Dear Friend":

My response:

Hi:

Thanks for the reply. I'm not sure what you mean when you say that I can make a notation in one account -- do you mean adding a note to her biography. If so, how do I do that without referring to her maiden name. Is there a reason for the no-name policy? Two entries for the same person seems remarkably inefficient when I could have a better result with just one.

Thanks in advance,

John

-----Original Message-----
From: WWII Customer Service [mailto:wwiicustserv@americancustomercare.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 2:52 PM
To: Johnson, John
Subject: RE: Your WWII Honoree update has been declined

Dear Friend,

I suggest you register her twice. Once with the maiden name and once with the married name. That way friends and family who knew here by either name will be able to find her. Also you can make a notation in one account just stating to view the other for activity.

Sincerely,

WWII Customer Service
anl

[KG_Soldier]

Dear Friend,

Actually, registering her twice does serve a purpose. If someone she served with is looking for her, they could find her under the name they knew her by. Whereas, one of her relatives who knows her by her married name could also find her. So... you can call me a bureaucratic clown if you wish. I suppose there's no cross-referencing ability in their system. Probably because of the greater number of men registered. But it is silly not to let you use her maiden/married name in either registration.