European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 17, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse As Cole sees it. The army punished him for being the. Conscientious officer it made Eter Cole contends army railroaded him for having gone Public with charges of inefficiency. Don t operate that Way another army lawyer t. Steven Porter recalled. N june 14, Cole s immediate Superior u. Col. Ray id Tomlinson. Paid Cole a Surprise Call in his quarters at night. Although he had complimented Cole on his a few hours earlier he now removed him from his be timing and manner of Tomlinson s action later 1 official army criticism As wretched and the col s superiors twice rejected his written explanation of natives As fuzzy and lacking in documentation. Tomlinson s third attempt at explanation he con d his remark to Cole that it was probably the hard Hing i Ever had to do in my army career because of excellent Job Cole had done. Jilin son declined to be interviewed on the subject Lis written explanation said among other things that s enlisted men were about to request transfers be ethos were unhappy. It after Cole left the command seven of eight non missioner officers who served under him praised said one n 19 years he would be the one Man 1 have respected As a supervisor. The Small things that he expected Nen to do were the Large factors. He was always for comments and had an open lie was stunned by Tomlinson s action and hours his commander acted. Cole submitted a fiery four res Ignatius that said the army was wasteful lacked Rity accepted inferior work and winked at drug be says he wanted the letter read in the Pentagon so change the situation. He subsequently wrote to con a 17, 1977 grass and initiated an investigation by the inspector Gen eral s office of 25 allegations. They Point out significant deficiencies in Supply accountability and readiness of brigade 75 units including a $70,000 equipment shortage the army would write sen. Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota. According to Cole us commanding officers sought to have urn withdraw the resignation to avoid pm harassment. One of them. Brig. Gen. Clyde w. Spence said in a Telephone interview that be did t think dirty Linen should be washed publicly. He asked Cole whether be would go to the press and Congress and suggested he retract us allegations. Later Spence told the inspector general i Felt his actions regarding his letter of resignation regarding his allegations. Regarding possible press to bring congressmen in that if he really had the intention of being a top notch army officer then it seemed to contradict what i thought perhaps was the intention by capt. Cole to bring the army Down with Spence terming Cole a Brilliant officer also said he asked him to reconsider and withdraw his resignation. It was nothing More than advice Spence said in the inter , both Cole and Pretzer say it definitely was a request. And a general s request is not taken lightly Ole notes. T � subject of a better Job for Cole if the resignation were withdrawn also was raised. I mean they offered me the Cole says adding that he could not Stop the inspector general s investigation if he wanted to and would not withdraw his resignation unless he was assured of an officer efficiency report that would not end his career. It turned out that Cole had Good reason to worry about his Oer. It was Low. It too. Had to be done twice or Tomlinson and others of us raters had difficulty justifying the Low figures with a performance described on the form As outstand although Cole ostensibly was relieved routinely an investigation on a court martial sprang into being. As quickly As it was begun however the probe was dropped on the orders of the commanding general maj. Gen. William Webb. He told the inspector general that the investigator had solicited anti capt. Cole information and said in a Telephone interview that it was per haps unfair to Cole. Maybe it was harassment but it was dropped Phil lips conceded. Cooler Heads Hie command in Germany wrestled with the Resigna Tion letter and its contents for nearly two months. Toward the end of that period. Cole submitted a two paragraph request to withdraw it in the Hope of pursuing his allegations on Capitol Hill and elsewhere from inside. But Webb would not give him Back us Resigna Tion. He said in the interview it was us considered judgment that the Home command should decide on it. In a classic catch-22 situation a spokesman at fort Hood said he believed maj. Gen. George s. Pulton 3rd, who refused to be interviewed personally denied the re quest As Well on the ground that the events had occurred 8,000 Miles away. While still in Germany Cole sought to have his Oer changed by formal procedures but contends that the com Mand hindered him. The inspector general in fact criticized Webb As not totally responsive to an order to give Cole assistance. And the inspector general s office further said some actions restricting Cole s Access to his battalion could be viewed As intimidating and harassing in responding to new allegations Cole made on the hand Ling of his resignation his termination As the battalion s Supply officer and what he believed was harassment that same office substantiated or partially substantiated 39 out of 43 of them. Still Cole accuses the inspector general of having con ducted a superficial probe. Testimony was taken from Cole on but two of the allegations he says. Asking Why Cole will not hand Over the piles of Docu mentation he has the army replies that the charges spoke for themselves and needed no additional testimony. He will turn it Over Cole responds but Only with accompanying testimony. In october a Pentagon review Board declared that even though Cole wanted to stay in the army it would t be in his or the army s Best interest or would the army now the target of some inquiries from Congress extend Cole s release Date. Having returned to fort Hood Cole once again received Superior ratings and in february the army informed him that us resignation would become effective in 30 Days and rejected us requests for Extension. Said acting assistant Secretary Phillips i Don t think the army had a vendetta against him. I Don t know of any time we tried to Force him out of the army. 1 do think the army took the Opportunity to take up his resignation but i Don t think the army should have asked for his Resigna meantime in the South Texas army town of kill Cen. Former capt. Peter Cole keeps in rigorous shape by run Ning a fast mile each Day. He s preparing for the next round. The Battle May be Over for the army but it in t for him. The stars and stripes i
