European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday october9, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 5 merchant seamen sue for vet status judge tells Dod to reconsider their plea by Norman Black a military writer Washington a Federal judge has ordered inc defense department to reconsider its decision 19 deny veterans status to the turn who sailed As merchant seamen during world War 11, judge Louis Ober Dorfer in a two Page order dated oct. 2 but not received by attorney until wednesday formally declared the Pentagon s previous decisions arbitrary and capricious and. Not supported by substantial  he ordered the decisions remanded to the Secretary of the air Force for fur ther consideration and scheduled a new hearing on oct. 14. Saying he expects the air Force to give him a timetable for its deliberations. The court order was directed to air Force Secretary Edward c. Aldridge in his official capacity As the designated administrator of a 1977 Law that governs such cases. We have worked for years to bring veterans benefits to these survivors and we arc now closer to Success in reaching this worthy goal . Gene Dufries the president of District 1 of the Marine engineers beneficial association said wednesday remember these men Are not Arm chair rambos who have never seen the face of War. These men were to sled at sea where they showed Rue courage. They deserve our thanks and above All  the Meba is affiliated with the Al Cio which assisted three former Mer chant Seaman in bringing suit against the Pentagon in july 1986. The designation sought by the Mer chant Seaman would entitle them to Mili tary service discharge certificates which in turn would make them eligible for selected veterans benefits such As Low in Terest Home Loans and burial in a nation Al cemetery. According to Navy historians an Esti mated 250,000 men saw service in the merchant Marine during world War ii. No one knows How Many arc still alive. Some of the men who Are still alive however tried to use the 1977 Law to win veterans status. That Law was passed after years of lobbying by women pilots who ferried aircraft during world War ii. Since the Law was enacted the women pilots and 13 other groups have won vet Erans status including civilians who participated in the defense of Bataan and a unit of female Telephone operators who were pressed into service during world War. But in two other rulings one in 1982 and the one in 1985 the air Force denied veterans status respectively to All merchant Seaman who worked on Ocean going vessels and All merchant Seaman who participated directly in invasions. That set the stage for the court fight. Oberdorfer in a scathing 34-Page opinion handed Down three months ago ruled that the air Force had not consid ered inc merchant seamen s appeals in an even handed manner and appeared to be ignoring compelling evidence of military service. Beyond the arming of merchant ships the training of merchant seamen the allocation of cargo to the military and the changes in the terms of employ ment the record discloses numerous ways by which the military exercised direct control Over the operations of the merchant Marine during world War ii the judge wrote. Military authorities controlled inc duration route and destination of Mer chant voyages. Military authorities also controlled the ship s position in a Mili tary Convoy when the ship was to be darkened and when it would maintain radio Contact procedures for dealing with a Straggler terms of Shore leave in a War theater when to engage the enemy and discipline for offences involving mis conduct and  Man believed to be world s heaviest is on a diet Hempstead , a nobody knows How much he weighs it could be 1,100 pounds it could be 1,200 but it s less than it was two weeks ago. Waller Hudson is on a diet and he s already four inches thinner at the Knees. Hudson 42, is us wide he can t go from one room to another. He is far hta1. I a than the heaviest Man listed in the latest guinness Book of world records who weighs in at less than 900 pounds. But his bizarre plight came to Light Only recently when he became stuck in his bedroom doorway and had to be rescued by police fire and medical workers. Hit plight won wide attention and he received Calls from exercise caper Richard Simmons Over Alers Anonymous and Dick Gregory the one time comedian who runs a weight loss Cli me in the Bahamas. Hudson estimated his weight at 1,200 pounds. He was last weighed on a scale that went up to 1,000pounds, and his weight exceeded the scale s limit. He said he used to cat thanksgiving size meals daily and would have three or four Ham steaks and Sis Large bottles of soda for breakfast or lunch. Gregory has taken Hudson s Case and Hopes to get him to lose enough in three months to allow him to be taken to the Bahamas clinic. Under Gregory s plan Hudson s breakfast is a Pear an Apple and a banana. Lunch is a big salad and Din Ner is steamed vegetables and 8 ounces of fish or Chick in. He has to drink 60 ounces of Orange juice a Day mixed with a diet powder supplied by Gregory that is meant to reduce hunger. Hudson says he s tried other diets but Speaks with resolve about this one while lying on the bed that has been his life far 27 Yean. He has t been outside his apartment in 17 years since his family moved from Brooklyn to Hampstead. When i go out. I want to go in the Winter because i diet gum Dick Gregory counsels Walter Hudson 43, on the weight loss plan he has in store for him. A photo want to put my foot in the Snow Hudson said wednesday. I Hope it s 10 to is inches High because want to watch it melt a Little at a time because that s the same thing my weight is going to  Hudson has biceps like flabby watermelons and a 103-Inch Waist. His Knees Are 51 inches around Down from 55. His neck is 22 inches. Gregory s Long term goal is to get Hudson Down to Cuomo keeps Bat by bed to thwart burglars he says 190 pounds losing More than so percent of his body weight. It won t be a picnic. Hell hate he Ever met us Gregory said. Hell cuss inc help out. I know  Hudson said he noticed he weighed too much at age6, when people began making fun of him. For 35 years his body s been preparing itself to die Gregory said. There Are Muscles and arteries that have not functioned in his body for  Sands of time Rochester . A gov. Mario Cuomo said wednesday that he keeps a baseball Bat near Hij bed because of burglaries at his Home and prays nightly that hell have a Chance to get some licks in if anything happens. The revelations came at a Community forum attended by about 200 people. As often happens. Cuomo s opposition to the death penalty came up. White the governor repeated that he s opposed to capital punishment he s not entirely opposed la Corporal punishment. Cuomo said there have been two burglaries at his Home in the Hollis Wood Section of Queens and he sleeps with a Bat nearby As a result. Every night i Pray before i die. Give me one swing. Lord " said the governor who played minor league baseball in the Pittsburgh pirates organization. Cuomo noting thai his Mother favors the death penalty said he understands the desire for retribution and the Indig nation people feel at certain crimes but does t believe in the death Penally. Instead. Cuomo said new yorkers should rally behind his Call for life sentences without parole for the most vicious and cold blooded murderers. For 11 consecutive years the Newyork legislature has approved legis lation to put new York s electric Charback into use. Each time however the Bill has been vetoed by Cuomo or his predecessor Hugh Carey. In the stars and stripes 40 years ago today oct. 9, 1947 president Harry s. Truman told a nationwide radio audience that inc Success of the food saving program rested largely with the american housewife. 30 years ago today oct. 9, 1957 the Brooklyn dodgers announced that they were shifting their franchise to los Angeles. The announcement tame less than 24 hours after inc los Angeles City Council finally passed an ordinance making official the City s offer to build the dodgers a new Home. 20 years ago today. Oct. 9, 1967 former British prime minister Clement r. Alike died in a London Hospital at the dec of 84. Attire s labor party won a massive majority in 1945 Over Winston Churchill s conservatives. 10 years ago today. Oct. 9, 1977 the . Senate passed a sj6-i.5 million Supply Mellary military spending Bill that provided Money to develop missile carrying aircraft to replace the cancelled by bomber