On the 12th of June, Bill Suter had his retirement party. It was held at the Supreme Court of the United States. Bill will retire as the 19th Clerk of the Supreme Court sometime this fall, but if they waited until then to have the party, the Court would have trouble finding a quorum. As you probably know, the Court finishes up its opinions in June and then goes on an extensive recess. So June was the best time for the party.
Bill and I go way back. We reported for duty on Tuesday, September 3, 1962 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. We had both received direct appointments as first lieutenants in the JAG Corps and our first assignment was the Armor Officers’ Basic Course. This raised the question as to whether we would be able to handle our court room duties if we could not fire the main gun of a M-48 tank.
Over 50 years later, I was sitting in the Great Hall listening to Chief Justice Roberts praise the incredible job that Bill had done as the Clerk for the last 23 years. The ceremony started with the Marshal of the Court, Pam Talkin, coming to the lectern and announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.” The Chief Justice then said, “Thank you for that warm and generous introduction.” The laughter that followed set the tenor for the ceremony and the following party (a party that didn’t cost the taxpayers a penny).
At Fort Knox, while on a three-day field operation, which was to conclude the armor portion of our training, we sat in the dark on a bleacher and listened on a transistor radio to President Kennedy announce the “quarantine” of Cuba. The Soviets had been slipping nuclear missiles into Cuba and Kennedy had decided we would go to war before we would permit nuclear weapons that close to the United States. We had little communication with the rest of the world for the next two days. Rumors of sunken ships and war were rampant. I even heard that our class was on its way to Florida to be ready for the attack. Today, on reflection, I know how absurd that would have been, but back then, it had us all shook up.
As soon as we came in from the field, we started cavalry instruction. Bill and I were sitting in a small amphitheater and we all remember what happened like it was yesterday. Bill Suter, Larry Henneberger, Don Wolf, friends for life, remember that moment. Our country was holding its breath to see if we would be at war with the Soviets. A cavalry instructor was babbling about how one out of three in the class would be assigned to a cavalry unit. Those of us who were JAGs were ignoring him. Then the door to the classroom swung open and a secretary came rushing in carrying a piece of paper. The instructor took the paper and spent 30 seconds reading it. Had a pin dropped, it might have shattered somebody’s ear drum. The major looked up and said, “Listen up, this order seems to impact all of you. Effective immediately, the members of this armored officers’ basic class are assigned to Troop B, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry.” Still extreme silence, confusion and disbelief. Then the major said, “See gentlemen, it would be just that easy for you to be assigned to a cav unit.” IT WAS A JOKE. It was the way he started off every one of his cavalry orientation classes. But his timing with our class left us weak.
I couldn’t get over the dignitaries that had assembled for Bill’s ceremony. What a distinguished group. And I was amazed at how many of them I knew. I felt honored to be there. Sitting two seats away from me was Susan Crawford. She had held any number of distinguished positions with our government, but when I was working in the Office of the Judge Advocate General in the Pentagon, she was the Army General Counsel. I also had some contact with her when I was the Commandant of the JAG School. When I was trying to get a political appointment with the first Bush administration, I needed someone with political connections to recommend me and Susan was the only one I knew. I called Susan and she made things happen. At Bill’s ceremony, I thanked her again for the major impact she had on my life. She responded by saying she was just happy someone took her call.
Chief Justice Roberts mentioned that through the years, Bill had probably done more towards making counsel feel comfortable before they argued than anyone else. Bill had written a “Guide for Counsel in Cases to be Argued before the Supreme Court of the United States.” It answered all those questions a first time counsel so desperately needed.
After Bills comments and just prior to the conclusion of the ceremony, Jeanie, Bill”s wife and Ashley, his grand daughter, unveiled his portrait. Yep, they still do things like that. Even in the days of Twitter and Face Time. And, it was magnificent. Bill’s portrait will hang in the Supreme Court from this time forward. Richly deserved.
In November, 1962, Bill and Jeanie and Carole and me arrived at the JAG School in Charlottesville, Virginia. Bill and I were members of the 37th Special Class. Brand new JAGs. Because of the length of the class, we would be in C’Ville over the Christmas holiday. The School did not want their basic class students hanging around over Christmas. They wanted the students to take leave and disappear. We were told if we stayed, we would be put to work. Most of the class disappeared. Bill and I stayed over the holiday and “went to work.”
We were assigned the project of preparing a paper setting forth the reasons why the Advance Class (later called the Graduate Class) upon their graduation should receive a master of laws degree, rather than just a diploma. We put a lot of energy into the project and came up with a half a dozen good reasons the degree should be awarded. Of course it was a make work project and nothing came of it. Nothing came of it until 26 years later when Bill was the Assistant Judge Advocate General and tasked me as the Commandant of the School to make it happen. In 1988, Congress passed the law granting our graduate students a Master of Laws Degree in Military Law.
I would like to tell you that I dug out the paper that Bill and I prepared in 1962 and used it as our rationale, b
ut I think it was used to start kindling in the officers’ club fire place. But the ideas were still keen in our minds. So to all the JAG Graduate Class students since 1988 who are proud recipients of master of laws degrees, Bill and I say, “You’re welcome.”
ut I think it was used to start kindling in the officers’ club fire place. But the ideas were still keen in our minds. So to all the JAG Graduate Class students since 1988 who are proud recipients of master of laws degrees, Bill and I say, “You’re welcome.”
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com
Great article, Jack. The presence of esteemed people seems to rub off on those who associate with them. In your case it did and deservedly so.