MY father Joseph H. Rouse passed away on November 22, 2012 at 10:30AM at age 93, from complications arising from a severe infection and pancreatic cancer.
He seemed to pass in a painless and peaceful manner. Up until the last few hours of his life he was able to communicant with his family and friends and was able to ask me to let him go.
I feel my fathers only true regret was not to be able to make his January 31st date, giving him 73 years of government service.
My dad donated his body to the Maryland Medical Board: they will have possession of his body for approximately one year and at the time of his return his ashes will be interned at Arlington National Cemetary.
Thank you for being my dad, It was a great trip, you taught me how to care for others, be kind to all, apply reason to problem and love.
BIOGRAPHICAL OVERVIEW
JOSEPH H. ROUSE
DEPUTY CHIEF, TORT CLAIMS DIVISION
U.S. ARMY CLAIMS SERVICE
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND
Mr. Joseph Rouse was born on 28 June 1919 in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Baltimore public schools and Western Maryland College (now Mcdaniel College), where he graduated in June 1941 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He entered the U.S. Army at Fort Meade in June 1941, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, and served as an infantry company commander during World War II in the United States, North Africa, and Italy. In 1947 Mr. Rouse attended the University of Louisville Law School (now Brandeis School of Law) and graduated in June 1950 with a Juris Doctor.
After law school, Mr Rouse served in France from 1951-1955. While in France Mr. Rouse served to establish claims payment methods and processes to resolve numerous French tort claims against the U.S. Forces incurred during and after World War II. As representive of the Sending sState under NATO SOFA,,he developed and implemented the first directives under SOFA which were adopted by the French Ministry of Justice concerning U.S. servicemembers accused of crimes by French authorities. He also served as prosecutor and defense counsel at courts-martials. After serving in Europe he attended the Judge Advocate Graduate Course at The Judge Advocate General's School from 1955-1956 where his article on NATO SOFA procedures publishrd in the International Law magazine was chosen as the most outstanding military law article by the Military Law Association. Before coming to the U.S. Army Claims Service in August 1963 as Deputy Chief, Mr. Rouse served for four years in MAAG-Taiwan and for four years as Legal Advisor to The Army Surgeon General. In Taiwan Mr. Rouse served as advisor to the Taiwanese JAGC which included inspecting military prisons and teaching American law on evidence at the Chinese military four year law school. At TSG, as the first JAGC lawyer ever at the Headquarters, Army Medical Command, he developed many Army regulations concerning legal medical law.
Mr. Rouse retired from active duty in August 1971 as a Colonel in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. He entered civil service in February 1972 and has served at the U.S. Army Claims Service since then as Chief, General Claims Division until 1989, and thereafter as Deputy Chief, Tort Claims Division. Beginning in 1969, he was the first in the U.S. to use and develop the use of structured settlements and reversionary trusts in resolving tort claims, now adopted in many other types of disputes. His development of methods for processing administrative tort claims were recognized by the U.S. Attorney General as creating the best federal claims service. In 1993, he was chosen by TJAG as the most outstanding lawyer in the Army. In 2003, the Secretary of the Army expressed in writing his personal thanks for his service. His total service to the U.S. Army spans a total of 72 years as of January, 2012 still continuing..
At one point I told my dad he left out some stories in his bio that should be included and he sent me this.
MY SON TOLD ME MY BIO LACKS PEP AND SUGGESTS THE FOLLOWING: AFTER BEING
INFORMED BY STATE DEPT SCHOOL THAT I WOULD NON-GRATIA FOR DISCUSSING
POLITICS IN TAIWAN, I WAS CONFRONTED BY A BALLOON ASSEMBLAGE ON MATSU, THE
OFFSHORE ISLAND FOR ROK, POINTING TO THE MAINLAND ONE MILE AWAY. WHEN I WAS
URGED TO SEND A MESSAGE, AS IT WAS LAW DAY, I SENT A BALLOON WITH A MESSAGE
THAT SAID DO NOT TEAR A RENT IN THE LAW AS THE LAW DOES NOT CONTINUE TO
EXIST. MY PHOTO OF SENDING THE MESSAGE APPEARED IN THE ABA JOURNAL W/O BEING
DECLARED NON-GRATIA.
AFTER WWII, I WAS ASSIGNED TO INVESTIGATE A LINE OF DUTY CASE DURING WHICH
I FOUND THAT THE DEAD SOLDIER HAD BEEN TENDING SLOT MACHINES OWNED BY HIS
NCO CLUB. THE CLUB HAD THE ONLY SLOTS MACHINES THAT WERE SET AT 80/20;
WHEREAS, OTHER CLUBS WHERE SET AT 60/40 AND OWNED BY OUTSIDE INTERESTS.
THERE WERE OVER 250,000 SOLDIERS ON POST AND MANY CLUBS WITH SLOTS. THE
DEAD SOLDIER'S CLUB HAD A DISPROPORTIONATE OF THE SLOT BUSINESS. THE
SOLDIER HAD BEEN KILLED IN AN OFFPOST VEHICULAR ACCIDENT NOT CONNECTED WITH
SLOTS BUT LTGEN O'DANIEL CALLED ME IN TO CLARIFY MY REPORT ABOUT THE
PERCENTAGES. AS A RESULT, ALL SLOTS OWNED BY OUTSIDE INTERESTS WERE
QUARTAINED IN A POST WAREHOUSE FOLLOWING WHICH I WAS ESCORTED BY A MILITARY
GUARD NIGHT AND DAY UNTIL THE MAFIA THREATS SUBSIDED.
I INVESTIGATED THE MURDER OF A FRENCH WOMEN WHO WAS SHOT TO DEATH BY LTG
NORSTADT'S WIFE CHAUFFER WHEN NORSTAD WAS CHIEF OF NATO. THE WEAPON USED WAS
CHARGED TO THE GENERAL AND WAS TO PROTECT HIS WIFE. MY ROLE WAS TO TRY TO
ENSURE THE OWNERSHIP WAS NOT DISCLOSED. I INTERVIEWED ONE FRENCH MALE WHO
WAS WITH A FEMALE COMPANION. THEIR PHOTO IN THE NEWS SHOWED HIM WITH DARK
STAINS ON THE TROUSERS. HE ADMITTED THAT HE SAW THE MURDER AND BULLETS WERE
FLYING OVER THE RIGHT BANK BAR. I ASKED HIM TO IDENTIFY THE WOMAN AND WHO
TREATED HIS WOUND. HE DENIED THERE WAS NO WOMAN AND HE WAS NOT SHOT BY A
BULLET. I DID NOT ASK WHAT HE EXPLAINED TO HIS WIFE. CHERCEZ LA FEMME MAIS
FERME LA BOUCHE.
He seemed to pass in a painless and peaceful manner. Up until the last few hours of his life he was able to communicant with his family and friends and was able to ask me to let him go.
I feel my fathers only true regret was not to be able to make his January 31st date, giving him 73 years of government service.
My dad donated his body to the Maryland Medical Board: they will have possession of his body for approximately one year and at the time of his return his ashes will be interned at Arlington National Cemetary.
Thank you for being my dad, It was a great trip, you taught me how to care for others, be kind to all, apply reason to problem and love.
BIOGRAPHICAL OVERVIEW
JOSEPH H. ROUSE
DEPUTY CHIEF, TORT CLAIMS DIVISION
U.S. ARMY CLAIMS SERVICE
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND
Mr. Joseph Rouse was born on 28 June 1919 in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Baltimore public schools and Western Maryland College (now Mcdaniel College), where he graduated in June 1941 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He entered the U.S. Army at Fort Meade in June 1941, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, and served as an infantry company commander during World War II in the United States, North Africa, and Italy. In 1947 Mr. Rouse attended the University of Louisville Law School (now Brandeis School of Law) and graduated in June 1950 with a Juris Doctor.
After law school, Mr Rouse served in France from 1951-1955. While in France Mr. Rouse served to establish claims payment methods and processes to resolve numerous French tort claims against the U.S. Forces incurred during and after World War II. As representive of the Sending sState under NATO SOFA,,he developed and implemented the first directives under SOFA which were adopted by the French Ministry of Justice concerning U.S. servicemembers accused of crimes by French authorities. He also served as prosecutor and defense counsel at courts-martials. After serving in Europe he attended the Judge Advocate Graduate Course at The Judge Advocate General's School from 1955-1956 where his article on NATO SOFA procedures publishrd in the International Law magazine was chosen as the most outstanding military law article by the Military Law Association. Before coming to the U.S. Army Claims Service in August 1963 as Deputy Chief, Mr. Rouse served for four years in MAAG-Taiwan and for four years as Legal Advisor to The Army Surgeon General. In Taiwan Mr. Rouse served as advisor to the Taiwanese JAGC which included inspecting military prisons and teaching American law on evidence at the Chinese military four year law school. At TSG, as the first JAGC lawyer ever at the Headquarters, Army Medical Command, he developed many Army regulations concerning legal medical law.
Mr. Rouse retired from active duty in August 1971 as a Colonel in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. He entered civil service in February 1972 and has served at the U.S. Army Claims Service since then as Chief, General Claims Division until 1989, and thereafter as Deputy Chief, Tort Claims Division. Beginning in 1969, he was the first in the U.S. to use and develop the use of structured settlements and reversionary trusts in resolving tort claims, now adopted in many other types of disputes. His development of methods for processing administrative tort claims were recognized by the U.S. Attorney General as creating the best federal claims service. In 1993, he was chosen by TJAG as the most outstanding lawyer in the Army. In 2003, the Secretary of the Army expressed in writing his personal thanks for his service. His total service to the U.S. Army spans a total of 72 years as of January, 2012 still continuing..
At one point I told my dad he left out some stories in his bio that should be included and he sent me this.
MY SON TOLD ME MY BIO LACKS PEP AND SUGGESTS THE FOLLOWING: AFTER BEING
INFORMED BY STATE DEPT SCHOOL THAT I WOULD NON-GRATIA FOR DISCUSSING
POLITICS IN TAIWAN, I WAS CONFRONTED BY A BALLOON ASSEMBLAGE ON MATSU, THE
OFFSHORE ISLAND FOR ROK, POINTING TO THE MAINLAND ONE MILE AWAY. WHEN I WAS
URGED TO SEND A MESSAGE, AS IT WAS LAW DAY, I SENT A BALLOON WITH A MESSAGE
THAT SAID DO NOT TEAR A RENT IN THE LAW AS THE LAW DOES NOT CONTINUE TO
EXIST. MY PHOTO OF SENDING THE MESSAGE APPEARED IN THE ABA JOURNAL W/O BEING
DECLARED NON-GRATIA.
AFTER WWII, I WAS ASSIGNED TO INVESTIGATE A LINE OF DUTY CASE DURING WHICH
I FOUND THAT THE DEAD SOLDIER HAD BEEN TENDING SLOT MACHINES OWNED BY HIS
NCO CLUB. THE CLUB HAD THE ONLY SLOTS MACHINES THAT WERE SET AT 80/20;
WHEREAS, OTHER CLUBS WHERE SET AT 60/40 AND OWNED BY OUTSIDE INTERESTS.
THERE WERE OVER 250,000 SOLDIERS ON POST AND MANY CLUBS WITH SLOTS. THE
DEAD SOLDIER'S CLUB HAD A DISPROPORTIONATE OF THE SLOT BUSINESS. THE
SOLDIER HAD BEEN KILLED IN AN OFFPOST VEHICULAR ACCIDENT NOT CONNECTED WITH
SLOTS BUT LTGEN O'DANIEL CALLED ME IN TO CLARIFY MY REPORT ABOUT THE
PERCENTAGES. AS A RESULT, ALL SLOTS OWNED BY OUTSIDE INTERESTS WERE
QUARTAINED IN A POST WAREHOUSE FOLLOWING WHICH I WAS ESCORTED BY A MILITARY
GUARD NIGHT AND DAY UNTIL THE MAFIA THREATS SUBSIDED.
I INVESTIGATED THE MURDER OF A FRENCH WOMEN WHO WAS SHOT TO DEATH BY LTG
NORSTADT'S WIFE CHAUFFER WHEN NORSTAD WAS CHIEF OF NATO. THE WEAPON USED WAS
CHARGED TO THE GENERAL AND WAS TO PROTECT HIS WIFE. MY ROLE WAS TO TRY TO
ENSURE THE OWNERSHIP WAS NOT DISCLOSED. I INTERVIEWED ONE FRENCH MALE WHO
WAS WITH A FEMALE COMPANION. THEIR PHOTO IN THE NEWS SHOWED HIM WITH DARK
STAINS ON THE TROUSERS. HE ADMITTED THAT HE SAW THE MURDER AND BULLETS WERE
FLYING OVER THE RIGHT BANK BAR. I ASKED HIM TO IDENTIFY THE WOMAN AND WHO
TREATED HIS WOUND. HE DENIED THERE WAS NO WOMAN AND HE WAS NOT SHOT BY A
BULLET. I DID NOT ASK WHAT HE EXPLAINED TO HIS WIFE. CHERCEZ LA FEMME MAIS
FERME LA BOUCHE.
