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Renn Olenn
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Name Renn Olenn
Rank -
Units
(The only time I ever was called James was in the Military. My whole life
has been either J. Renn or Renn.) Story of my name is military though.
I was born on Dec 14, 1944 and my uncle Jim was with the 101st heading up
toward Bastogne. He got into the fight and while my mom was in the hospital
having me the family got a telegram saying Jim was missing in action, presumed
dead. So sad, but my mom and dad Named me James for Jim of the 101st.
The following April, in 1945, Jim was found alive in a French Field Hospital,
recovered from his wounds, came home and lived on the farm with us for a
couple years with his German Bride then joined the Pennsylvania State Police
and had a career with them. He finally moved out to California and died about
10 years ago.
James (Renn) Olenn
J. Renn Olenn, Esq.
Olenn & Penza, LLP
530 Greenwich Avenue
Warwick, RI 02886
(401) 737-3700 Phone
(401) 737-5499 Fax
jro@olenn-penza.com
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Steve,
I may provide an experience that could explain the missing
candidates and their "washout on the eve of graduation.
As we neared graduation you may recall the Army security or
the FBI were doing additional background checks to give us
our security clearances which we all had to "pass".
I was summoned to a"hearing just about two weeks before
graduation to explain why I "lied on my application to OCS."
I Was scared stiff as I was told I could be kicked out of the program.
As it turned out the board ( three officers) said my lie was
not reporting a criminal record!
I then learned that the recruiting officer, who I told about
my college arrest for "disturbing the piece", did not put that
on my application. The board only saw the record of arrest,
not the charge so I was summoned to explain it adequately.
( My infraction was a misdemeanor, not a crime so it was not
a dischargeable offense - the problem was in the recruiter not
explaining on my application that the arrest was for a misdemeanor.)
So I had to come up with a letter from the Dean as well as the college
Chancellor attesting to my good character, which they readily did. If
they had not i was gone from the program just a week or so before
Commissioning. I remember the wave of relief upon Burmeister telling
me I was cleared by the panel!!!
Perhaps the people who are not among the graduates had something happen
like me except it was a more serious issue - arrest, for a crime for
instance , or for any other problem not disclosed, perhaps even "just"
not reporting a divorce. The world was far different back then about a
divorce given that the government issued life insurance to wives of
officers if they were killed. It could have caused a legal problem
that the government did not want a problem with.
If an ex wife or a second wife both claimed the insurance.
I hope this provides some insight that a sudden and complete separation
on the eve of graduation apparently happened to a few and for each there
was a reason associated with the background check for the security clearence.
Renn Olenn
Steve,
I spoke with my brother who went into the service a few months before I
did. He went to Infantry OcS but was commissioned in intelligence.
I spoke to him today about your question and my answer about some cadets
just "disappearing" at the end of the cycle but before graduation. He
advised me that there were several reasons why that can happen and the
most frequent was that a candidate showed up with relatives who were
living in foreign (ie: as in "cold war") countries and the FBI would
take an unusual interest in that given the clearances that "could" develop.
For instance, we all got a secret or "top Secret" clearance, but that
clearance really only prohibited us from going in to some countries.
For instance I could not go into Russia or East Germany for about 7
years after my discharge. However, some security clearance were much higher
than others and were given on a "special needs" basis. For instance, I did
some of the troop testing of the Sheridan Tank and for that I had some other
higher clearance.
The net result was that once you had the generic clearance we all got for
graduation from Ocs, then one began to serve in a special project or other
function that needed a higher clearance it was easy for the local commander
to get the officer a much higher clearance for "the needs of the service".
That is why if there was any conflicting reason why one might not be a
security risk, but might become a risk if given a higher security clearance
it was seen as a reason not to give the initial clearance in the first place.
So, long story short, some of the "disappeared ones" may well have had
relatives in communist countries, or countries with interests hostile to
the United States - so they got flunked out to avoid the security issue
ever coming up in their career.
Renn
Steven,
I will send my Hx later. For now, I went to Boston University Law school
after discharge in June 69 to graduate in 1972.
In June 72 my wife and I moved to Providence, and in 1975 I started a law
practice with a law school buddy. In 1980 we set up our offices in Warwick,
across Rt 5 (Greenville av) from what you probably remember as a shopping
center with "Ann & Hope" department store and Apex store, where we still
remain. In 1990 my wife and family and I moved to West Barrington, where
we remain (kids long gone).
Let me know the address where you lived in barrington and any sights or
addresses you would like to see again and I will go take pictures of them
( if they still exist - like the "white church') and then i will send them to you!
