Vietnam POW almost loses pay for attending Ehrlich speech

Friday, Jan. 27, 2006

ANNAPOLIS — Being a featured guest at Thursday’s State of the State address almost cost an state employee two hours pay.

Vietnam POW Jack Fellowes, 73, was singled out during Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.’s speech as the governor pitched his tax break for military retirees.

Fellowes works for the nonpartisan Department of Legislative Services in the mailroom at the State House complex.

A 1956 graduate of the Naval Academy, he was shot down over North Vietnam on Aug. 27, 1966, captured and tortured for the next six years before his release.

Fellowes’ story received thunderous applause from the crowd packed into the House of Delegates chamber.

News that Fellowes would be docked two hours pay spread quickly through the State House this afternoon.

Greg Massoni, Ehrlich’s press secretary, released the information, calling it an ‘‘outrage and sickening.”

Karl Aro, executive director of DLS, said when he docked Fellowes’ pay for attending the speech, he didn’t know why Fellowes was attending the speech. DLS rules say no employee may testify or advocate for legislation, Aro said, adding that if he had been told that Fellowes would be used as an example by the governor, he would not have penalized him.

On learning of the punishment Friday, House Speaker Michael E. Busch said he immediately called Aro to straighten things out. Busch, a former high school teacher in Annapolis, taught all three of Fellowes’ children, and called him a ‘‘a role model and here to all of us.”

About 10 minutes after Busch (D-Dist. 30) of Annapolis called, Aro announced that Fellowes’ pay would not be docked.