17
years before he entered the armed
forces.**
The phrase "or returns to it here
after” in subdivision 2, Section 17,
Chapter 401, Oregon Laws 1945, above
quoted is to be understood as meaning
"or returns to it hereafter within one
year after being honorably discharged
from service in the armed forces,” for
the reason that in granting credit for
service in the armed forces no distinc
tion should be made between those who
were discharged before thex effective
date of the act and those thereafter
discharged.
The employee here concerned was
not in the service of the state at the
time he entered the armed forces and
for more than five years prior thereto
had not been in such public service.
He can be accredited with no ‘contin
uous service” as that term is defined
by subdivision 7 of Section 1, Chapter
401, supra, thus reading:
“ (7) the term ‘continuous ser
vice* means service not interrupted
for more than five years.”
The "prior service, including mili
tary service,” for which the "additional
pension” described by Section 19 of
Chapter 401, supra, is payable in ser-
vice rendered before July 1, 1946, the
date on which public employees will
become members of the retirement sys
tem. Credit therefor is allowable if
such past service was "not interrupted
for more than five years.” Inasmuch as
there was an interval of more than five
years between the conclusion of the
former service of the employee in ques
tion and the date on which he entered
the armed forces, he was not in con
tinuous service prior to that date within
the meaning of Sectional, subdivision 7,
supra. Therefore, past service credit can
not be allowed this employee for any
time prior to the date in September,
1945, when he again became a public
employee.
Prior Service of Ex-school Teachers
"You (The Public Employee Re
tirement System) have quoted this
specific question as illustrative of the
type of inquiry you are receiving on
the subject of service credit of certi
fied school teachers:
"From 1926 to 1936 I taught
(Continued on page 18)