William O. Douglas

“ We should construe laws as fulfilling, not breaking, promises made by this all-powerful government to its citizens, unless no alternative is open to us.
The alternative is plain: to apply the 1966 Act to all enlistment contracts that do not contain the solemn promise that active duty starts only on a declaration of war or a declaration of a national emergency. ”

“ It does real violence to reason and to morality to read § 672 as an openend power to change any promise willy-nilly. As I indicated in my dissent when the stay was before us, the phrase 'when otherwise authorized by law' has meaning when construed as referring to existing law alone. ”

“ The call-up was pursuant to a 1966 Act, 80 Stat. 981, which authorized the President to activate any unit of the Reserve for a period not to exceed 24 months.
There has been no declaration of a national emergency either by Congress or by the President.
There has been no declaration of war by the Congress. ”