He later wrote that the Pro-Blue program was based upon his experiences in Korea, where he saw "hastily mobilized and deployed soldiers 'bug out' in the face of Communist units with inferior equipment and often smaller numbers. American soldiers, unprepared for the psychological battlefield, needed to know why they had to beat the enemy as well as the how." Promoting the Pro-Blue program brought Walker into conflict with the "Overseas Weekly", a tabloid newspaper. On April 16, 1961, the "Overseas Weekly" published an article accusing Walker of indoctrinating his troops with John Birch Society materials. Because the John Birch Society regularly claimed that all U.S. presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt onward had been communists, its opinions were considered too controversial politically for a U.S. general to advocate; military officers were not supposed to engage in politics at all. Walker was quoted by the "Overseas Weekly" as saying that Harry S. Truman, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Secretary of State Dean Acheson were "definitely pink." Additionally, a number of soldiers had complained that Walker was instructing them how to vote in the forthcoming American election by using the "Conservative Voting Index", which was biased toward the Republican Party. According to Walker, the allegations accusing him of providing voting instructions to soldiers would later be disproved. The allegation was based on an article in the division newspaper that provided instructions for filling out absentee ballots. The day after the "Overseas Weekly" story was published, Walker was relieved of his command by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, while an inquiry was conducted. In October, Walker was reassigned to Hawaii to become assistant chief of staff for training and operations in the Pacific region. Walker chose to resign from the army a second time. The Secretary of the Army chose to admonish him, a less severe punishment than a reprimand and one that Walker could not appeal. The secretary also stated that Walker would not be permitted to command VIII Corps, as the president had withdrawn his name for promotion. In protest, Walker, preferring political activism to his 30-year military career, did not retire but resigned, thereby forfeiting his pension. This time, President Kennedy accepted his resignation. Walker said: "It will be my purpose now, as a civilian, to attempt to do what I have found it no longer possible to do in uniform." During December 1961, as a civilian, Walker began a career making political speeches along with Hargis. Walker enjoyed enthusiastic crowds all over the United States and his anti-communist message was popular.