§ 244. Members of pension system absent on military duty. Where any duly elected office holder, or any officer or employee of the state or any municipality or political subdivision thereof, who is a member of any pension or retirement system, entered or enters the armed forces of the United States before his term of office expired or expires, and prior to the date when he first would be eligible for pension benefits or payments provided for under such pension or retirement system of which he is a member had he continued in the office or employment of the state or such municipality or political subdivision, he may, during the period he is in the armed forces of the United States, remain a member of such pension or retirement system provided he paid or pays into such system monthly, until the date his term of office expired or expires, such amount as he would have paid if he had been present and continuously engaged in the performance of his regular duties as such office holder, officer or employee and provided that after his term of office expired or expires he paid or pays into such pension or retirement system monthly, such full and entire amount as he individually would have paid, together with such amount as would have been paid on his behalf by the state or such municipality or political subdivision of which he was an office holder, officer or employee, had he continued as such office holder, officer, or employee and had been present and continuously engaged in the regular performance of his duties, and he shall have and be entitled to the same rights in respect to membership in such pension or retirement system and the rights and obligations provided thereunder, as he would have had if he had continued as such office holder, officer or employee and had been present and continuously engaged in the regular performance of his duties except that a disability or injury occurred or an accidental death occurring while a member of the armed forces of the United States shall not entitle such office holder, officer or employee, his beneficiaries or representatives to any disability or accidental death benefits.

The provisions of this section shall be construed to include all elected office holders, officers or employees of the state or of a municipality or political subdivision thereof, whose term of office expired since January first, nineteen hundred forty-one, and who since January first, nineteen hundred forty-one, entered the armed forces of the United States, provided such office holder, officer or employee shall on or before July first, nineteen hundred forty-eight notify the fiscal officer of such pension or retirement system in writing that he has determined to take advantage of the rights and privileges afforded him hereunder and provided further that he pays within five years the full amount required to be paid into such system by him as provided for under this section and not already paid by him.