The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-19
Our Returning Soldiers

To make the number of returned citizens
equal to the number of returned soldiers is the
problem that is now before the federal board for
vocational education About two million of our
soldiers have been returned to civil life Two
hundred thousand have been wounded but many
of these will soon be physically fit to take up
their duties again, while it is estimated that at
least ten per cent of them have handicaps which
must be overcome. From the latest reports tub
erculosis is responsible for % per cent of the dis
abilities incurred wounds not necessitating am
putation and miscellaneous wounds for 81 per
cent, nerve diseases for 8.3 per cent and wounds
requiring amputation per cent.
To make these 10000 disabled soldiers the
equal of 10000 citizens contributing economical
~ and socially to their community life is the duty
delegated to the federal board by the government.
1t is difficult problem but results are being
found The great majority of these young men
are under thirty years of age; youth plus will
power is one of the known quantities in the
equation.
The broad scope of the training given is one
of the chief factors in the solution Whatever
a man wishes to train for wherever he wants to
train, the federal board stands ready to advise
as to the proper course and to provide suitable
place where his ambition may be attained More
than one hundred different courses are already
being given under the direction of the federal
board in almost 400 institutions of learning scat
tered throughout the country from Florida to the
great Northwest to 1860 men who have begun
their training.
In the few months that have elapsed since
the boys began their homeward journey, nearly
5OOO/of these disabled soldiers, after comforting
fod boo how c+o Tod in.
some placed by the board and others self placed;
some in the old jobs, others in new and better
ones. The process is fascinating, the results are
interesting. Plumbers too disabled to work at
their trade, have become sanitary inspectors
farm laborers being trained for agricultural
specialists; wounded taiIors are studying design
Ing and wireless telegraphers are being made out
of wounded barbers while stone cutter with a
weak heart is now doing the work of secretary.
Up to May / the central office had approved
courses for 1876 Of these men. The equation is
being completed and each days results are prov
ing that returned disabled soldiers plus training
and application, are equivalent to returned cti-
zens upon whom the nation may confidently de-
pend for its future welfare and happiness.
1t is not generally known that the federal
hoard for vocational education maintains course
designed to prepare disabled soldiers for civil
service positions. There are 80 men now study
ing to qualify themselves for positions under the
civil service and the board will undertake to pre-
pare any student who desires, provided he car
qualify as physically competent to do the work
A good many of the disabled soldiers now be
ing vocatonally re-educated taking courses
of training somewhat out of the ordinary, anc
the list of those who are undergoing re-educa
ton April l reveals some interesting sidelights
on the desires and ambitions Of the young mer
of the country.
Two are studying air-brake operation; 3 are
taking bee culture; have entered barber col
leges. It would not be supposed that boiler max
ing the sort of light work the disabled mar
would select but students have elected that
Twenty-six are taking carpentry and 2 biology
Dentistry is fairly popular, there being 81 stu
noo+1 ocooc A =