The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-08-27

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the Veterans Administration if he ha
, suffered a ten percent or greater dis
ability, resulting in a vocational HAND
leap, while in service. If not, tn
, same training is open to him through
, the Vocational Rehabilitation Division
of the United States Office of Edu
cation, where, also at government eS
pense, he will be taught the skills o
job. In every case, representative
of the Red Cross and other agencies
wise the men concerning their rights
to pensions, training and employment
and to give them any further guidance
they may want
Vocational training in the Veterans
Administration and other institutions
is directed toward preparing the
wounded man not only to fill a jof
in which his wound will not be 6
handicap, but to do important work
which he will enjoy and for which he
is temperamentally suited. In al
cases, even those capable only of self
employment at home, the goal is use
full, functional, independent living
not dependent, permanent residence
in hospitals.
After vocational training comes EN-
ployment, and here many agencies are
working for the wounded serviceman.
The Veterans Administration Sc
cures jobs for many of the men it
has trained. Industry, which has
gained considerable experience in the
employment of handicapped workers
during the current manpower short
age, is eager to hire returned service
men because of their morale-raising
effect on their fellowworkers.
The Selective Service law contains
provisions regarding the return of a
discharged serviceman to his old job,
and the Unemployment Division of
Selective Service writes each dis
charged serviceman a letter explain
ing his rights and advising him on
procedure. Few employers have thus
far refused to take men back. Most
of them are cooperative. In a case
reported, in a recent issue of Yank,
the Army weekly, a private who had
been an operator in a motion-picture
theater before his induction was given
a Certificate of Disability discharge.
When his former employer was I'M
willing to take him back on the
ground that his new operator was
satisfactory and he didn't want to
ported the matter to the re-employ-
ment Representative on his Draft
Board, who in turn reported to Sc
lective Service National Headquart-
ers. The employer soon received a
letter calling attention to- the soldiers
unemployment rights and asking if he
was aware of his obligation under the
law and the machinery that could and
would be invoked to enforce it. The
ex-private was back ON his. job within
a week
The Army, the Navy, the Civil Serv-
ice Commission, the United States
Employment Service (USES), the Of
flee of Education, and the Red Cross
have all laid plans well in advance
for insuring the employment of dis
charged servicemen, including the dis
abled. Many men want not their old
jobs but better jobs, and often they
are trained so that they get them.
Great care is taken to see that men
are properly placed One sailor,
blown off the deck of a battleship
and badly burned, was left with
had healed. He was unable to con-
troll the shaking of his hands. When
he returned home the USES office
got him several jobs in succession,
but he couldn't overcome his nervous
ness. The Veterans Employment |
representative, determined to find the |
right job for him, took him to a small |
machine shop, where he was given a |
job operating a punch and shear ma
chine located in a secluded corner |
Here he was able to adjust himself
more readily to work and his nervous
ness diminished; today he is a valued
and the twitching of his
hands is scarcely perceptible.
In an increasing number of cases
he Army and the Navy do not dis
charge disabled men, but employ them
n limited service after their physical
training them if neces-
,ary A disabled Air Forces pilot,
or example, disqualified as a result
If wounds, often gets a great psyche
ogical lift if he finds himself able
o fill another kind of job in the Air
forces. Often, too, technical skills
acquired in the Army or Navy have
tilted disabled servicemen to take
obs after discharge. Many of the ex-
ervicemen who have been taken out
# the big game" before it is finished
want to stay as close to the war as
possible, and increasingly they are
icing given the opportunity to do So
In summary, Americans can rest as
ured that their wounded soldiers and
ailors are being given the most mod
I'm medical and psychiatric care, the
inest surgery and appliances, expert
ehabilitation, vocational training and
inally employment opportunities that
onfirm their hard-won feelings of in
dependence. All these things are be-
ng provided, and provided by per-
ons and organizations expert in their
ield, professionally equipped to furth-
r the welfare of wounded ex-service-
nen.
Concluded in next issue.)