Evening star., 1944-12-10
Friend of CT
Veterans Bureau Aide
Plans to Be Liberal
BY Frank |. Heller

By Frank I. WeHer
It's lucky for CT Joe that Omar w.
Clark walked down that street in Gin
cinnati rs years ago.
Mr.. Clark Is assistant veterans admin
istrator in charge of pensions, compen-
sation and claims adjudication. That
includes employment aid, job rehabili-
tation and vocational education under
the CT Bill OF Rights.
Joe" is lucky because Mr.. Clark has
determined on extra liberal handling of
claims made by the boys and girls fight
ing this war-even If the Veterans Ad-
ministration sometimes has to assume
burden of proof
He says:
Because the veteran has given time
out of his life to the service of his
country he shall be given every legiti-
mate help in making up what was lost.
The man who comes back from war will
have earned every opportunity we can
provide for recapturing the things he
sacrificed in defense Of his country"
Friends don't recall and Mr.. Clark
doesn't tell what street it was back in
1919. He saw there hopeless huddle of
disabled men shunted out of q meager
veterans vocational training center for
lack Of Office help.
None in those shabby uniforms knew
that the tall sparse-worded stranger
who asked them their troubles had been
. major-maybe their own-at Verdun
and on approaches to the Argonne.
Volunteers to Help.
He went in and volunteered to help
with the paper work. The ball started
rolling and the boss said:
"This guys good. Who Is he? VIII
he take job here?"
Over at the Fifth-Third National
Bank they waited for Mr.. Clark to come
back to his old job. He'd used up the
three days vacation" he'd requested
before reporting for duty. He looked
around him and said:
Here goes my hope of a big bank
ing career. I'll stick with these boys" !"
When Washington heard who he was
President Harding named him voca-
tional training officer for Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky. President Coolidge
brought him here in 1928 to organize
the Veterans, Adjusted Compensation
Division and in 1880 President Hoover
assigned him the task President Roose-
welt has kept him doing:
You look at him, hear him talk, and
think:
"Hmmm banker. A string-saver
and paper sack putter-away."
But Omar is not just about to fore
close the mortgage. He is big hearted
country boy from Midland City, Ohio.
At least. he'd go fishing first. He caught
"a Carolina red drum once. They
totaled ton! That's what the man
said.
He is 81, but VA girls say that's
young, not old His hair lies like a
white plume. He stands feet 2, and
100 pounds straight up and down.
He's q great one to interview = .
If you want to print piece on a
pinhead or will settle for a stingy
"yes' or mo-"
It took better than an hour to find
out he used to play basket ball center
for the University OF Cincinnati.
Perpetual Motion Inventor.
He still says he really thought he
could invent perpetual motion in those
days.
He almost had it in France. A non
com told him If he'd walk that away
5 miles" he'd come to an old sawmill
rigged up for shower baths. He got all
lathered up before discovering the water
tank tied to rafter was dry. He
walked back miles caked with soap,
only to find he'd left his side arms
behind. He made the trip all over
again.
Mr.. Clark was a ringleader in the
March, 1919, Paris meeting that pro-
duced the American Legion. He helped
organize the Disabled American vet
Grams.
Mr.. Clark says he hopes people will
settle down to grim realization that we
are going to have the greatest number
Of disabled men in our military history
and quit staring and asking, "Oh you
poor boy, how did it happen?"
He says all they ask Is to be taken back
into civilian life Of the community as q
member, not an oddity. He pleads for a
minimum Of amaudlin sympathy" and
thinks it about time 70 start calling the
.GI bill Of rights by its proper name
"Servicemen's Readjustment Act"
"The veteran" he adds, win resent
US eternally calling. him joe as much Is
We Of the last war resented the name
Buddy