Evening star., 1945-08-17
-Four Million Veterans
10 Be Returned From
Overseas by June
By the Associated Press.

The Army will bring back from
overseas 1000, 900 veterans by next
June 30. BY the end of the year
1t will be dischargins high point
men at a monthly rate OF 500 900.
Using the Nays ships, Army
bombers and virtually everything
else that will float or fly, the Army
expects to have the return Of SOL
diers up to the half-million figure
by January /. and past that figure
at the peak.
These flgures. further piecing to-
eether the Army's schedule for
turning back 5000, 900 men to civil
Ian life within a year, were re.
leased yesterday At 4 news confer
ence held by Gen. Brehon B.
Somervell, chief of Army Service
Forces, and other high-ranking
ASF officers.
Occupation Force Uncertain.
The only uncertain factors, Gen.
somervell said, are the force that
must be used in the occupation OF
Japan and the difficulties that may
arise.
The troops must go in fully pre-
pared for combat even though, he
said, the Army doesn't expect trou-
bic. This, he emphasized, will re-
qulre a large amount of shipping,
which must be given first priority.
Maj. Gen. c. P. Gross, transport
tation chief, said the occupation
job obviously would not take all
available shipping and that no re-
source will be ignored In our efforts
to speed our men home"
To Use Seized Ships.
In addition to United States ship.
ping and available aircraft, the
Army will use the British liners
Queen Mary. Queen Elizabeth and
Aquitania-which alone are capable
of transporting $4,000 men monthly
and seven German and Italian
liners. including the Europa.
At home, five additional separa.
ton centers will be established with
$4,000 specially trained men as
signed to them. The goal Is to send
every discharged man home within
46 hours after he arrives at the
centers.
First to come from the Pacific
will be the heroes Of Corregidor
and Wake. captured by the JapA.
nese, and the sick and wounded.
Gen. Somervell disclosed for the
first time that the Army now has
800 900 troops in the Pacific. An
additional 2,76o,0 900 are in Europe
and 10000 In overseas garrison
posts.
Who Navy Will Keep.
Meanwhile. the Navy announced
the categories of men and women
who may be held in the service more
than 40 days after they are eligible
for discharge because their services
are essential in processing others
for den1obilization. The ratings
follow:
Specialist x key punch opera
tors), specialist I punch card
accounting machine operators,
specialist s (shore patroD, spe-
cialist c classification, storekeep-
ers, olSourSlng; chief pharmacists,
pharmacists and pharmacists
mates; mailmen, hospital appren-
tices, male and female doctors Of the
Medical Corps and Hospital Corps,
members Of the Navy Nurse Corps.
Three categories Of ofncers-shore
patrol, military government and
international Business Machines
speciAlist-can be held in for more
than 120 days after they are eligible
for discharge with the approval Of
the chief Of naval personnel.
The Navy said that those held IN
more than 100 days after eligibility
would be retained as long Is they
are needed for vital services. In the
cases Of al other men and women
eligible for discharge, commanding
onacers have up to 40 days to md
rhNla cAnenfs