Evening star., 1946-02-24
Guide for Veterans
By Moi. Thomas N. Mai
Asseeies.d Pres, s.ofF Writer

Asseesofsd RE
This story about Joe-multiplied
several thousand times-gives q
glimpse of one Of the major prob
lens being encountered by veterans
returning to civilian life.
Joes boss, the editor OF q maga-
zine, told me about this; how Joe
had come out OF the air forces, how
before the war he had been an en-
terprising young fellow in the maga-
xine's research department and how
four years later, at 26, he was q
lieutenant colonel.
joe returned to his old office
looking, of course, for a job.
you know" Joe said, I'm sup
posed to have the right to my old
job. But I wasn't making much in
those days, 80 thought maybe you
might have something more impor-
tant for me-"
II recognize your rights, joe" the
editor said, "and the promise that
your old job would be here for you
still holds. But remember we're
publishing q magazine-which is
different from flying. I know you
can learn the business and we'll be
glad to put you back on your old job
You used to get $25 q week. Wen
double that"
But" Joe interrupted, "do you
realize what I've been earning? !
got $291.67 month basic pay, plus
rental and subsistence allowances of
S126. Then got flying pay, overseas
pay and fogy. I was making over
$500 a month. You offer so bucks q
week."
Joe DisilIusioned.
Joe's problem represents a sort of
compound fracture of the illusions.
Accustomed to an income of more
than $1,000 q year, he is confused
and let down at prospects of a civil
Ian income Of less than $1,000.
He had been pursuit pilot, and
q good one. He had learned planes
and fighting and how to handle
men. But he knew no more about
the business of publishing a maya
zine than he had known when he
entered the Army.
Perhaps more typical than Joe's
case is that of the ex-staff sergeant
who used to work in a drugstore
after high school hours. He'd pick
up from $40 to $12 a week working
part time. Full time would have
paid $18.
But selective service and the war
came along and he wound up as a
member of q BIZ crew. Overseas
he got about $163 a month, plus
clothes and keep, which added an
other estimated $125 a monitor
the practical equivalent of $65 a
week.
Well, now he's going to have to
get his mind away from money like
that and think about the kind of job
he wants and about his future.
It's clear that many of us ex-
service people will have to give up
any fancy cabbage ideas We may
have developed in the service. Those
cushy war jobs we used to hear
about are gone. But there's work
and there1l be jobs. So we can't
rest on our laurels-we can't sit back
thinking the country owes us a
living.
There's one part of the CT bill
which seems to have been working
out smoothly. That's Title 2-the
education section, officially called
Education of Veterans"
Plenty Of ex-service people already
have reached out for some free GII
bill education, and I've heard esti-
mates that at least 31a million vets
sooner or later Will get started in
high schools and colleges, appren-
tice training and "on-the- Job" pro-
grams and vocational and technical
schools.
Many people who wanted to in
crease their intellectual horsepower
before the war couldn't 60 to COL
lege, or In some cases couldn't finish
school because they had to take care
OF their families and just didn't
have the cash to do two things at
once.
On February / the Veterans Ad-
ministration had approved the ap-
plications of $500 ex-service folk
who want to give the CT bills edu-
cation provisions "bit of a co." as
our Aussie cobbers used to say. Con-
sidering there are over 100000
World War Two vets at the present
time, that seems to Indicate most
veterans feel they've had enough
readin', 'ritin' and 'rithmetic.
But wait. Don't forget We have
up until four years after we say
good-by to the separation center. or
after the official end Of the war,
whichever is later, to apply for CT
bill education. Possibly many of
the ex-Joes and James who haven't
started their education or training
yet are giving it some thought and
may get going afterla spell.
All Veterans Eligible.
Practically every veteran is eligible
for CT bill education. The qualifi-
cations are: Discharge or separa-
ton under conditions other than
dishonorable; at least 80 days serv-
ice, and that means active duty, part
of which came after September 16,
1s40-"D" day of selective service.
II you were discharged because of
a service-connected disability the
80 days service clause is tossed out
of the window.
Under certain conditions time
spent in an Army specialized train
ing program or Navy college train
ing program can't be counted as
credit toward this education. Actual
ly. the law says that time spent in
an. ASTP or NCTP program can be
cotnted as credit for CT bill educa-
ton, II the course wasn't "contin-
uxfion Of a civilian course" or wasn't
pursued to completion"
That sounds distinct enough, but
there's been Veterans Administra-
ton Interpretation on it which seems
Legion Meetings
Tfhre will be an Employment
Committee meeting at the clubhouse
tomorrow. The guest speaker will be
Ralph LAYERS, national director of