Evening star., 1954-10-06
Veterans and
Druftees
By Moi. Thomos M. Mol

Almost from the time this
country came into existence. one
Of the basic principles involving
veterans benefits has been: do
the best possible for the man
disabled in wartime service"
During and after World War II
this principle was eagerly ap-
piled. Among many other things,
it resulted in the setting UP Of a
program called Vocational Re-
habilitation," a full brother to
the CT bill education and train
ing program. The program, de-
signed to rehabilitate vets who
received disabilities which in
terfered with their working abil-
ity, is still operating for some
World War II veterans.
When the Korean War came
along Congress extended the law
to cover Korean vets.
Now Congress has acted again.
this time to extend a deadline
in which certain World War II
and Korean vets can complete
their vocational rehabilitation.
Basically, what Congress did
was extend for four years the
deadline for completing training
to three groups of vets:
l. Those whose severe disabil-
itles have prevented them from
entering or completing training.
2. Those who originally re-
ceived discharges barring them
from training and whose dis
charges were changed too late
to permit them to enter and
complete training. An other
than-dishonorable discharge is a
requirement for the training.
3. Those for whom a service
connected disability was not
established in time to begin and
complete course of training.
A service-connected disability for
which vet is receiving regular
monthly compensation payments
is another eligibility requirement. |
At this point the extension will
primarily benefit World War II |
vets who either haven't started
the training or who have entered |
the training within the past year |
or so. The additional time to
complete training set a new
deadline for them of July 25, |
1860. Before the law was passed |
their training had to end by |
July, 25, 1956-less than two
years from now.
However, World War II vet |
Grams who do not come /under
any of the three special group
ings still have to complete their
training by the laws original
deadline of July IS, 1856.
For Korean vets in those three
special categories who are al
ready out of service, the new
deadline is August %, 1867. For
Korean vets yet to be DISCHARGED
the deadline will be 13 years
from the date of their discharge,
or from the end of the current
emergency period, whichever
comes first.
Disabled Korean vets not in
any Of the three groupings will
have until August %, 1868, as a
training deadline if they've al
ready left the service. Veterans
discharged after August %, 1854,
will have nine years from the |
date Of their discharge, or from |
the end Of the emergency i
whichever is first to finish |
training.
Under the vocational rehabili- |
tation program a vet has three |
basic choices in picking a train
ing field. He may enroll in a
school or college, take on-the-
job training in a variety of
trades, clerical or sales Occupa-
tions or enter institutional on
farm training or other programs
which combine classroom work
and job training.
While he's in training the
Government will pay all neces-
sary tuition expenses and may
authorize special equipment
when he needs it. Then, of
course, he'll get an allowance for
living expenses, the amount de-
pending on the number of de-
pendents he has and the type Of
training he's taking.
(You may 1Urite Mai. NidI In
care OF The Star about your
serUice connected problem.
Please tnclose q stamped, self
addressed enuelope and 20
cents in coin.)
(From AP Newsfeatures.)