A LEGION 50th ANNIVERSARY FEATURE
HOW THE FIRST GI BILL WAS WRITTEN ..
(PART II) Near.s! lIelV~lJ(lper::; a,5signed to turned from a conference at the Capitol 1I'0r/.: with the Legion',5 spf'cial Gl with Senator Bennett Champ Clark of illS IS TilE SECONll of '.IVO ar· ~"issOllri. a founder of the Legion, and /Jill COTllmittee ill 194344. one of the GI Bi1l's staunchest advocates tides on the exciting story 0/ Tada)', the CI Bills have proved T the 1/!rilifl,~ aml I){1S.HI{!f~ of in Congress. II/(, WW2 CI Hill 0/ Rights in themselvc:.> be,'oflfl all measure. The Washington representatives of !Jack then there 1fI(I.~ tremendous four smaller veterans organizations 1943-44. Last month's il/swamcill SlIpport for tile idca. Bitt OppO.H:' Omar B. Ketchum of Ihe Veterans of told how, in the midst o/1P1V2, the Foreign Wars; Millard W. Rice of the I.iol/ also gathered rapidly n!terthe Legion had dm/t.ed and /lias trying Disabled American Veterans; Frank origil/al GI Billllla.5 il/troduced ill to secure enactment 0/ the then Haley of the Military Order of the Congress ('or/y in lalll/ary 1944. Purple He:lrt;and \V. M. Floyd. National r,,/Jolutio/lary GI Bill. It was Ihe 011 Feb. 16, jOllr other1Jctcralls or Comm:lnder of the Rcgul:lr Veterans first 10111 in 0/11' hi.~torr 1.0 help all Organization-had sent a leiter 10 every ;;u1Ii;;(/,ioll.5 i.~::;lted (1 joi!/f., open /wtNfWS get 0/1 their feet alter a member of Congress. opposing the GI letter, opposing 'he Cf Bill. This war. Bill. jilin! installment picb lip the story E.~sefltiall.y, what /ollows is th" "Everything that glitters is not gold:' at I.hat pOilll. they said. The)' had called IIpon Congress I/"ord-/or-word eyewitness st.ory "/(It "not to be st:Jmpcded into hasty and the late David Camelon wrote /01' possibly unwise legislation." They at this magazine in 1949. It. has been WE HEI.D OUR COUNCIl. of W:lf c:lrly tacked the proposed educational aids .~ome/llhat edited and condeflsed- Ih:lt aftcrnoon of Fcbruary 17. that were to he hy far Ihe 1\10st beneficial and in some places If.fleIated. In ad- 1944-the daily meeting of the I.egion·s pan of the GI Bill. once it was passed. diliofl, some material edited Ollt 0/ board of strategy on how to gCt thc Gl John Stelle was concerned. ' . l Bill of Rights passed. "The letter is embarrassing to our Mr. Came.onl s story 1fI 1949 IUS John Stelle. ex-Illinois Governor and friends in the Congress," he said. "People been ineluded here. Mr. CamelOIl chairman of The Americ
various veterans organizations. (The VFW member hrought us an internal Kearney of New York. who was both a fact was that the four smaller organizu VF\V memorandum 10 warn us of what Legionnaire and a Past National Com tions claimed a combined membership of was going on. The mcmo urgcd VFW mander of the VFW. worked intimately 555.000--lillle more than a third of thc state and local ollkers 10 ignore thc 01 with the Legion on the internal political Legion's membcn;hip.) Bill. cul1ing it "spout and fizzle. fizzle ,md dilemmas the hill faced in Congress, As • 'The letler can't beat thc 01 Bill, But spout:' Not only did individual VFW you'll sec, in the end he lipped the Legion SenatorClark asked me to get those other members continue to support the 01 Bill otT to what h;ld to be done at the last min organizations off his neck. if we can. and kcep us advised, but Rep. Pat ute to save thc whole hill from final They offer a wonderful excusc for some defeat. members of Congress to oppose the bill." But wh;ll Congress was hearing was John looked inquiringly at the other the VFW's top-level opposition to the members of his comrniltee who were bill. present. They nodded, Something h,ld to I wus sure that the VFW leaders really be done. wanted to share Ihe crcdit. In his in "John," I suid, "it would be dinicult for tern"l memo. VFW legislative director a Legionnaire to approach these other Ketchum had dwelt upon "prestige," organizations. But I'm an outsider. I "credit" and "the spotlight." know Omar Ketchum and Millurd Ricc. I went 10 Omar Ketchum's office. and If you want me to, I'll sec what I can do," talked 10 him for more than an hour. At I was a HeMst eorrcspondent reporting last he said; the Legion's fight to put ovcr thc 01 Bill, hl\'1y legislative comminee is in Wash John nodded. ington, Let's tllik to them." "Yes," he said. "00 ahead and try." We had lunch at the Ambassudor Of the four opposing veterans organ- Hotel with the committee. hellded by izations, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Past National VFW Commander Paul was the largest. It cannot be said today O. Wolman of Bultimore. They agreed Gibson leaves plane after nightlong trip to coo..... rate if the Legion would meet that the VFW members generally agreed from his Georgia home. His vote broke ,.- with thcir leadership. Thut same day a House deadlock. assured bill's passage, with them. (Turn to /lext pCll-:e) THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE. fEBRUARY 1969 23 CONTINUED crans. We would have more than 16 mil lion veterans to discharge. On the day of How the First GI Bill was written discharge they would all be unemployed. For longer or shorter periods, if thcy had 1 helped 10 arrange a meeting at the appropriately described as 'ominous.'" no income, the nation would lose the Statler Hotel between Stelle's committec He billerly attacked the unemploy buying power of 16 million people. In and the Wolman group. The VF'W agrttd ment compensation provisions of the bill, this were the seeds of a postwar reces formally to support the bill. and Wolman which were soon to benefit over eight sion that would renect back from mer said: million veterans, saying: chanu who were not selling to out-of "I think that. in uniling the forces of 'The lazy and 'chisel)'" types of veter work veterans, 10 manufacturers and Ihese two great organizations. wc have ans would gct the most benefits. whereas farmers faced with layoffs because. for made history here." the resourceful. industrious and con varying lengthS of time, 16 million of Ihe A few suggeslions were made by the scientious veterans would get the least country's adults would lack funds to buy VFW, and accepted by the Legion, Chief benefits. if lmy." their minimum needs. among them was Ihe insertion of Ihe fig \Ve read that sentence with amaze The later complete proof of this was ure $500.000.000 in that seclion of the ment. We didn't know it would soon not yet visible. In 19441he logic of 52-20 hill authorizing the Veterans Administra haunt us from other sourccs as well. The made not a dent in those who felt that tion to proceed with an adequatc hos GI Bill provided $20 a week for a maxi the servicemen were by nature heroes pitalization program. mum of 52 weeks in unemployment ben overseas but bums at home. Thc Legion had avoided any specific efits for any \'cteran of WW2 who. while Harry Colmery, of the Legion's GI figure when the GI Bill was drafted. It looking for work, couldn't find il. Bill Committee, warned, in effect, that the opposition might mak~ bums of some sought adequate hospitalization for the The assumption of Rice and OIhers \VW2 bailie casualties, at whatever COSl. of them, by denying them a chance 10 was that too many \V\V2 veterans would without delay. gel a fresh start. sit back on their rumps for a solid year 'These men will be a potent force for Omar Ketchum wenl before the Sen to draw the $20 a week before stirring good or evil in the years to come," he .. te and House Committees to voice sup themselves. port of the bill. although later he joshed said. "They can make our counlry, or The Legion felt that this benefit. which liS in the dosing days of the bailie, whcn break it:' earned the nickname "52_20." was abso il scemed that the GI Bill of Rights might They would make America great, the lutely essential. It was confident that be lost. Legion knew, if they were nOt engulfed millions of veterans would usc 52-20 for in disillusion, if the courage and confi a few critical weeks before going to col dence with which they went to war were lege or taking job-training. that many preserved on their return. Their nccd more would tllke advantage of their could not be sacrificed because a small rights to return 10 their former jobs im minority might misuse the opportunities mediatcly. (And of course they did. in the GI Bill contained. more millions than anyone then guessed.) The opponents of the bill, on the other The Legion had not the slighlest doubt hand, apparently thought only of Ihe that some would. indeed. "take a rest" minority who might abuse it-magnify on 52-20. by gelling local aUlhorities to ing the danger of abuse out of all pro· wink al the "you must be looking for portion...... ork.. provision. It was even prepared 10 I, and others, tried to gel Millard Rice debate that lhe men who had gone from to have the Disabled American Veterans Guadalcanal 10 Okinawa. from Nor recede from the position he had taken, mandy to the heart of Germany. with no to no avail. His leller had its effect. It weekcnds or holidllYs, were entitled to furnished an excuse for those in Congress a rest. who were opposing enactment of the GI Francis M. Sullivan, legion's Acting war· BUlthat wasn't the point. Bill--or who wished to change or wcaken time Nat'! Legislative Director. surround· The 52-20 provision was tailored to ed by petitions endorsing GI Bill. the benefits it provided. I doubt whether. see that Ihe veteran who was out of a job without that encouragement. one of the Whilc Ihe VPW withdrew its OPfXlSi- and looking for work wouldn't be re key members of Congress would have lion. Millard Rice of the Disabled Ameri- duced to bcggardom-the old. old Slory. undertaken-as he later did-to de can Veterans .....ould not yield. On lhe Olhers could lalk about the "lazy" and nounce the GI Bill of Righu on the floor 2!nd. he addressed a new letter to Sen- "chiseling" veterons all they wanted. the of the House as "half-baked legislation:' ator Walter F. Gcorge. chairman of the Legion focused on the man who was dis Meanwhile, the bill was picking up Senale Finance Committee. renewing his charged. perhaps with a wife and chil speed in the Senate, where Senator Ben allack. dren. who .....ouldn·t have thc .....herewithal nen Clark was rallying almost unani "Your cautiousness in resisting Ihe 10 buy bread until he found a job. (In the mous support for it. He. National Com· 'olitz' methods used by an ill-advised fXlStwar housing shortage that followed, Olander Atherton, John Stelle, and Sen group in its allempt to put across the many of these .....ere even without homes ator Scott W. Lucas, former National '01 Bill of Rights' ... is indced appre- for months. hut 52-20 assured them of Judge Advocate of the Legion, had al ciated hy thosc-America's dis.1bled war bread and milk.) With the help of Stan ready conferred with President Roose veterans-whose fUlure wclfarc would Rector. the 52-20 provisions had been vclt at the White House. Iherchy very probably be unfavorably based on the soundest state unemploy Bennen Clark helped the Legion to afff.."Ctcd:· he wrote. ment benefit laws then in existence. And come to an agreement with Senate lead Senator George didn'l want any such in the end the WW2 vets didn't use half ers in three important instances. "credit:' He had co-sponsored the GI of their 52·20 entitlement. while a bare Senator Wagner of New York had Bill in the Senate and al no time "re- handful took the whole 52 weeks.. Mil- introduced a bill covering veterans em sisledn ils passage. lions of them never used any of 52-20. ployment. The Senatc Education Com "This bill," Rice continued. "referred The legion fell that 52-20 was as im- minee. led by Chairman Elbert Thomas to as an Omnibus Bill, has been more ponanl for the country as for the vet of Utah. and Robert La Follette of Wis- 24 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE. FEBRUARY 1969 Bcnnett Clark was the means of get· ting those names. The legion's corn millcc worked with him-and one ;.fter noon John Stelle came hurrying into AN OPDl LITIEIl. TO: Legion he:adquarters...... aving a copy of w..l>1..t ..... D. c. '.bnary 16. 1944. the bill. and crying: sen.tt= a...... tt c. CI.rI<. c...i~. v.t • Sub-e-J.tu. to "By God, 1 gOI Alben Barkley. the s t. 11...... e-J.ttu. majority leader, to sign it in his own s. t. Ofric. llulld1.Q&. handwriting!" ~ublJ:l&tOl:1. D. C. Fift) Sen:ators were On the floor of the De ... s....t= Ct.rI<, Senate when Ihe bill came up for a votc. E:v.rythh... t"'t .1Itt.r. h 1>01' c,...... lly .old: Scn:uor Clark read thc names of all the h ...un h 10.111& b ...,..b. to be on the eo.,...... <0 sponsors--and olher Senators later askcd t.....,. U:medl.te e....ct_nt of the ao-c.Il&
II" U\le tbe 1I.lno:. led by Stelle. the Legion's special eom conference. A.s House chairman he re _~ are pyI", ,_, fused to cast the proxy vOle of absent A...... ,. .lief.... 't·U 'to7" millee dug in and fought. They mar Ila 01'Ml. la.. T..II.I shaled every resource. every influence Rep. John Gibson of Georgia that UlIc:_ '""" 1....."..-'/'OWI '1>&1.. ••\k1no: they could think of. would tip the scales for the legion ver 01\ 11 b. unfol"fd<&l>~ By Thursday, June 8. 1944 (two da)'s sion. Ute ••a!nI: 01\ • U.Ic:Il. plio f&I'lN'I after D-Oay in Normandy), the House There were seven Senators and seven T ..... ~ la"n 4rI_ and Senate conferees had agreed on Represenlati\'es on the conference com "'".1I._r_.II~cnoloiIraw '""" . • ..- an4 Irtll..l I.. Section I. II and III of the bill. including miltcc. Under the rules a bill would die • Iltllleo1... t>eo.l CIlher ...... _. II cull the education and loan features. In the if a majority of the represcntath'es from -u..- """;, .. Il·. perf"'" I. _ main. the Senate had yielded to Ihe ~tlcll house did not agree. _ ',...... at_"", .he...... -. lalloer.·, no _ I<> 01" 01&1 ,.v old ...... P.... '" A_ 'to:Jela 0..- _ Ie< Jl IPreed locked over Title IV-veterans job place But thc House group was evenly dh'ided 1Il1<> wl.r>ter_l>&nj;r _uUh>! lorrl lhat _ .... __l. I. ",n netlhI!T t>eo.l 11m __ ft·ter nlent. The Senale members wanted its -three vOling to accept the Senate ver 1I1lI •• mere!J" ._ GIl III • ..-. lter services left in the United Stales Employ sion. three opposing it. The seventh mem t>eo. ... I.... _ ...1l1AI lnob " '"""' SPrlDI_ I.,. """-all EY'e "lui ...... ment Service. with control exercised by ber of the House group was Gibson. at I<> • ..- bl. II\J" ..II 1Jl )'OI(r .rft, no mailer _ "am' oUter • ...- III" lallo
fabulOll' exporl Plrc.I-33 dll· lert"l.pld.lluues 1011968, Olympic Clomes. '"CludU illS from S~ul'_' lulsul., 1t",0". "m.., CM,,,nJ, Mu._ "" ""••11., hln'. Tol.1 I] lumr.' 110m II ClHl/Ilfiu. TIlls IlC tin, Olympic hchl )'DUfi IOf onlJ 2~ to Inl,(lljllCe crafSUI 'pp!Cl'fII., """IU" slimp, It dl· rect-Import b..,'ln priUI, Sn' 2ft IfI ...st' U.s. SU..,. (N. ullll) AIlr; II" lit YC-II.
"You'd better not_ You're not in any shape to take a deep breath."
48 THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE· FEBRUARY 1969 Georgia," Pat Kearney said. "He'll vote No answer! The Congressman W,IS not the right way, He's the only one who at home. How much money can save the bil1.'· The Douglas telephone operator was We knew 10hn Gibson was for us. He told why we had to reach Gibson. Her do you need h3d sent his proxy to the conferees bUl altitude was like that of another tele the chairman of the House Committee phone operator that night who said: to get into a refused to accept it. "My husband just landed in Nor Get Gibson to Washington by 10 mandy. I'm with you,"' o'clock the next morning? The Douglas operator said: nice little business We looked at our watches. It was al '"1"11 find him for you-some way or ready past 6 o'clock in the evening. We other!" of your own? dashed from the Capitol and raced b'lck She began to telephone his friends. 10 Legion headquarters. She learned 1hal Gibson was supposed 10hn Stelle put in a call 10 Gibson's 10 be on the highway. some place be hOine in Douglas, Georgia. tween Valdosta and Douglas, 70 miles "Sorry,"' the long distance openltor apart. She thought he was on his way said, "there is a delay of five to six hours home.
You've always wished you could go into a busi. ness of yOUf own, Bul, you don't have Ihe cash il lakes. Or do you? Here's a great little business you can get inlo for the price of a 6c slamp. That's all you ever "invest", because we supply eyerything you need. You don'! need a lid of experience we've been showing men the Wa1 for years, And you don't haye to cut yourself loose from your regular paycheCk because this is one business ynu can operale in your spare lime. You'll be shOWing Iriends our beautiful color catalog of oyer 275 brand new men's and wom en's shoe slyles, They'll order from you because you're their friend-and because Ihe slyles are great! [yery time you take an order, you stuff another $1.50 to $12,00 in your pocket - that's your profit - and you forward Ihe order to us, We fill the order for you (that's why you neyer have "Why can't he honk his horn, like other dates?" any inveslment). '1'1"" ""'''H'G.''' ,.o:<,;,os "'..GAZISE If you can put in just 2 hours a week, you can pid up an extra $5 to $10. Spend all day Satur· on all cnl1s to Georgia." That was typiC;11 "I'll ring him every five minutes until day at It and you should clear anywhere from of wartime America. If you didn't have I get him,"' she said. $20 on up, an official priority you might wait and Time was racing by. It was 9 o'clock wait to get n long distance cnll through. 10 o'clock-II. Money isn't all The news was crushing. But lack If we did reach Gibson, how were we you'll make! Cejnar said: going lO get him to Washington? We give producers val "The Atlanta Constitution is for us. There was an Army Air Force Base uable prlles ...and you They've written editorials asking their at Waycross. forty miles away. Could we can quickly qualify for free shoes for life, tOIl. readers to call on Congress to pass it. get an Army bomber? Best of all, your name They'll help." I put in a call for a friend, Bill West on this coupon and a 6c We hadn't been able to get Douglas, luke, chief of Air Force public relations. stamp on an envelope Georgia, on our first meek try to crack I hearJ he was in California. Where? No are all it takes 10 gel the wartime telephone priorities. Now one available ut that hour knew. started. So stop wish· ing for that business Stelle took a different lack. He got on Using its news priority, I called the of your own ... mail fhis the phone and refused 10 take no for an Los Angcles Examiner and explained the coupon and get started answer. He claimed to have a mysterious situation. in it today! priority and finally talked an operator "We've got to talk lO We.>tlake!" I , in10 connecting him with Atlanta. Du said. hi can only tell you he'S some place MASON SHOE MFG. CO" Oept. H·m , pont Wright. the night editor of the in California." Chip"..... F.II.. \'lisco",;" 54729 , Constitution, and Rolfe Edmondson, Within half an hour. the Examiner , rewrite man and a veteran of World found him (don'l ask me how)-und R"'h Mv FREE 5,..'il>\l O"t/it. "",,",pit,. in,lt..chon.. ,1 and h_oIIot,,!or·lil. oU." 'ocIOY, 1 War 1. were on duty, They had u tele Bill Westlake was on the wire. phone priority they could usc in an ''I'll do anything 1 can to help,"' he ,.~------: emergency. When the situation was ex suid. ''I'll telephone the commander at Addrm : plained to them, they decided this was the Waycross base, and he'll be at your City : certainly an emergency. service Edmondson called Gibson's home in He did, In a mattcr of minutes. the SIll. ZiJI ~ Douglas. (COli/iI/lief} 011 page 50) ,- ..l THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE. FEBRUARY 1969 49 HOW THE FIRST GI Bill WAS WRIITEN: PART II ------(Continued from page 49) ------Waycross commandant telephoned us. Gibson was on the wire. He was told "'-__v ••• "1 haven', gal a plane available." he the situation. t·...... "'t' 1_., ARE YOU UNLUCKY? THE G.IRl _., "KING OF T"~ EARLIES" Di. oolid, ..,..I.t fruit, tlia-ue ....'"tdnl. be..., yield*". Id..1 lor table eao..m.. Smd IDe fo. bta JldCket !:Se,.,.. S peekeu FREE &DtI _ of S