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When the GI Bill was initiated 64 years ago on this day- June 22nd, 1944 it was used as a means to help soldiers returning from WW2 regain a foothold in their civilian lives after being away while the world around them kept spinning. Women had taken to the work force, the economy had shifted to building the tools of war, and after the last war the U.S. had fallen into a depression- and that was expected to be the case here as well. But FDR, Congress, and the American Legion had enough forethought to prevent the predicted hard times. By installing the GI Bill, returning troops were able to seek out education and find a foothold in a business world that would be developing anew.
Peter Gaytan is director of veteran’s affairs for the American Legion. He says the bill’s humble origins on a sheet of hotel stationery belie its radical premise:
“We didn’t wanna just create legislation that would write a monthly check to a veteran who returned from combat. We recognized that they needed a transition into a life, not a payment for service. What the GI Bill originally did was allow them to go to school, to purchase their home, to become part of the work force when they took the uniform off.”
Up to that time, America had a lousy track record when it came to taking care of its veterans. Even after the Revolutionary War, vets had to storm Independence Hall in Philadelphia to demand payment they’d been promised.
In 1932, in the depths of the Great Depression, World War I vets marched on the Capitol demanding compensation owed to them. Government troops were called in to disperse them by force.
It was a bleak chapter in American history - and the GI Bill was intended to make sure it would not be repeated.
But today the GI Bill has been having difficulty keeping up with the ever increasing costs of education, especially in an environment where a 4 year degree now holds roughly the same place that a high school education did decades ago, and even more education is required to gain ground in a competitive business world. So what does a country do to continue showing it’s gratitude and support to the men and women who fight in it’s service? The obvious answer would be to bring the bill up to speed and modernize it to match the changing educational environment. But how to go about this change is tricky at best, especially in a politically charged, heavily bipartisan election year. The Dems and Reps have cut each other down on anything they can, regardless of the obvious benefits to the country and it’s citizens, and the GI Bill has not been spared this crossfire.
A revision to the bill proposed by veteran and Democratic senator James Webb met heavy resistance from Rep Presidential Candidate John McCain and current President George W. Bush. Their criticisms were primarily focused on the argument that in today’s military- offering increased benefits for opportunities apart from the military, would cause a drop in retention, something today’s military is already struggling with given the numerous deployments faced in this unpopular period of war. However as members of Congress from both sides began to come out in support of the bill which would increase the benefits afforded to National Guard soldiers who have been carrying an increased burden in current conflicts, increase the time available to use the financial support from 10 to 15 years, and as an added benefit not in the original proposition of the bill, troops will now be able to transfer their tuition to their spouses or children to attend college- a benefit looked very favorably upon given the heavy load military families have been facing as their loved ones ship out on multiple deployments, Bush and McCain have changed their tune to one of support, while still maintaining some criticisms, and in some views even trying to take credit for parts of the bill.
Regardless of how the bill has come to fruition, the important thing to do is remember that it’s not about something for nothing as I’ve heard some argue. It’s not even about joining the military just so you can go to college, as many recruiters would use it. Having gone into military life and come back to the civilian world (and back and forth again a few times) I can now speak to what these benefits are really about- trying to help our fighting men and women make the long, difficult transition back into the American workforce, and society as a whole. After all they’ve done for us, they deserve all the help we can give them in return.
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