Hide Article Text (OCR)
THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 1945RALPH HOLSINGER WRITESWhat Will Be Decisions of WorldWar Vets When Hostilities End?(Editor’s Note:—This is another in the series of articles by Pfc. Ralph Holsinger, with the U. S. Army in Austria and is used by special permission).* x XAustriaMay 12, 1945Will the veterans of this war cast their lot with the veterans of the last war or will they form an organization of their own? if they do, what kind of an organization will it be? So far, enough has not been said about the subject to indicate a definite trend.During the coming year, over a million soldiers will return to civilian life. They will be the advance guard of a movement that will eventually involve as many as ten million men. If the rights of the veterans of this war are to be protected through organization, now is the time to think and act on the matter.What rights does the veteran have? What should be the purpose of the organization?Some men are coming out of this war with the idea that the nation owes them, if not a living, at least certain privileges denied those who were not chosen to serve.Already some soldiers are asking for a bonus based upon combat and overseas time, for continuation of army pay for a war or more after discharge, for permanent tax concessions, and for other financial favors.If those who demand these favors are aggressive, the result may be a powerful organization wir-» only purpose will be to make demands upon the treasury.Special PrivilegesNo rne will deny that liberal monetary support should be given those who fought and worked to win the war have a right to an opportunity ',o cupport themselves. But one may well ' question their right -to special privileges.It is true that we in the army are giving up the years of our lives whm men normally get their start in life.It is true that Army inductions forced the closing of businesses individuals had worked years to establish.It is true that many of us have known great hardship. It is true that some of us ha e lived dangerously. These sacrifices have been made because our country, ‘ur way of life, was and still ir in clanger.Then it would follow that we are going through with this war,because we think that our nation will be a better and safer place in which to live than it would be were we to refuse to fight.If that is the case, then all of us, soldiers and civilians, have a continuing obligation — that of guaranteeing that the United F'-^s of American offers more opportunities to all of us than it did b'fore the war..Veterans Must Lead In a land of great opportunity, the veteran needs no special ‘.'Etui ties. no privileges not extended to all the people. Likewise, he h-.o the same rights given to all Americans because the war is a war of all Americans, for all Americans and for a great many other people besides. But if. through the indifference or neglect of some of her citizens, America fails to provide opportunities for all of her own, thendemands will be made upon thetreasury.But taking money away from all to give to a few will not solve any problems. That will take an enlightened and interested citizenry led by far-seeing legislators and executives. And since ours is a overnmcnt of groups, the United •eterans ean take the lead in build-ng a better America.Selfish or Generous?The right kind of an organization hculd concern itself with deier-lining ways to better the standard f living, of insuring the right to ork, of guaranteeing the peace, nd of retaining our freedom.If eight or ten million voters can et together behind leaders who are ietermined to make a better nation o power can stand against them. Certainly, in the long run, a pros-erous nation offering an opportu-ity to every man willing to work.ill 'be far more profitable to every-ne than would any system of bon-ses or pensions.In the hands of the veterans lies a choice. We can contribute to the nations bankruptcy, or we can make It a place of rich opportunity for all. We can be selfish or generous. Which shall it be? The answer is being formulated now.FIFTH ARMY IS INWIDE PROGRAM OFORIENTATION NOWWith 5th Aitov. Italy, (U.PJ—An intensive post-V-E Day information,orientation and education program of eight weeks duration, leading off with an army-wide showing of “Two Down and One To Go,” War Department film on redeployment of forces is now in full swing throughout the 5th Army area.Weekly orientation periods for all units, formerly a single hour each week, now have been lengthened to two non-eonsecutive hours weekly. | A breakdown of the theater-wide eight-week orientation program includes the exhibition of “Two Down I and One To Go” for one hour for! the first week and for the second j hour, an explanation and discussion j of the film.Distribution of the film was a! triumph of speed and organization. Within 60 hours after the receipt of the fiim in the 5th Army, more | than 72,000 troops, or almost half : of the 5th Army, had seen it. ; Discuss ReadjustmentThe second week of the program j will be devoted to discussion of the j readjustment program and how if affects the individual soldier The third and fourth weeks of the i program will be for the soldier a review of a subject he knows wellfrom experience—the North African campaign. This wili not be a rehash of facts the soldier already [knows, but will place emphasis on the soldier's individual coiitribu- j tion to victory in this longest of; all Allied campaigns against Germany. jIn the fifth! and sixth weeks of the j program, the soldier’s attention: will be turned toward an enemy still undefeated — Japan. He wil: discuss and hear talks on the war in the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to the Philippines and Ryukyu in-; vasions, the nature and characteristics of Japan and the Japanese jand the relation of the China,- j Burma campaigns to the United1 States Pacific war effort. jThe seventh week of the pro-. gram will be devoted to a discus- j Sion of the home front and its j political and industrial develop-; ments in support of the war. Pur- i ther discussions of the horiie front, j particularly on the domestic prob* j lems caused by the war, will be. taken up in the eighth and last J week of the program and a final ’ discussion subject will be further j information on what is required of j each soldier in the redeployment j plan. jUnit Schools Planned jNow, with V-E Day behind them • and either new military tasks or [ discharge facing them, many sol- j diers in the Mediterranean theater j and in the 5th Army are looking i ahead to the army education and j school program, designed to im-: prove the efficiency of the individ-. ual man as a soldier and to affo: d ; him useful work and further edu- : cation while he is awaiting re-;deployment, • , jBetween 45 and 50 officers aweek from the 5th Army units arenow attending training school for:officers who will teach in unit!schools. These officers are chosen;•by their respective commanders on j the basis of merit and most are i unit Information and Education j officers. These unit schools have j a proposed curriculum of 27 sub- I jects, including courses on person-; nel management, business, adver-1 Using, agriculture and how to i
Newspaper Details
Piqua Daily Call
Piqua, Ohio, US
Thu, Jun 07, 1945
Page 16
Full Page
Clipped by
Richard E.
OH, USA 28 Jun 2023
Other Publications Near Piqua, Ohio
Piqua Morning Call
Piqua Daily Call and Piqua Press Dispatch
Piqua Press Dispatch
Piqua Daily Call
Piqua Miami Leader
