(NNPA)—My late father was born on what was originally called “Armistice Day”—now celebrated as Veteran’s Day—Nov. 11. He went on to serve in World War II in the U.S. Navy, stationed in the Pacific.
My father was originally a high school dropout. I say “originally” because after returning home from his service in the Navy, he reoriented his life. He finished high school and then, through the GI Bill, was able to attend Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C.
The next time that someone tells you that we need to shrink government, ask them “Why?” Had it not been for so-called “big government,” my father and millions of others returning from World War II would have found themselves in the midst of a massive economic depression. My father was able to use that college education and gain a respectable standard of living.
Unfortunately not all African American veterans were as fortunate as my father. Many African Americans were, in effect, ‘cashiered’ out of the service and thereby rendered ineligible for the benefits associated with the GI Bill. It is for this reason that the GI Bill overwhelmingly served White veterans while African Americans were left behind.
In addition, African American veterans were returning to a racially segregated U.S.A. Even with the GI Bill, Black veterans frequently had the decks stacked against them. This situation actually contributed to the growth of the Civil Rights Movement as Black veterans felt increasingly incensed by having fought against fascism abroad, only to re-encounter racism at home.
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