Many of VA’s benefits or services can be traced back to June 22, 1944. That’s when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (SRA) of 1944, otherwise known as the G.I. Bill of Rights.
“This generation, said Roosevelt, “has a rendezvous with destiny.” More than 16 million Americans served in World War II. Nearly 300,000 died in battle. Many were returning home to uncertain futures.
But these Veterans had determined allies.
Harry Colmery was a World War I Veteran, a former national commander of the American Legion and a former Republican National Chairman. He and the committee of legionnaires he led had a plan: a law that would assist new Veterans in their transition from military service.
Colmery wrote the original language of the bill that would eventually be sponsored by U.S. Representative Edith Norse-Rogers (R-Mass.), who eventually chaired the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
The SRA provided WWII Veterans funds for college, unemployment insurance and housing benefits. By the end of the World War II-era in 1956, roughly 8 million out of 16 million WWII Veterans had used their G.I. Bill benefit for some kind of training.
“With the signing of this bill a well-rounded program of special Veterans’ benefits is nearly completed, “Roosevelt said. “It gives emphatic notice to the men and women in our armed forces that the American people do not intend to let them down.”
The G.I. Bill put tools and resources into the hands of young Americans looking to create a better life for themselves and their families, helping to create and strengthen the American middle class.
The G.I. Bill also had important social impact. It played a role in the promotion of the American Dream—owning a home, getting a good education and achieving upward mobility.
Observe the 80th Anniversary of the G.I. Bill
Upon its passage 80 years ago, not all Veterans benefitted equally. Racial and gender disparities made it difficult for all Veterans to access and use the benefits they earned. While VA cannot tell this story without including this truth, today, equity and access have become part of VA’s top priorities. VA remains committed to supporting America’s Veterans of every generation as they strive to realize their own American Dreams.
In the coming days, we’ll be publishing more news stories about the benefits derived from the SRA, including employment and training benefits available to some disabled Veterans, the origin of the Veteran Readiness and Employment, and more info on VA’s home loan benefits.
In the meantime, we want to know, how have you used yours? Let us know in the comments below.
