The WW2 GI Bill

Jul 12, 2019, 10:59 AM

The GI Bill was probably one of the greatest pieces of legislation passed by the United States Congress. The millions of service men and women who received training under this act were instrumental in being the catalyst for much of the technological achievements over the past 70 years.

When I returned to the University of Florida after WW2, the GI Bill paid for all of my college expenses except food. Single veterans received $60.00 per month for living expenses. On those days when my classes permitted, I worked two hours in the cafeteria and received three meals that day for my work.

During my last two years I was married and as a married veteran received a $90.00 per month living allowance. My wife was a beautiful WW2 Navy WAVE. After our marriage she transferred from Florida State to the Univ. of Florida. And, as a veteran, she received $60.00 per month for living expenses There was no available space in the Flavet Villages, the University's housing for married veterans, so we had to seek local affordable housing.

We were lucky. I had a cousin who had a house in Gainesville and a home on a nearby lake. He and his wife wanted to make their main home at the lake house but wanted someone in their Gainesville home as caretakers. Their one request was that one bedroom was to be reserved for the rare times they wished to spend the night in Gainesville. So, we had the use of the remainder of the fully furnished house for $35.00 per month and they paid all of the utilities.

We didn't have a car at that time but we could catch the bus to the campus two blocks from our house and the fare was one thin dime each way. I had saved a little money while in service and our living expenses were not very much so that $150.00 per month was enough to meet all of our needs with a little to spare.

One semester my wife had a lab that did not end until 5 PM. She was majoring in Botany, which was in the College of Agriculture. There were not many women at UF at that time and she was the only female in the lab. The Professor was like a father to my wife and on those days when she had the lab, he brought her home.

Most of our friends were married and the majority of the wives had jobs on the campus. Two or three couples had one or two children. Those of us who had no children were referred to as being a "single couple". We got together on a regular basis and had lots of fun. We had "pot luck" meals and because my wife and I had the biggest house, our house was the favorite gathering place. Remember, this was back in the "dark ages". No one had a TV or a cell phone. None of us were "money rich" but we were millionaires when it came to the important things in our lives.

Message was edited by: Joe21®

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from your notes. Your stories are great and a fantastic snapshot into the time and places you've traveled. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but it can't tell you context, or what the people were thinking, or what was going on behind the scenes. When I was in High School all our lit classes put together a book that was a collection of local stories. As students, our assigned task was to "talk to your grandparents or elder community members and let them tell you their memories." Then we took the very best of all those stories, maybe 100 or so, each no more than a page or two long, and bound them up. Those books are an invaluable snapshot into every aspect of the past. Like what going to the doctor was like, or fishing at a local pond, or your first date, or repairing your car, or a typical work day on the farm, or anything about daily life you just never think about and there is no way of preserving without text. My grandma told me about her first date. They sat on the couch in the living room, one of 4 small rooms in the house, across from her watchful parents who sat directly across from them, about 5 feet away. Everyone was dressed up for the occasion in their Sunday's best. She said she liked the boy and he had a pretty good chance till he committed the unforgivable act of trying to put his arm around her on the couch. That was just too much and got him kicked out of the house by her dad. He worked his way back into good graces, but had to court her dad as much as he courted her. Tough times for a Romeo back then!

The WW2 GI Bill

Re: The WW2 GI Bill

Re: The WW2 GI Bill

Re: The WW2 GI Bill

Re: The WW2 GI Bill

Re: The WW2 GI Bill

Not the same for African American GI’s

Re: Not the same for African American GI’s

Re: Not the same for African American GI’s

Re: Not the same for African American GI’s

Re: Not the same for African American GI’s

Re: The WW2 GI Bill

Re: The WW2 GI Bill

One of my grandfathers finished Clemson on the GI bill.

Seriously, Joe, write a book...or let someone do it for you

Re: The WW2 GI Bill

Re: The WW2 GI Bill

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