Although it was not I who earned the benefits of the GI Bill, I have definitely felt the benefits during the past 75 years. My husband always wanted to be a writer, but growing up in a small Ohio steel town, his future seemed to be in the steel plants where his father had always worked. His two years' service in the South Pacific with the U.S. Navy and the GI Bill gave him hope of a different life.
He was able to go to Journalism School at Ohio University and plan an alternative future. I and our baby son went to college with him and since the GI Bill paid for tuition, books, fees and a $90 per month stipend, we managed to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table for four years. When he was offered a great job with a Chicago publisher, he went to Chicago to look for housing. The demand for housing was so great after WWII that no one would rent to anyone with children, so once again the GI Bill came to our rescue. With a GI loan he was able to purchase a house in a brand new "bedroom" Chicago suburb.
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He loved his job and moved up quickly. Of course, my life improved along with his, thanks to the GI Bill.
Lois L. McKelvey
