I was guilty of suckling at the Government teat, and I liked it!

The 1944 bill--among the most significant pieces of legislation ever passed by the U.S. Congress--included much more. Its education benefits threw open the doors of élite academies to the masses: in 1947, veterans made up almost half the nation's college students. It also offered low-interest, no-money-down mortgages, backed by the U.S. government that allowed millions of families to purchase their first homes. The move helped spark the postwar baby boom and the suburbanization of America in the 1950s: it effectively created the American middle class. With no or little education and a wish to have his own family my father was able to secure a home load for the purchase of a $13,000 ranch home in 1955 that made his simple dream come true. He then took night classes to learn a trade. He became a Hear Treater.

By 1956, when the initial program ended, close to half the nation's 16 million veterans had either gone to college or received job training. A generation flourished. The current situation presents far more difficult choices. With the U.S. military stretched thin, President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain--a veteran's veteran if ever there was one--oppose the latest version of the GI Bill over fears that its educational opportunities will reduce the number of soldiers re-enlisting for further tours of duty. But supporters of the new bill point out that duty runs both ways. As Webb puts it, "This is about taking care of the people who have taken care of us."

After months of debate, Congress finally passed a new GI Bill – the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act – which went into effect in August 2009. The new GI Bill significantly expands veterans’ education benefits, offering up to 100 percent tuition and fee coverage at institutions of higher learning, a monthly housing stipend, up to $1,000 annually for books and school supplies, and the option to transfer benefits to one or more immediate family members. And it has made the reality of higher education more attainable than ever for today’s veterans.

Without the GI Bill I would still be on the loading docks picking up ¼ sides of beef from Texas and hooking them on rails with hooks.  I did have to quit school for a year and work in order to buy a car but did finish my education in five years.  The GI Bill gave me enough money for tuition,books,1/3 of my rent and utilities. I had very little left for food but worked every summer and ate a lot of cereal. I must confess that in the winter of 1973 I was so hungry that I applied for, and received, food stamps for 20 weeks. 

I owe the Government and the American Tax payers for my schooling and career. I do not see it as a right but a gift from a grateful nation. I feel blessed. Without the GI Bill I would be a shell of the person I am today. Being able to go to college opened my eyes and made me a more rounded and compassionate person able to see all sides of an issue or problem. I am also a better person for my experiences. Thanks America and sorry Mr. Romney.